Edible Phoenix Reviews Sonoran Desert Food Plants

Wednesday 21 December 2011 - Filed under Book Reviews

“…you will want to take along a copy of the Sonoran Desert Food Plants: Edible Uses for the Desert’s Wild Bounty (Lincoln Town Press, 2011) by Charles W. Kane. This field guide for common and not-socommon edible wild foods found in Arizona displays full-color photos of each plant, along with notes on its edible and medicinal uses. Kane’s cautions regarding look-alike plants and toxicity issues are especially useful, as well as his special notes for harvesting.”

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Other

 ::  Share or discuss  ::  2011-12-21  ::  Administrator

Barnes and Noble places Medicinal Plants of the American Southwest on display

Sunday 18 December 2011 - Filed under Notifications

Barnes and Noble designates ‘Medicinal Plants of the American Southwest’ as an ‘End-cap’. Look for it on display throughout AZ, NM, UT, NV, TX, and SoCal stores.

• 160 southwestern plant medicines are profiled in-depth
• Each plant’s medicinal use and therapeutic indication are fully covered
• Geographic range and botanical description are detailed
• Chemical breakdown, preparation, dosage, and cautions are covered
• English, Spanish, and scientific names are listed
• Preparation instructions include: teas, tinctures, syrups, salves, ointments, oils, washes, fomentations, and other modes of application
• Therapeutic index, glossary, bibliography, and a complete general index serve as valuable additions
• Nearly 100 colors photos further assist the reader in plant identification

           
            Barnes and Noble                          Amazon                          Other

 ::  Share or discuss  ::  2011-12-18  ::  Administrator

Edible & Medicinal Plant Walk along Cañada del Oro Wash. Nov. 12th.

Saturday 5 November 2011 - Filed under Events

About
Join Charles W. Kane for an information-filled morning tour of Cañada del Oro Wash. This is a good time to see our local plant life before night time temperatures get too cold and identification becomes more difficult. The wash hosts an array of medicinal plants: Nightshades like Tobacco and Datura are common as well as edibles like Wild gourd and Cholla. Skin cancer retarding Creosote bush is abundant on the hillsides as is Brittlebush and Palo verde – both respectable medicine/food plants.

Collecting Ratany

When
Saturday, November 12th. 8am-10:30am. As of 11/11/11 registration is closed.

Where
The group will assemble next to the wash in the parking lot to the west side of Oracle Rd. There is small park-like grassy area with benches and a bronze statue of children on a horse – we’ll meet there. Baggins is directly to the south (approximately 200-300 yards away) and Chilis is to the north of the meeting point – all in very close proximity.

Baggin’s address: 11015 North Oracle Road, Tucson AZ. (Oracle Rd. and Steam Pump Way are the cross streets)

Cost
$20 per person. Pay the morning of the plant walk.

Registration
Email (info@tcbmed.com) or call (520.731.3379) to register. Leave the number in your group and contact (email or phone) information. Limit 20 participants. No pets. Age: 16 and up. As of 11/11/11 registration is closed.

These events always fill to capacity; I recommend reserving your spot as early as possible.

Additional
Consider arriving 10 minutes early to compensate for payment time and gear organization. We’ll be starting the walk promptly at 8am.

What to Bring
Water. Hat. Outdoor footwear. Sunscreen, etc.

Lastly
All are welcome to stay for the impromptu book signing after the plant walk. Either bring your copy or purchase my books on-site. In the Tucson-Phoenix areas Whole Foods and Barnes and Noble stores have most of my titles, as well as park/monument/botanical garden gift shops: Sonoran Desert Food Plants, Medicinal Plants of the American Southwest, and Herbal Medicine: Trends and Traditions.

Catalina State Park Plant Walk

 ::  Share or discuss  ::  2011-11-05  ::  Administrator

Colossal Cave Mountain Park Edible & Medicinal Plant Walk. Oct. 2nd.

