Living and working at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, we have the privilege of having so many great local herbs to work with. From the start, one of the local herbal stars was to play an important role in many of our OSHA root formulas (Ligusticum porteri). Recently we were lucky to spend a day with the Turning Aspen trees for training on how you can harvest Osha sustainably from the world-famous Osha expert, Shawn Sigstedt. Shawn is an ethnobotanist who has devoted his career to studying Osha, its use and cultural significance, as well as his relationship with Bears.
Dave, our Quality Assurance Manager, and Johnnie, one of our customer service representatives, learning about ethical practices for harvesting Osha -Boot with Shawn.
A member of the Parsley family (Apiaceae), Osha is only found in the Rocky Mountain region, from New Mexico to Montana. Osha has a rich and special history in this area. It has long been searched and honored his health -promoting qualities by Indian communities in the area and throughout the country. Known as bear medicine or bear root, it is one of the first things that bears are looking for after waking up from hibernation and they will often chew disease and discomfort.
Shawn respectfully greets an older Osha factory in the area before we started the harvest.
Osha has an affinity for the lungs and is great for almost every breathing condition. It encourages a healthy immune response and promotes the natural resistance of your body. Traditionally it was also used to calm down discomfort and to support a healthy inflammatory reaction. When Wishgarden started for the first time in 1979, Osha was not known or she did not use much outside of herb circles and usually only in local herbal circles. As the use of herbal products has grown and the reputation of Osha has spread, you can now find it in many herbal products throughout the country. However, because it only grows in this relatively small area and notoir has been difficult to cultivate, Osha runs the risk of harvesting too much in the wild.
Owner and formulator, Catherine Hunziker, watches while Shawn discusses the distinctive characteristics of Osha versus other Apiaceae family members.
We make herbal remedies of a love for the plants and their sustainable use is important to us. The sustainability of Osha is especially close to our hearts. Our day with Shawn was just one of the many steps we take to ensure that our use of Osha is done in an ethical and sustainable way.
Shawn shows how you can harvest Osha root ethically without taking the entire plant.
We spent the day learning about the history of Shawn with Osha, the work he did to study Bear’s use of Osha, and how he finally found a way to cultivate Osha after many years (so exciting!). In the afternoon we went outside to meet Osha and learn from the master the best way to harvest it in a sustainable way. We are pleased to use what we have learned to use this season.
Shawn supervises our harvesting techniques.
Many thanks to Shawn for a great day and for sharing his passion and knowledge for Osha!
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The formulas of Wishgarden Herbs that contain Osha:
Erin Smith has been working with plants for 25 years and is a medical herbalist and ethnobotanist. She’s the maker of Plant Passionate Living, an interactive program that is designed to help people find more health and vitality through a deeper relationship with plants. Erin is the founder and director of the Center for Integrative Botanical Studies.
Only for educational purposes. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease or to sell a product.
Thanks to Shawn Sigstedt for offering our position of Osha.
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