Hill Folk Herbal Farms

At Hill Folk Herbal Farm, these are more than just beans to us. Cathy’s Cherokee heritage comes through her mother’s side of the family, and these seeds represent something deeply personal: seeds passed down, seeds remembered, and seeds we are determined to keep alive. The Cherokee Trail of Tears bean is associated with the Cherokee people and the forced removal from their southeastern homelands in 1838–1839. The National Park Service documents the forced removal of more than 16,000 Cherokee people and the devastating loss of life along the journey west. The seed's more specific family history is traditionally connected to Cherokee families who carried and preserved the bean, and the variety was famously shared with Seed Savers Exchange in 1977 by Dr. John Wyche of Hugo, Oklahoma, whose Cherokee ancestors were said to have carried and preserved it.

The Cherokee Trail of Tears Black Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is a vigorous pole bean that produces green pods with purple coloration and beautiful, glossy black mature seeds. It can be harvested young as a snap bean or allowed to mature for dry beans, making it both a productive garden crop and a valuable seed-saving variety. Cherokee Nation's own seed materials identify it as a small black bean grown to maturity for use in soups and stews. We are growing these seeds here at Hill Folk Herbal Farm and carrying that tradition forward one generation at a time. And at just $2.00 for 25 seeds, our price is hard to beat, especially when you're buying seed with a story, a purpose, and a commitment to keeping an heirloom alive.

25 Cherokee Trail of Tears Black Bean Seeds only $2.00
Hill Folk Herbal Farm
408 Edison Road • Grayson, KY 41143

For comparison, current specialty listings include 40 seeds for $4.00 from Baker Creek and Seed Savers Exchange listings around $4.25–$6.83, so $2 for 25 seeds is indeed an exceptionally competitive price.

We have reached a point where the warning signs can no longer be viewed as isolated events. Food prices are being pressured from multiple directions at once: diesel has now moved above $6 a gallon, agricultural commodities surged more than 13% in August, transportation and production costs continue climbing, and the probability of another Federal Reserve rate increase has risen sharply. At the same time, the cattle industry is confronting a shrinking biological pipeline, with fewer cattle entering feedlots, historically low herd numbers, rising feeder-cattle prices and another calving season approaching. Seafood may be an even more immediate concern. The ocean is already unusually warm, El Niño is strengthening toward what could become one of the strongest events in the historical record, and the biological changes are already being observed along the West Coast. Fish do not have to disappear for seafood prices to jump. When fish move, fleets move with them and longer trips mean more fuel, more time, more refrigeration and greater cost before that fish ever reaches the market.

This is why Hill Folk Herbal Farm is calling this a Food Increase Alert- a call to preparation. We believe it is already too late to assume seafood will simply remain at today's prices while the forces affecting its supply chain intensify. The same is true of beef and other foods increasingly exposed to fuel, transportation and production costs. The grocery receipt is the last domino in a much larger chain that begins with weather, oceans, livestock, fuel, fertilizer, transportation, processing and global supply. By the time those pressures are fully visible in the grocery aisle, the opportunity to prepare at today's prices may already be gone. Nations prepare for winter, farmers prepare for the next growing season, and food producers prepare for uncertainty; there is no reason families should do anything less. Our first medicine is food, and building a reasonable reserve of the foods we depend upon is one of the simplest ways to give ourselves and our communities greater resilience before the next round of increases reaches the grocery shelf.

Seafood may be the category where it is already too late to avoid sticker shock. Cod, po***ck and pink salmon were already reaching historic market highs earlier this year, before the full influence of the strengthening El Niño has reached the West Coast. Now NOAA is watching an ocean system in which unusually warm water, a deepening thermocline and weakening upwelling can alter where fish are found and how productive the food chain becomes. Fishing fleets follow the fish, and following the fish means burning more fuel, spending more time at sea and carrying greater refrigeration and transportation costs. The consumer does not see any of that on the boat. They see it on the price tag