Friday 23 September 2011 - Filed under Events

Teaching in the Graham Mts. 2011. Photo by Alex/Jen Yelich

About
Join Charles W. Kane for an information-filled tour of Posta Quemada Wash at Colossal Cave Mountain Park. The 3-hour walk-talk serves as an introduction to the food and medicine uses our local Sonoran Desert plant life. Lesser known edibles like Wolfberry and Hackberry will be encountered, as will one of our more reliable nervous system sedatives: a native Passionflower – Passiflora mexicana. In fact there should still be some fruit left on the vine this time of year…for the excitable who want a wild plant snack.

When
Sunday, October 2nd; 8am-11am (FULL – registration is closed)

Where
Colossal Cave Mountain Park
16721 E. Old Spanish Trail, Vail, AZ 85641

The group will meet outside the RANCH giftshop…not the CAVE.

Cost & Registration
Fee: $20 per person (this includes the gate fee).
Call Colossal Cave to register: 520.647.7275. They are handling signup, payment, and organization.
Limit 20 participants. No pets. Age: 16 and up.

What to Bring
Water. Hat. Outdoor footwear. Sunscreen, etc.

The gift shop will have all of my books (Sonoran Desert Food Plants, Medicinal Plants of the American Southwest, and Herbal Medicine: Trends and Traditions) on hand for those who wish to stay for the post-event booksigning.

CCMP plantwalk, 2004

 ::  Share or discuss  ::  2011-09-23  ::  Administrator

Monsoon Edible & Medicinal Plant Walk at Catalina State Park

Thursday 11 August 2011 - Filed under Events

Either bring your copy to be signed or purchase on site.

Where
Catalina State Park
11570 N. Oracle Road
Tucson, AZ 85737
(520) 628-5798

Meeting point: we will assemble at the first main parking lot (on the left) after the fee booth/gift shop. Click here for map of meeting point. From the parking lot we will cover approximately 1 mile at a very easy pace.

Santa Catalina Mts.

When
Saturday, August 20^th. 7am-10am. We will depart 7am sharp from the parking lot/meeting point. Please arrive approximately 10 minutes early to compensate for time at the fee booth, gear organization, payment, etc.

What to bring
Water. Hat. Notebook and pen. Hiking boots/sneakers (open-toed sandals/flip-flops not recommended).

Cost
$20. There are two ways to pay.
1. Pre-pay. Mail a check (payable to Charles Kane) to PO Box 5472 Oracle, AZ 85623 prior to the class date. If you are 100% certain about attending, then consider this method.
2. Pay the morning of the class (better for more tenitive participants).

Note: there is an additional $7.00 park entrance fee (per vehicle, 1-4 people), payable at the gate.

Refund policy
No refunds, though if for some unforeseen reason the class is cancelled then everyone will be refunded.

How to registrer
Simply reserve your/or group’s space by emailing (info@tcbmed.com) or by calling (520-731-3379). Give your name, contact information, and number in your group, and that’s it. Age restriction: 16 and up. No Pets. Limit 15 participants.

Collecting Passiflora mexicana

What to do next
1. Email or call with any questions and then to register.
2. Either mail in payment or pay the morning of.
3. You’re set. See you on the 20th!

A note on participant etiquette and teaching style
Though the atmosphere is somewhat non-formal, remember this is not a casual get-together or ‘sharing circle’, but a teacher to student scenario. I can’t make everyone take this information seriously (my goal is to relay what I know) but I can insist on a number of protocol basics, that if abided by, will ensure a smooth class operation.

1. Questions: as long as they are on topic, when a lull occurs, ask away. There is no better teaching platform than a well thought of question that is sincere in its asking. The asker will be rewarded, as will the group.
2. Statements: they are meant to relay information. That’s my job. An individual is here for the wrong reason if the first thing that comes to mind is an addition, retort, or comment. Like unsolicited advice, keep it to yourself.
3. Please, don’t ask, “What is this/that plant?” If I know it, I’ll get to it.
4. When I start talking, that’s everyone’s cue to stop talking. I have absolutely no tolerance for competing conversations. Visit with people when we are walking from plant to plant.
5. Cell phones: put them on vibrate; if you need to answer the call walk out of ear-shot and do so.

