Every year, in spite of my best efforts, I manage to pick up some poison oak along my travels. As someone who's highly sensitive to the oils, I've spent many a late summer cursing my inattention as I slather pink lotions on my  limbs. So when I found this gumweed solution, I immediately added the plant to my pollinator garden. It's not a showy plant but the bees adore its resins, and we use both the tincture and the liniment all year round to address a variety of complaints. To

(Photo courtesy of Appleseed Media.)Dry, cracked skin not only hurts, it harbors germs, too. Nowadays, there's more reason than ever to care for the body's largest, most protective organ, and DIY salves and lotions can play a big role.The best part about this rich, thick lotion is that it can easily be whipped up at home using basic ingredients. You can get fancy and add other things, but with these simple techniques and fairly minimal cleanup time, this recipe will give you a shelf-stable product that packed with antiseptic and

We have a limited number of the following starts. Before we make them available to the wider public, we'd like to share with our loyal supporters. Patrons who donated in April are welcome to one of each variety.  Pick up in Naches Heights. Send your wish lists to yakimabeach@gmail.com or leave  them in  the comments below. We'll prepare your order within 24 hours. red clovernettlecomfreygoldenrodyarrowapple mintcatnipclary sage (blue & white)Moldavian dragon head balmAll are perennials except clary sage, which is a self-seeding biennial and Moldavian dragon head balm, a self seeding

 Still have elderberries on hand? Here's a delicious, healthy alternative to the standard syrup preparation. (Black currants, blueberries, blackberries, native currants, Oregon grapes and serviceberries can be substituted.) We double the batch and stock the freezer for anytime snacks.  Ingredients:  1 3/4 cups plus 1 teaspoon whole wheat flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 tsp almond extract1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon  1/2 tsp ground ginger  1/4 tsp ground cloves1/4 tsp ground cardamom1/4 tsp ground sumac (all spices can be adjusted to taste/omitted)1/3 cup cooking oil or melted coconut

Photo courtesy of Appleseed Media. Many herbs are mildly drying--not necessarily desirable when your hands are already like sandpaper from washing. Luckily, March is a perfect time to start gathering mallow and violet. The leaves of both plants are demulcent (moistening when ingested). They're common and abundant but mostly overlooked--considered weeds even by the uninitiated.  And violet is traditionally called upon during times of emotional upheaval to provide comfort, so it feels like a mighty fine ally to seek out just now.To enjoy the soothing properties and nutritional boost of mallow