The art of working complete herbal formulas

There is a significant difference between performing arithmetic on a recipe and formulating from herbs in front of you. Arithmetic on a recipe typically involves scaling ingredient amounts, while formulating requires precise measurements and adjustments based on the properties of the materials used.
“If I had determined the alcohol by looking only at the weight of herbs, would I have known how much room this extraction actually requires?” The answer is no
“If I had determined the herb quantity by volume instead of weighing each herb, would I have preserved the formula?” Again, no.
That's the lesson when the goal is to have enough menstruum to pe*****te the compressed herb mass, circulate when stirred, and leave some working room without pushing the extraction toward an unnecessarily large alcohol volume.
Join Hill Folk Farm as we walk through the entire process making our “Deep Lung and Bronchial support Tincture”. We’ll discover together why we are using 8 different herbs -their purpose and the intended result along with some history. Each participant will leave with a finished 2-ounce bottle.
How to make Apple-Cider Vinegar and preserve the mother. Then Appalachian style Switchels with special attention on replenishing vital minerals in our body. Because this class will focus special attention on weight to mass it will open the field to all the Herbal formulas, which we offer free for the asking.
Class period will last around two hours.
Fee: $20.00

Yesterday 'Sunday' a 90 minute zoom meeting among herbalists lasted over 4 hours. And why is still rolling in my head.

almost every herbal writer, every formula shares it without question.

Our mistake yesterday-we did - and wow

Anyone see why not to make it?

www.learningherbs.com

Since offering our Hill Folk Mineral Switcher It disappeared as soon as it becomes ready. We've had enough people use it to be able to tweak it perfectly to work in a quart size jar.

Here is a revised recipe:

