Hilltown Families 
GIVEAWAY: CSM Share from Goldthread Herb Farm
Enter to Win a CSM Share from
Goldthread Herb Farm in Conway
Share a folk remedy you like to make in the summer months using fresh herbs & plants and be entered to win a large CSM Share from Goldthread Herb Farm in Conway, MA. Deadline to enter: Monday, July 2nd, 2012.
This summer Goldthread Herb Farm in Conway, MA is embarking on their fifth season of providing Community Supported Medicine (CSM) Shares to the community… and Hilltown Families has a large share (enough for a family of 3-4, valued at $250) to giveaway to one lucky family! Details on how you can enter to win are below and deadline to participate is Monday, July 2nd, 2012 by 7pm (EST).
ABOUT GOLDTHREAD FARM’S CSM SHARES
Goldthread Farm’s fresh-from-the-field CSM shares contain herbs and remedies for a host of commonly encountered conditions such as colds, flus, sore throats, coughs, digestive issues, sleep improvement, skin conditions, children’s health, and more. Their CSM shares offer handcrafted medicines, tea blends, honeys, elixirs and flavorful culinary spices. Their two seasonal pickups include a unique opportunity to meet their plants, sip freshly brewed herbal tea and participate in an in-depth herb walk and educational session at their farm in Conway, MA. Alternatively, shares can be picked up at their storefront in Florence, MA. In addition to their large shares, they also offer and small share (perfect for 1-2 people).
ABOUT GOLDTHREAD FARM
Goldthread Herb Farm is a medicinal herb farm located in the Hilltowns in Conway, MA. The farm is situated on a south facing hilltop, surrounded by hundreds of acres of mixed conifers and hardwoods, teeming with wildlife, and blessed with abundant streams and brooks. Their goal is to provide a source for organically grown and sustainably wild harvested medicinal plants and plant preparations that are of the highest quality and crafted with the greatest care and attention to detail. In Florence, MA they have a full-service apothecary and clinic stocked with organic medicinal herbs and local products fresh from their farm. Visit GoldthreadApothecary.com for more info on their CSM and classes, or call 413-587-0620.
HOW TO WIN
Your chance to win a Large CSM Share from Goldthread Herb Farm in Conway, MA for the 2012 season is as easy as 1-2-3(4)! To enter to win simply:
- CONSIDER SHARING THIS POST ON FACEBOOK by selecting the Facebook icon below;
- SHARE A FOLK REMEDY YOU LIKE TO MAKE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS USING FRESH HERBS & PLANTS below (one entry per household);
- FULL NAME (first/last);
- LIVE (TOWN/STATE) (must include your town to be eligible);
- ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address);
- From our favorite entries (so make them good!) we’ll randomly draw a winner and will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline is Monday, July 2nd, 2012 by 7pm (EST).
Brianyn has won a large CSM Share from Goldthread Herb Farm in Conway, MA for the 2012 season and should contact us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com for details on how to claim this share.
Thank you to everyone who entered to win and shared a folk remedy you like to make in the summer months using fresh herbs & plants. So many fabulous ideas to inspire us all! – Be sure to check back with us next week as we will be offering another giveaway sure to delight the budding herbalists and plant lovers!
I like to make rhubarb and honey syrup and keep it in the back of hte fridge for putting in hot water in January when I have a cold, or when I need to remember that spring will come.
My favorite folk remedy this year is lemon balm elixir. It’s so mellowing and calming! I’d love to win a share and my family would put it to good use. We also pick up veggie at Natural Roots so it would be perfect! Thanks for offering the chance to win!
April Horton & Family
Jacksonville, VT
aprilmoonflower@gmail.com
I am always making Vinegars and Honey’s and my favorite Summertime recipe so far has been my Solstice Spice Honey which includes Orange zest, lavender, ceyenne, passion flower, fresh muttled strawberries and blueberries, lemonbalm, english mint, and a spring of sage~ mmm mmm good~
Leverett, MA
Brianyn macleod
I would absolutely love a Goldthread csa share! One of my favorite medicinals to make is a wild Atlantic seaweed apple cider vinegar. Of course harvesting seaweed is a lovely summer activity, but so is harvesting honey! Kava kava honey and ashwaganda honey are two of my most desired medicinal treats.
There are a lot of interesting ideas here. I don’t do a lot of folk remedies in the summer—I made violet syrup in the spring and will save my hot peppers and garlic to simmer in chicken broth come cold season.
Sara Barry
Haydenville, MA
I have a huge sage plant and have been meaning to make sage vinegar- good for your bones. Maybe sage honey too- good in tea for a sore throat.
Judy Bennett
Greenfield, MA
Arnica really helps with all the bumps and bruises of an enthusiastic child.
Jessica Morris, Northampton MA
A jewel weed pulp on poison ivy blisters.
Amherst, MA
I will be a vinegar infused with Holy Basil for mood party salads.
Hi,
One of my favorite summertime remedies to make is a tea from lemon balm, ginger (esp. the local ginger from Old Friends Farm) and local honey. It is best served cold and is a stimulating and refreshing digestive aid! My other favorite (herbal?) root remedy is raw onion for bruises and minor scrapes (though may sting) It works like a charm to prevent bruises from forming if used immediately after an injury. Just cat a fresh raw onion and put it on that bump and you will not get the bruise as it is a mild styptic.
Heather Hall
Northampton, MA
I make an elderberry syrup from the elderberry bushes in my yard. I simmer them down with honey and strain, then can the syrup and use it all winter to keep away illness. It really works! And it’s delicious (my husband is famous for elderberry cocktails!)
