Art of Tea
I find myself sitting up in bed at 4.30am considering the past two months, the two years spent in the city, with my own blinkers on. This blog and the work I have done in an effort to be self sustainable has been completely fruitless financially, yet, if I were to cease to exist as I do, and get a job (as in stop trying to make money doing things I love doing, get some bills to pay etc, instead of following my heart, I know I would not afford the fruits of this world as I do now. I put myself and my talent out in every way on this blog, and some perceived me as a company (great and quite a trainsmash too for my ego- thank you); others perceived me as some kind of expert on all the fields and others show great compassion and step up to take back their power as people.
I often receive messages of gratitude and encouragement, big smiles from those who have supported me with unintentional false promises, trades and finances. Ive written about The Vintage Kitchen merging with me and selling my products, but The Vintage Kitchen is two people still picking up on creating a business, and a preference and passion for biodegradable cleaning products prevailed for them. I also wrote about Bianca and Joanna assisting me, they did, but they did not make money, neither did I. I lost my cottage cage in Linden, I was getting sick there – trying to connect with my neighbors, impress the landlords by growing food on Yakka roots hmm not an easy thing to do… Bianca and Joanna no longer assist, but follow their hearts 
I trust. The previous blog posts will explain completely why I, therefore, decided that working and living on a farm, outside of Johannesburg, in an effort to trade for land and assistance in creating a home and business is more lucrative for me than to continue with this trade for Pirates Sports clubs bit of land.
Yes, I still want to grow my teas, get a potting wheel and make giant teapot fountains and teapots to drink from, sell you the teas, the seeds, the plants, the workshops etc etc in an effort to muse, inspire and empower. It’s always my intent. In jhb community is too large for me maybe? I wanted support from local businesses, local residents and perhaps my perception of local being wherever I can reach without transport was what stirred this holy anger within me to stubbornly continue to create and destroy the awesome gardens I did there twice over two years. I did muse and amuse many and I did inspire many too. Empowerment comes from within though, not from numbers in an account, it is up to each of us to add value, through compassion, with or without numbers.
Intuition is part of or a form of natural medicine. In a dictionary, I have in my possession, Intuition or that which is known intuitively is defined as truth obtained by internal apprehension without the aid of perception or the reasoning powers. I like to believe that intuitively we all know that living foods straight from our backyards are more beneficial to our bodies, and that the same goes for medicine too. Medicinal tea is one of the oldest medicines known to us, and herbologists were labeled witches and burnt at the stake some time ago for a reason. I believe that in that time our perception of value or capacity changes as well, and our intuition literally went out the window as far as medicine from our backyards goes, when we stopped listening to our bodies out of fear and went to doctors instead. We also lost community in the same way we lost our connection to our intuition and nature itself.
So, on this farm, my host has opened up her home to me and also another family (we are all in limbo and without much money, some of us are not in good health), progress is slow but steady at times. I am learning a lot about people, plants and medicinal infusions to assist. E.g tick bite fever and recovering from malaria. We randomly found a volunteer from Amsterdam, who assisted for a day. The wild horses come say hello at the fence more often. We started making a tunnel using the invasive wattle removed. Chopping wood, moving logs, pots, teepees, leveling, walking, water divination and more go on – even planting seeds in this unique winter inside my tent. I am finding joy, and learning what nurturing really is. I will write a lot about us here on the farm, and I am pleased to have already got a big patch of the garden almost prepped for Spring
Leaving my pirate garden behind has been quite a struggle to me, I deeply apologize to all who feel my efforts failed their dreams about community there, and to those that used it to promote only themselves, that removing it completely fails.
I would still APPRECIATE assistance, definitely more soil and more fruit trees. Please let me know if you wish to trade or donate something toward my efforts in bringing people together to add value in this world by emailing me…. nntreasure@gmail.com as I am not around signal all day.
When I read the market opportunity part in my document, and my document in general, it is beautiful, it is an awesome vision but again it is nothing without a community that sustainably utilizes it. I am grateful for the gifts of what I’ve needed, especially, for what seems to me the Grace of God while I worked through my anger and depression with God making this garden, for the teachings, for the second hand clothing, the toilet paper, the toothpaste, the shoes, the likes and shares on facebook, the room to sleep in, the heater in the winter, the farms I get to see… its the reason I do at times maintain this garden with very little reward.