A Blackberry, Mineral-Rich Herbal Vinegar for the Working Season
The Hill Folk Mineral Switchel was developed as a practical, food-based herbal preparation designed around the capacity of a quart jar. The formula combines mineral-rich herbs, roots, fruit, kelp, apple cider vinegar, blackstrap molasses, and local honey.
Unlike formulas calculated solely by weight, this preparation is deliberately measured by bulk volume. This is important because leafy herbs, roots, berries, and sea vegetables occupy very different amounts of physical space. The quart jar itself is therefore part of the formulation.
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The Quart-Jar Formula
Herbal and Fruit Components
• ½ cup dried stinging nettle leaf
• ½ cup dried burdock root
• ¼ cup dried yellow dock root
• ¼ cup dried oatstraw
• 1 piece of kelp, approximately 1 inch × 1 inch
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• 3 cups apple cider vinegar
After the Two-Week Extraction
• ½ cup blackstrap molasses
• ½ cup local honey
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Why Each Ingredient Is Used
Stinging Nettle — ½ cup
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is the principal leafy herb in the formula.
Nettle has a long history as a nutritive herb and is traditionally associated with urinary elimination. Modern European herbal medicine also recognizes nettle leaf in traditional preparations intended to increase urine production.
Within this formula, nettle provides the primary green, mineral-rich herbal component and establishes the foundation of the botanical blend.
The relatively large ½-cup volume reflects its role as the principal leafy herb rather than treating its weight as equivalent to the much denser roots.
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Burdock Root — ½ cup
Burdock (Arctium spp.) provides the principal root component of the formula.
Burdock brings a dense, earthy root character and complements the leafy nettle while broadening the traditional herbal profile of the preparation.
Because burdock root is considerably denser than dried nettle leaf, its ½-cup volume should not be interpreted as an equal weight to the nettle.
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Yellow Dock Root — ¼ cup
Yellow dock (Rumex crispus) contributes a bitter root component to the formula.
Its smaller proportion is intentional. Yellow dock is a much more assertive bitter root than nettle or oatstraw, and the formula does not require a large quantity to establish its character.
The ¼-cup measure keeps yellow dock in a supporting role rather than allowing its bitterness to dominate the finished preparation.
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Oatstraw — ¼ cup
Oatstraw (Avena sativa) provides another traditional nutritive component.
Its role here is deliberately restrained at ¼ cup. Rather than making oatstraw a dominant ingredient, the formula uses it as a supporting herb alongside nettle.
This keeps the preparation centered on the blackberry-mineral character while adding another gentle nutritive botanical.
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Kelp — 1 × 1 Inch Piece
A small piece of kelp provides a marine mineral component and gives the formula a deliberate connection between terrestrial mineral herbs and the mineral-rich sea.
Only a one-inch-square piece is used. Kelp can contain very high and highly variable amounts of iodine depending on species and source, so increasing the amount simply to make the formula “more mineral rich” is not appropriate.
The small piece is therefore intentional.
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Fresh Blackberries — 1 Cup
Blackberries provide the fruit component of the switchel.
They contribute flavor, color, natural fruit acids, and a distinctly Appalachian character to the preparation. The berries also make the final drink substantially more approachable than a preparation based solely on roots, leaves, and vinegar.
The blackberry is not merely a flavoring added at the end—it is part of the extraction itself.
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Apple Cider Vinegar — 3 Cups
Apple cider vinegar serves as the extraction medium and the acidic foundation of the switchel.
The three cups of vinegar are added to the quart jar containing the blackberry and herbal material. With the specified bulk quantities, this fills the quart jar appropriately.
The purpose is not to force a theoretical herb-to-liquid ratio onto the preparation. The formula was designed around the actual physical capacity of the quart jar.
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Preparation
Step 1 — Prepare the Quart Jar
Use a clean quart-sized glass jar with a suitable lid.
Add:
1. ½ cup dried stinging nettle
2. ½ cup dried burdock root
3. ¼ cup dried yellow dock
4. ¼ cup dried oatstraw
5. One 1 × 1 inch piece of kelp
6. One cup fresh blackberries
Do not pack the herbs tightly. The measurements are bulk measurements, not compressed measurements.
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Step 2 — Add the Vinegar
Pour 3 cups of apple cider vinegar into the jar.
The vinegar should completely saturate and cover the botanical material.
If necessary, gently press the berries and herbs downward with a clean utensil to release trapped air and ensure that the vinegar reaches the entire mixture.
Cap the jar.
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Step 3 — Two-Week Extraction
Allow the preparation to sit for two weeks.
Store it in a cool, dark location and shake the jar regularly during the extraction period.
The berries, herbs, roots, and kelp will continue to soften and release their constituents into the vinegar.
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Straining and Finishing the Switchel
After two weeks, strain the entire preparation thoroughly.
Press the botanical material well enough to recover as much of the infused vinegar as practical.
Discard the spent botanical material or compost it where appropriate.
Return the strained liquid to a clean container.
Add:
• ½ cup blackstrap molasses
• ½ cup local honey
Stir thoroughly until the molasses and honey are completely incorporated.
The molasses contributes sweetness, depth, and a traditional mineral-rich food component, while the local honey softens the sharp acidity of the vinegar and blackberry.
The finished concentrate should be well mixed before bottling.
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Making the Finished Switchel Drink
For one bottle:
Use:
2 tablespoons Hill Folk Mineral Switchel concentrate
plus
1 bottle of water
Add the concentrate to the bottle of water.
Cap securely.
Shake well.
Refrigerate.
The drink is ready to use.
The finished drink can be adjusted to taste by changing the amount of concentrate used per bottle. The standard Hill Folk Farm preparation begins at 2 tablespoons per bottle of water.
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Storage
Because honey and molasses are added after the vinegar extraction and the finished preparation is intended to be diluted for drinking, the completed concentrate should be refrigerated.
Use clean containers and utensils throughout the preparation.
If the finished concentrate develops unexpected mold, fermentation, gas production, off-odors, or other signs of spoilage, discard it rather than attempting to salvage it.
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Field Observations and Formula Development
The Hill Folk Mineral Switchel is an example of a formula that continued to develop after it left the recipe book and entered actual use.
Feedback from people using the preparation has included reports of noticeably increased urinary frequency. One individual who had been experiencing substantial fluid retention reported a dramatic reduction in measured body weight after consuming several bottles of the prepared switchel, accompanied by a marked subjective improvement in how she felt. She subsequently traveled approximately three hours to prepare another batch.
Other users including physically active adults doing strenuous daily labor have reported regular use of the preparation, with some consuming two to three bottles per day.
These observations are recorded as field observations rather than clinical evidence or proof of causation.
They are nevertheless important to the continuing development of the formula.
One of the principles behind Hill Folk Herbal Farm’s formula work is that a preparation is not finished simply because the written recipe is finished.

We had a 86 year old female drive three hours this morning for our Switchel recipe. I gave her a jar with the recipe with fruit and sweetener alternatives.
Our biggest customers are middle aged males that work hard every day and need to replenish their minerals. The stories and feedback we've been getting are very encouraging

At Hill Folk Herbal Farms, we craft our tonics the way our people tended the land; slow, steady, and in rhythm with the seasons.

This mineral brew follows the old Appalachian pattern of building, moving, clearing, and rooting. Nettle and oatstraw bring the green strength of the hills, Yellow Dock and Burdock carry the deep‑down wisdom of the roots, and a touch of molasses ties it all back to the earth. It’s a drink shaped by hand and heritage, meant to nourish the body the same way the mountains nourish us: quietly, daily, and with a kind of strength you feel over time.

