Making the Most of the ‘Ultimate Health Food Shop’ – Your Garden

Isabell Shipard – herbalist/educator

One of the best aspects of Permaculture is being able to begin to take control back over our own lives. Rather than being just a captive cog in the huge destructive machine that is our present globalised industrial society (a machine running full speed towards a great yawning precipice), transitioning to Permaculture systems enables us to stand as individuals, making our own choices and, as far as possible, creating our own destiny.

One of the most important aspects of this is taking control back over our own health and personal well-being. In a world where industry profits from illness, and where institutions like the FDA (in cahoots with pharmaceutical companies and governments) seek to maximise their profiteering by outlawing more natural alternatives (see the disconcerting ‘Codex Alimentarius’ video at bottom, narrated by Judi Dench, and even has an appearance from Mel Gibson), the good news is that nature is always there for us – we just need to tap into the wealth of knowledge that is out there to help us to sustainably take advantage of it.

Today I’m pleased to announce I’ve uploaded several new resources to help on this front. As Geoff Lawton astutely put it some time ago, our gardens are the "ultimate health food shop", something world renowned herbalist Isabell Shipard knows extremely well. Isabell has been working with and promoting the use of herbs and other edibles for decades, and has worked hard to bring her tremendous accumulated knowledge to the public in an easy-to-digest form.

Below you will find a summary description of three books and two DVDs that will likely pay for themselves many times over in increased longevity and decreased medical bills. As I once read, health isn’t everything, but without it, everything is nothing.

Books:

1. In 2003, Isabell completed the book, How can I use Herbs in my daily life? – RRP $45 which quickly became a best seller. Many readers have commented that it is so practical, informative and inspiring; and now they use herbs more, and report wonderful health benefits. The book has become a constant reference for people, with many requests for extra books to give as gifts to family and friends.
2. In 2005, Isabell went on to write How can I grow and use Sprouts as living food? – RRP $37 To our knowledge, this is the only book written on sprouts by an Australian author. Many readers have said that this book should be in every home.
3. Isabell’s NEW book, How can I be prepared with Self- Sufficiency and Survival Foods? – RRP $37 is a valuable reference manual for every person. This book offers encouragement, and emphasises the importance of being as self-sufficient as one is able, and an action plan to help you ‘ride the storms’. Isabell shows us how to be prepared with a step-by-step emergency management plan for food provisions and essential supplies.

DVDs:

In August 2008 Isabell’s long awaited Herb and Sprout Courses were released on DVD. For many years, Isabell held Herb Courses in Queensland. Many people in other states expressed a desire to be able to attend, yet our vast country made this difficult. Now wherever you live, by watching these DVDs, you have the chance to sit in on her courses and gain the knowledge and understanding to make the herbs in your garden more meaningful, and experience the wonderful benefits that herbs and sprouts provide.

1. Isabell’s Herb Course on DVD, Wonderful World of Herbs! – RRP $35 covers many topics such as: herbs as medicine and for good health, 29 plant families, weeds we can eat, poisonous plants, methods of using herbs, plants as sweeteners, income opportunities from plants, survival foods, and seed saving. 2 DVD’s total running time 4 hours 27 minutes (includes booklet of printed Herb Course Notes).
2. Isabell’s Sprout Course on DVD, Living Food at its Best! – RRP $30 covers many topics such as: sprouts are supreme foods with living enzymes, nutrients in sprouts, easy methods of sprouting seeds and ways of using sprouts, how we can cut our food bills by growing sprouts, and storing seeds. 2 DVD’s total running time 2 hours 33 minutes.