- Club members over the past year and a half have been exposed to information on this garden in the club newsletter less than 5 times. This means the market opportunity has not been utilized or tapped into. Pirates is a sports club, and the sporting activities, wine tastings and gin and tonic evenings take precedence. They have been very generous in gifting me with the use of the land and borehole water. I would gladly stand at the gates and hand out pamphlets if I had the funding to make pamphlets. I am now pushing to walk and do this talk, and discussion about my vision (see the Art of Craft Mission document) with committee members and management over the next two months, and be more frequent in the newsletter, if the garden is to remain on the premises.
- Suburban upper class wine tastings or food, tea and wine pairing is something I would require professionals to come and present and train me if desired or just use the opportunity and add to the versatility of the ideas set out in my document as far as Pirates being a space known as a hub of community support and inspiration in all areas of wellness goes.
- Organic markets and farmers come together at Pirates, but one market is a success and the rest are often confused with this one, resulting in a lot of newcomers only coming through once. The farmers stalls at markets are usually one guy selling everyone’s produce, so it is not likely to meet the farmer at a organic market, but rather at the garden swaps. Either way all NEED SUPPORT. I do not generate enough income to support myself, and usually pay for markets by grace… as in the fee is waived last minute or lessened and volunteers assist me in moving around once a week, or month at times in doing a market. I therefore have little exposure. This month I am merging with The Vintage Kitchen, and have shared and added some spice to what I produce from the garden. Elisma from The Vintage Kitchen will also assist with packaging, design and distribution. Below are some images of our small start in the kitchen today, yes a day before the Bluebird Wholefood Market where these will be for sale big love.
- Health shops, co-op shops and online shops want larney packaging I cannot afford and I have not contacted or met many of the owners. Mostly because I know that what I produce is unique and limited and they want products that are supplied in x amount on a weekly basis with x amount of profit in x amount of time … quite frankly, if I spread out my teas at pirates now it will be another 6 – 8 months to meet a demand on a huge variety of things. Packaging will cost, so will communication.
- I have registered a blogpage as an online shop and will be learning and putting my items for sale on the Art of Craft Shopping site this month April 2017. It was set up by an IT guy who has little income, for free. My domain name for this blog was gifted by an old friend from many years back.
- No one has ever contributed R500 or more, added my range of teas and infusions to their brands packaging and distribution (however my salt and tea is now added to The Vintage Kitchen collection of April 2017), and had me teach and train their growers about them, placed a link to Art of Craft on their website, sponsored an Art of Craft event, and Solid Green is the only company to have brought a group to volunteer at the Art of Craft garden.
- In consideration of the Art of Craft Mission document attached in PDF format free for you to download here – artofcraftmission – and the above mentioned, as well as losing the cottage I tried to make a home and business in over the past 4 months my bed and camping chair are for sale. My offerings of doing art, making you medicinal infusions, garden consultations and reports with trading assistance still exist. In short I do all this for the love of God, humanity and the earth quite literally. As much as I have inspired you in your art, life, business and dreams, you have inspired me to live from my core.
- My phone, banking and email records, as well as the free spaces to sleep, store things, take things along randomly and loss of a beautiful cottage are testimony to what I consider a lack of support, though a few have angrily commented that I have support. I once laughed, responding that I have more opportunists than support, which I still feel is true, which is why I mainly tried to do this garden alone – for me it was my only grounding place, when I previously had no cottage or home of my own… it is and was also my downfall, as hermits own IT businesses lol not empowerment or healing ones. I deeply apologize to society and myself daily. Some have commented that I have inspired them, others have been empowered for short periods. It is and always will be my intention to ADD VALUE whether I have money to pay for it to be added or practical DIY – like this garden.