By listing these issues I hope to avoid minor disruptions that only serve to detour the class. Remember, it’s you, me, AND the group. Help me to help the class.

About Charles W. Kane
His experience spans several decades, first learning of plants from his grandfather as a boy, then working as a clinical herbalist, only later to pen books on the topic – some of which are cataloged in Harvard’s library. Kane’s approach to the subject is field-oriented, no-nonsense, and tempered by experience. A merger of observation, evidence-based research, and practical conclusion best describes Kane’s methodology.

1 comment  ::  Share or discuss  ::  2011-08-11  ::  Administrator

It’s official. Charles W. Kane’s Sonoran Desert Food Plants: Edible Uses for the Desert’s Wild Bounty will hit bookshelves Aug. 1, 2011.

Friday 3 June 2011 - Filed under Notifications

Sonoran Desert Food Plants: Edible Uses for the Desert’s Wild Bounty

The to-the-point pocket manual covers 50 common Sonoran Desert plants. Their identification, use, and preparation frame the material’s core. 77 color photos, state-by-state location maps, cautions, and ethnobotanical tid-bits serve as accents. Residents who enjoy the desert around Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma will surely benefit the most from Kane’s latest, as will anyone interested in the wild edible plant life of the Greater Southwest. The 52 page booklet retails for $8.95 and can be purchased through all fine booksellers.

Sonoran Desert Food Plants: Edible Uses for the Desert’s Wild Bounty
By Charles W. Kane
ISBN: 9780977133369
Publisher: Lincoln Town Press
Publication Date: August 1, 2011

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Other

 ::  Share or discuss  ::  2011-06-03  ::  Administrator

Studies in Western Herbal Medicine, 2011: Field Trips to S. AZ

Thursday 26 May 2011 - Filed under Photo Albums

Collecting Pipevine (Aristolochia watsonii), a potent but potentially toxic internal root medicine. Safe uses include its external application for venomous snake bites (in tandem with anti-venom therapies).

Pipevine (Aristolocha watsonii); gathered roots.

Collecting Wild cherry (Prunus virens).

Trimming the unusable smaller branches from Wild cherry (Prunus virens).

Collecting the bark of Coffee berry (Rhamnus californica), a useful tonic laxative.

 

Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica). It is somewhat related to Juniper in use, only a stronger disinfectant.

 

Gathering Yellowdock (Rumex crispus).

 

Yellowdock (Rumex crispus).

 ::  Share or discuss  ::  2011-05-26  ::  Administrator

Charles W. Kane at the Tucson Convention Center, May 20th.

Wednesday 11 May 2011 - Filed under Events

The last time I was at the convention center I was working for one of the circus in town pushing the lions and tigers back and forth from the show with the tamer. I remember ‘don’t put your fingers in the cage’ as the main instruction – as if I needed any. It will be a little different for the UA’s Annual Desert Horticultural Conference.

