Author, Jennifer Rader
“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
A comment from a physician-friend indicating that herbs do more than relieve tummy aches and coughs, but that they also conquer stubborn bacterial infections, fueled Jennifer Rader’s nascent interest in alternative medicine. Knowing that much pharmaceutical research centers around plant-based extracts and in an era of increasing distrust of the pharmaceutical industry, she thought, why not go straight to the source? To the plants themselves? Thus began the journey, with herbal guides devoted to their authors’ favorite herbs and locations, often the Pacific Northwest or the East Coast. Their favorites rarely grew near her. And reading one day she found the following, attributed to the oral teachings of the Cherokee Nation:
“Each tree, each shrub, and herb, down even to the grasses and mosses, agreed to furnish a remedy for some one of the diseases [of humankind] and each said: ‘I shall appear to help man whenever he calls upon me in his need.’ ”
The light switched on. Medicine grows all around us.
Started seven years ago to share her findings with family and friends, the Prep School Daily blog covers preparing for personal to global challenges. A primary focus is using local herbs to reduce dependence on and side effects from conventional pharmaceuticals. After six years of daily blogging, she compiled her writing into the comprehensive herbal reference, Armageddon Pharmacy, which covers the various preparations of over 100 trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, weeds, pantry items, and more. However, some Elko customers found it intimidating. They requested something smaller with color photographs. To date, she’s published three subsets that highlight backyard garden flowers, mint family herbs, and weeds.
All the herbs in Jennifer’s books, including juniper (a systemic antibiotic), grow in the Great Basin and surrounding mountains. The vast majority grow here in Elko County. Truly, the Medicine Surrounds Us!
Jennifer’s books are available at Northeastern Nevada Museum, Carlin Trend, Novel Ideas (inside Boyd’s Mercantile), Natural Nutrition, and 2 Wild Poppies. Online, they’re available through AuthorJenniferRader.com and Amazon.com.
Juniper Salve
½ cup juniper berries
Distilled water
1 cup olive oil
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- ½ tablespoons beeswax
Soak juniper berries for several hours in enough distilled water to cover. Crush berries slightly and put them and the distilled water and olive oil in a double boiler over low heat. Simmer for several minutes. Remove pan from heat and strain to remove juniper berries. Discard berries and put strained oil back in pan over low heat. Stir in beeswax. When beeswax is melted and completely incorporated, pour salve into jar and let set. Use for arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, swelling, tendinitis, eczema, psoriasis.
Juniper Needle Tincture
1 ounce juniper berries, by weight
5 ounces 150-proof alcohol, by volume.
Combine in glass jar with lid. Place tincture in the dark. Shake well daily. After 5 days, blend tincture in blender and then return it to the jar. Store in the dark for 4 weeks.
Strain tincture through a coffee filter and discard the herb. Pour tincture into a clean bottle. Store in a cool, dark location. Tincture dosage: ¼- ½ teaspoon up to 4 times daily, for a maximum of 4-6 weeks. Begin with a lower dosage and increase, if needed. Use juniper tincture for acne, ulcers, cystitis, urethritis.
Juniper Needle Infusion
Pour 2 cups boiling water over 1-3 teaspoonfuls crushed needles, cover, and steep 10-15 minutes. Drink 4-6 ounces, 3-6 times per day. Limit consumption to 2 weeks unless directed otherwise by a medical professional. Use for hypertension, indigestion, arthritis, common cold, cough, sinus infection, cystitis, urethritis.