- Lastly, I am sure I will be forgiven if I disappear out this farming scene all together, flatten and remove the plants from the garden entirely, and just make tea and do art… and grow my plants elsewhere. However, I have been changing the garden by moving things around, and planting seeds, so that it can be left alone more-so, while I ground myself and completely manifest my business here in Johannesburg. I really do want to do a few art installations at some point before my trade time ends
- Thank you for continuing to show respect for the space I grow my food and medicine in. Please give me a call if you would like to utilize any of my offerings or purchase my bed and camping chair 072 146 9017
SINCERELY
Netanya
Most people confuse a common Thistle weed with Milk Thistle. The second image is a Milk Thistle, I have it growing in my garden, and have been diligently harvesting seed and trying to multiply my seed over the past two years. I will be planting these seeds in trays on the farm this week, while an awesome team of workers from Vlakplaas construct a tunnel for them to germinate in.
Most people also do not know what to do with Milk Thistle when it is not in a capsule. I make tea alot so I usually have some Crushed leaves and seeds in a muslin bag, steeped in hot water for five minutes, with honey or anistar for flavor is actually quite an awesome cup of tea. Ive added mint to mine too, at times.
You can also sprinkle the seed powder on your burgers, smoothies, and salads. I think only my more adventurous readers will try milk thistle leaves in a salad – do note the thorny edges and remove them before adding to your salad. I have also seen Milk Thistle available in capsule form at Dischem.
The medicinal use of Milk Thistle is mainly for the liver, gall bladder, skin, helpful in treatment of liver cancer – known to kill carcinogenic cells.
Let me know if you want to try some by emailing nntreasure@gmail.com
For those following my story, on this blog, I have been deterred so many times just trying to be self -sustainable off the land I traded for using various systems of trade and proxy. I figured what I loved doing the most when I worked in the company I resigned from, was actually the simple act of foraging in the garden for leaves and flowers for a tea and sharing it with my fellow workers So, when I resigned, I decided to trade for the land I use at Pirates and to firstly, grow my own food, and then my medicine or teas and share that.
Along this journey, I sold out in before the first summer of the first garden came, and had to relocate the garden, just as I was getting the tea plants to grow more, and start again. I started again, which brought new people into the garden. One of them is now my boss or investor or mentor, time will tell. He has an interest in self-sustainability and living off-grid comfortably, and has invested, not only in the Pirates garden, but also out in the Lebombo / also known as the Ingwenya mountain range near the Oshoek border post of Swaziland and South Africa. It is still on the South African side of the border, so no need for a passport if you are South African These are some images from my first trip out there.
The accommodation include a gas powered stove top and shower, with toilet.
My accommodation is set in the cliff-side on a wooden deck, with draping tents as walls and a corrugated rooftop. I have a comfortable big bed too with storage units under it. We will be needing volunteers to assist in building more of these platforms for accommodation for a while, as this is quite an impressive few hectares of land to food forest. Please contact me if you want to assist. 072 146 9017
Here is already sugarcane, papaya, mango, olive, litchi, berry and more growing for a few years… and the gardener has done a PDC course – which I have not, so this will be interesting as I will be farming the plants I used to make teas and teaching the people about my teas and how to connect to the garden, well hopefully, that as well, as we grow together. Firstly, the land has been in drought for over 2 years, so we dig alot and take water from the mountain literally I am learning alot about the earth I have danced with for so long, and deeply grateful that so many of my favorite fruits can already be tasted in December.
This is Yarrow – used as an antiseptic in soaps and teas, can be used as a wound wash as a tea or ingested and very safe for anyone, including children
The Lebombo Mountains, also called Lubombo Mountains are an 800 km long, narrow range of mountains in Southern Africa. They stretch from Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal in the south to Punda Maria in the Limpopo Province in South Africa in the north. Part of the mountains are also found in Mozambique and Swaziland. This is mostly still tribal land
Plantain – on of the edible weeds at pirates is found growing next to the river here…
THE FOLLOWING IMAGES ARE OF THE FOUNTAIN GARDEN I WILL BE USING TO GROW MY TEAS AND HERBS IN. I will need volunteers here too – please contact me if you are interested in spending some time learning and growing in this space with me,
love and light
Netanya
0721469017
nntreasure@gmail.com
Plantain is a useful herb that is often considered a weed by most people. It’s scientific name is Plantago Major, and it is likely that it grows in your yard.
The leaves are actually edible and somewhat similar to spinach, though slightly more bitter. They can be used in salads or other culinary uses.