 ::  Share or discuss  ::  2011-05-11  ::  Administrator

HerbalGram Review of Herbal Medicine: Trends and Traditions

Monday 22 November 2010 - Filed under Book Reviews

 by Amanda McQuade Crawford

“A frequently-expressed concern of laypeople regarding herbal medicine is that it takes too much effort to decide which sources to trust. Some scientists criticize popular herb use, believing that Western herb traditions have no discernable system or standards. Herbal Medicine: Trends & Traditions admirably addresses both ends of the spectrum, communicating how to use herbs effectively, safely, and within guidelines understandable at any level of expertise. In his introduction, Charles W. Kane addresses the common fears of the herbal neophyte as well as the researchdriven expert. This book is mainly a materia medica, but with useful additions. Clinical herbalists will appreciate a vitalist orientation without jargon. In the introduction, terse philosophical paragraphs explain why Kane avoids formulas for symptoms and conditions. This harmonizes well with the emphasis in integrative medicine on “patient-centered medicine,” a term coined by Michael Lerner of Commonweal. Kane concisely summarizes actual rather than theoretical applications of herbs representing a standard Western dispensary. Actions such as “astringent” or “vulnerary” are as significant a shorthand for the Western tradition as descriptive terms are in Eastern systems of medicine. Using these actions in context, Kane gives simple physiological effects to make herbal actions more understandable. The author has taken pains to answer lay questions alongside those concerns more likely to occur to a professional. The first question his book helps answer may be, “Do I need to go the Emergency Room, make a doctor’s appointment, or treat this with herbs?” Assuming self care is appropriate, Trends & Traditions provides a way for the reader to choose from among over 100 popular herbs. A few hundred more herbs are listed in appendices that are usefully divided into a therapeutic index, a repository with preparation and dosing details, plus a grouping of herbs by botanical family. The beauty of connecting to nature is evident in Trends & Traditions’ 58 color plates. Kane provides a short, fine guide on the ethics of gathering to readers who are new to herbal medicine. Proper drying with low technology leads from introductory pages into the section on preparations, ranging from tea to syrups, tinctures, and an explanation of percolation that is inviting to anyone previously intimidated by phytopharmacy. The preparations section is as comprehensive as a modern herb guide needs to be. Appendices that augment the section include “Weights and Measures,” and worksheets to practice making percolations. There is a 30-page bibliography where several scientific papers are cited for each herb, though for Cannabis sativa (Cannabaceae) the omission of Dr. Ethan Russo’s published body of work seems odd. The materia medica section describing medicinal uses for each herb is the most extensive. Firmly rooted in the Western tradition, Kane writes with confidence about the system that draws from Eclectic, Physiomedical, historical, and contemporary branches of herbal medicine. The monograph format abides throughout, though it has been extended by Kane to weave in points on wild-crafting, medicine-making, constitutional concepts of human physiology, and more philosophical discussions. Herbs appear in alphabetical order by common name, from agrimony (Agrimonia spp., Rosaceae) to yucca (Yucca spp., Agavaceae). Each entry begins with the family, binomial, synonyms, a botanical description full of color and detail for newer herbalists yet accurate terms of identification to suit more experienced collectors. Information includes distribution, collection technique, and, as needed, commercial availability. Short paragraphs on chemistry, or constituent lists, are fairly standard but up to date and accurate. For instance, yerba mate’s (Ilex paraguariensis, Aquifoliaceae) alkaloids reflect scientific consensus rather than unsubstantiated marketing claims. The actions given for each plant cover internal and topical uses in each of the relevant body systems the herb helps. Kane points out useful herb combinations for specific problems, and offers prevention tips in addition to the occasional entertaining aside. How to use the herb is followed by a bulleted list of indications for a quick review of highlights. Kane avoids any controversy regarding the way doses are given, perhaps in light of his explicit aim to communicate in common language. The materia medica section could be improved with line drawings of each plant not represented in photos. In a comprehensive resource, a picture is worth an awful lot of botanical words, and those new to plants are likely to benefit from even a small image. First drafted as a counterpoint to Army life while Kane was stationed in east Afghanistan, this herbal guide sustains a vital, positive feel, though sometimes the tone is sober. As if the immediacy of larger issues during the initial period of writing informed Kane’s style, there is a welcome and blunt summary on key points. In contrast to herbalists who have written lengthy introductions defining the place of herbs in modern healthcare, Kane suggests that the usefulness of plants needs no justification, though there is room for clarification. Herbal Medicine: Trends & Traditions shares with readers the pragmatic experience of a focused man rather than the notions of one who reads and teaches about herbs. The point of the book, then, is to communicate in an accessible way how plants help people. Trends & Traditions achieves its aim with a clarity that makes it an essential resource for everyone who wishes to use both popular and less familiar Western herbs for medicine.”

 ::  Share or discuss  ::  2010-11-22  ::  Administrator

Edible & Medicinal Plant Walk at Pima Canyon (Tucson, AZ)

Wednesday 13 October 2010 - Filed under Events

 ::  Share or discuss  ::  2010-10-13  ::  Administrator