Somewhere in this week we'll make time for tomatoes.
Everyone have a great start to a busy time of the herbal season

Today marks one of those moments that herbalists wait for all year.

For weeks I have been watching the calendar, the sky, and the plants. The Summer Solstice has long passed. Every sunrise now arrives a little later, every sunset a little earlier. The wheel has turned into the second half of summer. The moon is waning, and today it moves through Cancer, a sign long associated with the chest, lungs, and nourishment.
More importantly, the plants themselves have changed. The brilliant energy that only weeks ago was pushing flowers toward the heavens has begun its slow journey back into the earth. The roots are becoming reservoirs once again, storing starches, inulin, minerals, and medicinal compounds for the coming winter. For the herbalist, this is one of the finest times to harvest roots.

Today my Pleurisy Root and Elecampane reached that moment.

I have been waiting patiently for this harvest because these two plants form the heart of one of my favorite traditional respiratory formulas. Rather than rushing into tincture season in early summer, I wanted the medicine to be made when the plants themselves had gathered their strength below ground. Even better, the timing gives the tincture exactly what it needs-time.

By preparing this formula now and allowing it to macerate for roughly two months, it should reach its prime around the middle of October. Here in Appalachia that is often when the first real cold settles in. Windows close. Furnaces come on. Indoor air becomes dry. The heavy summer dew disappears, humidity falls, and the respiratory season quietly begins.

That is when I want this medicine sitting on the shelf—not because someone is already sick, but because it has been prepared well before it is needed.

Appalachian Bronchial & Deep Lung Support Kit
30-Gram Formula

Mullein Leaf -Verbascum thapsus*) -6 grams

* A classic Appalachian lung herb.
* Helps soothe irritated respiratory tissues.
* Traditionally used to support the movement of mucus from deep within the lungs.

Elecampane Root-Inula helenium - 6 grams

* One of the great traditional herbs for deep, lingering coughs.
* Rich in inulin and aromatic compounds that have long been valued for stubborn bronchial congestion.
* Especially useful when mucus is difficult to clear.

Red Clover Blossoms & Tops-Trifolium pratense -3 grams

* A gentle alterative traditionally used to support the lymphatic system.
* Adds soothing, cooling qualities to inflammatory respiratory conditions.

Pleurisy Root -Asclepias tuberosa - 3 grams

* One of North America's classic herbs for pleuritic discomfort and dry, painful coughs.
* Traditionally used to encourage healthy lung function and comfortable breathing.

Wild Cherry Bark- Prunus serotina - 3 gram

* A respected traditional cough herb.
* Helps calm excessive coughing while supporting healthy bronchial secretions.

Echinacea Root -Echinacea angustifolia - 3 grams

* Traditionally used to support healthy immune function during seasonal respiratory illnesses.
* Provides a strong earthy foundation to the formula.

Ginger Root-Zingiber officinale -1.5 grams

* Warming circulatory stimulant.
* Encourages movement throughout the body while helping offset the cooling nature of several herbs in the blend.

Choose ONE aromatic herb -4.5 grams

Pine Needles

* Rich in aromatic oils.
* Traditionally valued for opening the airways and bringing the scent of the forest into respiratory formulas.

**OR**

Monarda-Monarda fistulosa

* An Appalachian favorite.
* Aromatic, warming, and traditionally used to support healthy respiratory function.

**OR**

Thyme-Thymus vulgaris

* A classic European respiratory herb.
* Provides aromatic support while complementing the expectorant action of mullein and elecampane.

Many people begin looking for herbal remedies only after illness has arrived. Traditional herbalists often work differently. We harvest when the plants are strongest and perpare them before it is needed. We allow time for extraction and when the first coughs begin circulating in October and November, the medicine is already waiting.

Nature has already done her work.

Our job is simply to notice the season.

50 gram formula is as follows

Herb Weight
Mullein Leaf (Verbascum thapsus) 10.5 g
Elecampane Root (Inula helenium) 10.5 g
Red Clover Blossoms & Tops (Trifolium pratense) 5.5 g
Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberosa) 5.5 g
Wild Cherry Bark (Prunus serotina) 5.5 g
Echinacea Root (Echinacea angustifolia or E. purpurea) 5.5 g
Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale) 2.5 g
Choose ONE aromatic herb:
• Pine Needles (Pinus spp.) 5 g
OR Monarda (Monarda fistulosa or M. citriodora) 5 g
OR Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) 5 g

Queen of the Night tomatoes , sweet peppers and purple onions all ready to be pickeled.

Tes the Season