Marissa Potter
Shelburne Falls, MA
have been sharing a lot – the bugs are really biting/stinging this year – and kids really like the idea of doing for themselves – Plantain (any of the yard varieties) works wonders if someone gets a bite or sting from little winged creatures – it is even good for pets (neighbor had a dog that stepped on a bee)
Camomile tea for sunburn on your face
rhubarb honey syrup with lemon balm and mint for upset tummy
marianne bullock
greenfield ma
rhubarb syrup w honey/mint and lemon balm for an upset tummy.
marianne bullock
greenfield, ma
Ahhh the summer months! I love making rich and creamy little green pots of Malva cream from my old friend Common Mallow (Malva neglecta). She wants to be wanted and has amazing potential, healing capabilities and love to give. ♥
Jessica Morgan
Loveland Colorado
Our family collects elderberries to make into a winter time elixir.
H. Polson / Northampton
a favorite remedy to make in the summer is tincture of st john’s wort flowers. these magic yellow flowers make a beautiful crimson remedy – antibacterial and antiviral.
anneliese mordhorst
chesterfield, ma
Paula Yolles
Florence, MA
My son loves to grow mint in our garden and uses it to make his special summer drink- 2 varieties of mint mixed with lemon, lime, and local honey. Mint aides one’s digestion so that is a nice added benefit.
As mom I have two favorite summer herbs: plantain leaf and parsley. I love the benefits of the plantain leaf- pick it, chew it, and place it on any insect bite to help take out the itch and speed up the healing process. In Western Massachusetts you can find plantain leaves in your backyard or growing in almost any patch of grass. Parsley is my other favorite summer herb and it is easy to grow in your garden, inside in a pot, or pick it up at your CSA or local farmer’s market. Parsley is very versatile and a powerhouse full of vitamins and iron . You can use parsley to make pesto, add finely chopped parsley in an omelette, mix it with salad greens, or serve a refreshing cup of parsley tea. So many tasty ways to serve parsley and a great way to increase everyone’s iron intake in your family.
I float lavender in my birdbath to keep it from getting dirty and make sure the birds are well hydrated and have clean water during the hot summer months.
South Hadley, MA
Hard to pick a favorite folk remedy. In the summer, I’m a big fan of crushing up jewelweed and applying it to skin immediately after any exposure to poison ivy. I also gather jewelweed seeds to use in place of nuts in pesto. (This takes a while. :) )
Jennifer Hartley
Florence, MA
Fresh mint and any sweetener made into tea for tummy aches. Nice iced too just to cool down. When you plant your mint remember it will happily roam and fill any available space! Helene Leue, Ashfield, Ma
Honey as an antibiotic and Colt’s Foot Tea in the spring for the nasty coughs that always go around.
Dave Cahn
Cummington, MA
greetings~
and thank you for your very generous giveaway.
david crow told me about your farm and CSA a few years back
and i am so appreciative of all your efforts in starting herbal CSA’s.
one of my favorite summer herbal dishes to make is a wild greens pesto.
i begin with fresh basil of course, then add bunches of whatever wild greens are growing abundantly around me. these vary depend on where i am living. in the pacific NW we experience ” juneuary” so the cooll weather keeps the chickweed glorious, and since its my all time favorite wild green i use a lot of it in this recipe. i love plantain and violet leaves too. some dandelion leaves and even a couple blossoms are welcome too. the wild beach rose we have, the nootka, has proliferations of leaves so i use some of them also. and since i can never get enough of the nootka rose i use her in vurtually every tea i consume along with rose elxir too. MMMmmmm yummy.
thanks again
frances o’halloran
carrboro nc
Renee A. Davis | Olympia, WA
I’m also obsessed with rose. With the Nootka rose here, I infused oil, vinegar, make elixirs, salves–anything I can. One of my current favorites is rosehip jam (from last year’s late fall rosehip harvest). Soak the dried, seedless hips in apple cider overnight. Blend until smooth in the morning. Voila! So easy. Make a lot, because it doesn’t last long. Especially around me :)
Sybil Killian
New York, NY
I second Jess’ lemon balm iced tea – I usually just put the fresh lemon balm in water and keep it in the fridge. Also, basil pesto with lots of fresh garlic. I have it whenever I’m going to be in a mosquito infested place. The fresh garlic works like a charm to keep them away.
This is a perfect mosquito bite remedy since 1) it works and 2) it only requires a weed and a band-aid. There is a very common weed (you likely have it in your own back among the grass) called plantain leaf (you can google the image, you’ll surely recognize it). Pick a leaf, chew it up (it is bitter, but not gross), spit it onto the gauzy part of the band-aid and apply it to your mosquito bite. It takes the itch right away. Amazing and way too easy!
Jess Lamson
Amherst Massachusetts
My favorite is Lemon Balm iced tea! I like to make herbal infusion-fruit popsicles as well.
I also dry many herbs for later use and infuse honey with herbs (like thyme for colds).
I’m hoping to make elderberry syrup and a herbal insect repellant this summer. I might also try my hand at making herbal cough drops!
oops, forgot…. I live in Greenfield, MA
I use calendula, lavender, and comfrey in olive oil and beeswax to make a soothing salve. It is nourishing and healing for sunburn, cuts, and hard working hands.
Katrina Kruczko
Easton, Pennsylvania
I like to make many things depending on what i need and whats growing. I have a rose bush so I make rose vinegar, rose water, rose syrup, and a lovely rose body scrub. I also like to make salves were i use dried lavender, roses, chamomile, and let it infuse in jojoba oil then use local beeswax. I use this to heal everything it even gets used on the doggie.
I do not have a folk rememdy using plants and herbs, but I know that a thick mixture of baking soda and water will help with bee stings.. hopefully that counts, right? I can’t wait to see what other write – I love to learn new things.
amanda saklad
belchertown