Herbal Uses
The leaves can also be made into a tea or tincture, and this is said to help with indigestion, heartburn and ulcers when taking internally.
Externally, Plantain has been used for insect and snake bites, and as a remedy for rashes and cuts, used as a natural antibiotic. This speeds up recovery of wounds and itching associated with skin problems. A tea made with the leaves can be sprayed on mosquito bites to ease the itch.
A tea, tincture or salve made with plantain also greatly eases the itch of poison ivy, oak, or sumac and I keep it on hand for this reason.
A tea or infusion of the leaf can be poured into the ear for ear infections (as long as the ear drum has not burst) to ease the pain and shorten duration of ear infections.
There is unconfirmed information that a strong tea of this herb, taken internally, can help protect the body from the effects of chemotherapy and that a strong infusion can improve blood sugar. While taking plantain in these situations would generally be considered safe, one should still check with an attending physician before doing so.
I have seen this ingredient used in many smoothies
enjoy
You get a broad leaf and a thin leaf plantain, the broad leaf is noted as the more edible variety.
These plants are usually all over, like dandelions
nettle urtica dioica, u. urens
Nettle, can be useful in the treatment of joint injuries, and nerve pain or sciatica by using the fresh plant to sting the area over the injury or pinched nerve. I have tried this for several pinched nerves at once on my back. I healed within 3 days in comparison to two weeks a previous time and 4 weeks another time on various anti- inflammatory remedies. This way of using stinging nettle is called “urtication”, and was once traditionally used to address injuries resulting in impaired nerve function, loss of sensation and paralysis. I’ve also met people who used it to address inflammation in joints; it is specifically useful in tendonitis and other repetitive stress injuries, and has been used effectively in various forms of arthritis as well. It works by calling blood to the area affected and because the sting can be uncomfortable, people have shunned this use, but I have found this plant calling many people for a wide array of ailments. Stinging Nettle is also rich in iron, and can assist in treatment of menstrual pains or cramps and associated headaches.
Inflammation can also be a cause of pain, though its initial occurrence is really a part of the body’s healing response. The “heat” of inflammation is generated by an increase in activity in the area affected. So, when we injure ourselves, the body increases the cellular activity in that area to heal itself. It is therefore recommended within my own being to also take an anti-inflamatory when I use stinging nettle to sting my pains away ;-0 I usually make some golden milk.
There is a really beautiful monster that thrives on Stinging Nettle which I look forward to meeting, as I allow my Nettle to go wild for a bit. The Stinging Nettle Slug Caterpillar or Cup Moth, Limacodiae is custom built with every conceivable self-protection device imaginable. Bright, garish colors which are like danger signs in nature saying “I taste awful” or “I am loaded with poison; multiple stinging barbs which inflict painful and persistent burning rashes (on humans anyway); false eyes pointing in every direction to say ” I see you, you can’t surprise me”; a head end that looks the same as the rear end so there can be no potential surprise attack from behind; and specific to the Limacodid caterpillars (who actually have no true legs, hence the slug in their name), a sticky adhesive underside that makes them very difficult to prise off their food plant. With that in mind, stinging nettle caterpillars are often not hard to find. They don’t conceal themselves day or night and will often be in the most conspicuous of locations. Basically, they have little to fear. I love the heart shapes in this image …
Do not forget Stinging Nettle is really great as a compost activator too, and can be eaten …. make a soup, or cook it like spinach or make a pesto pasta as below. Love and light
I discovered in researching medicinal benefits, other than for kidney functionality, of Cinnamon that most of what is labelled Cinnamon on the shelves in our stores is actually Cassia. It all boils down to the same issue as Mint with all its varieties, i.e. that mint is simply mint and few know the difference between mint and peppermint too…. all this variety gets boxed, and we are filing away the knowledge we seem to seek access to in this box. Cinnamon is the name for perhaps a dozen species of trees and the commercial spice products that some of them produce. All are members of the genus Cinnamomum in the family Lauraceae. Only a few of them are grown commercially for spice. Often a variety is ground and mixed, just labelled Cassia.
