On southeast Ohio
An auspicious overnight trip into the woodlands.
Hey relative! For the month of December I am trying out a new publishing format. On Monday I will send out a new essay along with a note on what I am listening to, reading, and creating. There will be an additional Friday post for paid subscribers to include either an embodiment practice, or recipe. If you have questions, or feedback, I’d love to hear from you. Thanks!
As the waxing gibbous moon suspended in the winter-blue sky, giving way to shades of brown, the sun began to hunker towards the earth. My family and I were traveling eastward along winding hillside roads, and the horizon stretched between heaven and earth like a sustained hum; a long note at the end of a glorious song. The soft sound of slumbering breath echoed between my partner and child—their breathing was my guide during the long and auspicious drive. Keeping a steady hand on the wheel, I opened my eyes wide to take in the scene, and I remember that the countryside is also a portal.
Meigs County, Ohio is not a temple of familiar for most, unless you are an herbalist. Growing up, I wish I had known that Ohio was home to a rich herbal medicine history. I think about how empowering it would be to learn about the uses and significance of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), and Buckeye (Aesculus glabra). These are the lessons that I needed as a young person of color searching for home and community. My trip to the Appalachian foothills in southeast Ohio affirmed this, and so much more, including my connection with the land.
During my and my family’s visit, we had an opportunity to attend the grand exhibit opening of the Ohio Herbal Elders Project. I was present as an elder and an artist, and had the chance to meet other herbalists, and plant enthusiasts. The project was first proposed by Lily Kunning in 2018-2019. In 2022 Jess Lamar Reece Holler revived the project and has since interviewed six elders in the community, including Paul Strauss, a founding member of United Plant Savers. After a four-hour drive, we arrived late in the evening, just in time for a group photo. Luckily, I happened to be standing next to Paul when the picture was made, and exchanged a warm smile with him. There was a feeling of calm and humility that I felt from him, and the fellow herbal elders. I am really honored to have a small part in the larger story of herbalism and land stewardship in Ohio.
The first nations of Ohio include the Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient peoples. They traversed the rich woodlands, cultivating agricultural practices, creating earthen cookware, and constructing conical burial and ceremonial mounds. They were certainly the first herbalists to work with medicinal plants in Ohio, and their work continues to inform the landscape today. While herbal medicine had been utilized throughout Ohio for hundreds of years, the history of United Plant Savers (UpS) began in 1994 when Paul Strauss and Rosemary Gladstar organized fellow herbalists to form a non-profit dedicated to native medicinal plant conservation. In 1998, Paul donated 70 acres—land that was originally home to Shawnee, Lenape, and Wyandot tribal communities—to UpS to help form the organization’s first Botanical Sanctuary.
This was my first excursion to this region in Ohio, my home state. Witnessing the landscape, and hearing stories from the people who live and work and steward the soil there, I found myself in a state of awe and gratitude. There is a myth that the topography of Ohio is all flat plains. This is certainly true, especially in the western portion of the state, but traveling east and south the land opens up to rolling hills, and deep hollows. Seeing the hillside peaks reach high along the Ohio River, I felt at home. It reminded me of time that I spent living, working, and traveling through different areas in the south in my 20s—including Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina—where I experienced a sense of being rooted to a place.
The most profound moments during the trip was time spent with people, learning about their lives, and how they ended up where they are. For some, Ohio has always been home; for others the opportunity to work closely with plants, and further the work of United Plant Savers, called them toward the River. There was lively conversation happening throughout The Brick House Apothecary—where we stayed overnight, complete with coffee and locally made sourdough bread. In the midst of it all I was reminded of an interview with Sophie Strand on For the Wild, which I listened to on our way down. There was a particular point in the interview when Strand talks about interrupting an eco-precious narrative within the study of deep ecology and embodied ecology. She goes on to speak about the correlation between fermentation and the work of yeast, with the development of civilization and mass breweries. Strand asks the listener to consider that human potential and purpose is not to dominate, but, rather, to be of service to fellow organisms.
I thought about this interview while I ate bread made through a reciprocal dance between human hands and yeast cells. I thought about early traditions of making bread passed on through oral language carried by the breath. As bread yeast respires and ferments, we follow their lead. In a way, to break bread is to share the arc of life—to breathe, eat, release, and transform.
This Friday’s missive will include a recipe for a rich bone broth. It includes a few herbal allies that help to boost nutrition, and level up the flavor. Through the month I will be saving the practices and recipes in a catalogue available for all paid subscribers.
Listening
I first heard Where Will I Be, by Emmylou Harris in undergrad at Antioch College. I think Lesley, my college bestie, put it on a mixtape he made for me. Since then, I return to the song often, especially when I am feeling a certain nostalgia for southern Ohio.
Reading
I grew up with my grandmother, who was a domestic worker most of her life. Most of our time together was spent in her garden and kitchen, where we were either tending to plants, watching cooking shows, or cooking something. While this experience informed so much of what I do, my memory is a bit spotty on the details. Thankfully I have some of her recipes—which are like journal entries—along with helpful sites like Serious Eats. I am especially excited about delving into their series on Breadmaking.
Creating
Recently, I have felt inspired to pick up my camera to make pictures, just because. In my case this most often means creating images with food, plants, and landscapes. While I didn’t get to walk the grounds at UpS during the exhibit, I did get a chance to create some images with a deliciously photogenic loaf of fresh-baked bread (see image above) made locally in Pomeroy, OH. The room temperature butter was smooth and creamy—a wonderful addition to spread on top.