The taste is very similar, but the difference is clear, once you know what to look at. Ceylon Cinnamon can be easily ground and looks more like a flake to me. Cassia Cinnamon makes only one or two folds and is more pungent, but difficult to grind.
HERE is a link to an article explaining in detail why knowing this is important for your health.
Remember Cassia Cinnamon can do damage to your liver, whereas Ceylon Cinnamon is beneficial to your liver and kidneys.
Mix the following ingredients together for an immune boost that should conquer any bronchial and respiratory disorder.
Echinacea Root, Catnip, Yarrow & Wilde-Als
1 tsp herbs per cup of water, boil in a pot
Let it stand 3 – 5 minutes
Add honey, turmeric & ginger-root, aniseed & a dash of cayenne pepper
Echinacea Root awakens and stimulates the immune system, and is used in the treatment of infections in the urinary tract. Catnip has sedative properties. Yarrow is an antiseptic, and Wilde- Als (also known as African Wormwood or Artemesia Afra) is used in treatment of bronchitis.
Honey is also an antiseptic, while Tumeric is an anti-inflammatory, Anise is used to tread colds and flu, as well as stomach ailments. Cayenne Pepper is richest in vitamin C.
This combination, with the added ingredients is a spicy, beautiful tea for bedtime in times when one needs restoration on any level.
I have neglected to apply the discipline I have learned, when it comes to blogging on a regular basis. My apologies for this.
I have continued in the garden and compost sections, with watering and weeding, changing the mulch and mothering planted seeds. The seeds have germinated, and are nearing the time for transplanting. I have spent some time bagging twigs and leaves, with some fresh compost at the composting section, which I need assistance moving from the compost section to the garden. This is a process of arranging with two community members, over the next few days. I aim to also get some of the soil these people digging and planting cables seem to be neglecting, into the garden. If you want to assist and learn about growing your own soil, please contact me. 072 146 9017
I also run around trying to harvest and dehydrate and package plants, Ive started doing Bryanston Organic Market. Carmien Organic Rooibos Teas wanted a stall at the Jozi Real Food Market, and I asked them to join with me instead. This business interaction has led to more exposure of my teas in Rosebank Market, starting THIS SUNDAY and we have awesome cast iron teapots and gift packs of pots and teas available.
Over the past month or two, I started mentioning Seedy Saturdays to people at the market and managed to make one poster. I’m never sure of whether the information went out in Pirates Newsletter or not, and some shared and liked photos of my poster on facebook. Please keep sharing. Big love to you for that <3 Also bear in mind that my finances are not abundant yet.
Despite the lack of marketing, I have managed to meet a few community members. One who grows an awesome variety of edible plants and herbs. In exchange for selling some at the market at Pirates on Saturdays (Jozi Real Food Market), Shahn from Greenside will supply me with established plants asap from her farm. She also assists me with transporting materials from one end of Pirates to the garden. This literally takes a few loads off my shoulders. For those wanting to purchase plants or seeds, Shahn’s website is www.thekitchengardencompany.co.za Check out her facebook page too
I’ve also become part of a group on facebook and whatsapp discussing owls and birdlife in the Greenside area. I must say, I am impressed with Mother Nature there I hope that someone will sponsor an owl box for me to put up on Pirates land in the near future, and we may be able to convince someone to come and talk about the taboo surrounding owls and pest control. If you are interested in that, please contact me 072 146 9017
See you in the garden
I have discovered a wonderful mix, in combining Lemon Verbena with Passiflora leaves. In folk medicine Passiflora or Passion Fruit has been used as an anti-spasmodic, sedative, tonic and tranquilizer for centuries. The flower of passion fruit has a mild sedative and can help to induce sleep. Passion flower has been used in the treatment of nervous and easily excited children, bronchial asthma, insomnia, nervous gastrointestinal disorders and menopausal problems. Passion flower is sometimes used as a mild hallucinogen.
A tea is traditionally brewed from the leaves, while the crushed flower and fresh leaves can be used topically for wounds. I have combined it with Lemon Verbena, because it is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants remove potentially harmful oxidizing agents from the body.
It can also be combined with Lemon Balm for a more sedative effect, or Chamomile.
Available at the market or message me via the contact me page.
