When I asked this question to our regenerative farming team, the response back was, “Compared to what?” The idea that we might behave like gardeners falls between two future visions: a rewilded paradise where people exit stage right; or a “precision agriculture” future, where food is grown in laboratories, enormous soil-less greenhouses, or dead dirt. …
Slippery Elm is a much storied and beloved tree of the Eastern United States, which had once nearly reached extinction, and is still absent or greatly reduced across much of its natural range. Due both to improper harvesting methods and commercial exploitation, this tree-of-many-uses also continues to face challenges from pathogens including the Dutch Elm…
Named for its glowing yellow roots, found growing in rich, healthy forest ecosystems, Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is a revered and powerful herbal remedy. Known locally as Yellow Root, our Goldenseal is harvested from vibrant, abundant stands, stewarded for 9 generations on the family land of our staff herbalist. Before that time, this patch was certainly…
This beautiful woodland mushroom is named for the many-colored bands atop its fuzzy cap, resembling the showy plumage found on the tail feathers of the noble turkey. Growing primarily on hardwood logs, Turkey Tail helps to break down old wood in our forests, thereby improving soil fertility and increasing the overall health of our native…
Dear Friends, Fall is here, the silage for our winter feed is up, and our plans turn to harvest, cover crops, complex rotations, grass and soil diversity. Per my last letter, I’ve paid a visit to our friends the Halls, at The Troublesome Creek Times in Hindman, Knott County.* There, I spent an afternoon, delivering supplies…
Dear Friends, And the winner is Julia Truitt Poynter! Thanks to all who signed up for the Mt. Folly Farm newsletter and entered to win a stay at the Homestead. Julia and I will tour the farm, visit the distillery and the new Mercantile on Main, see our downtown. She plans to visit in October…
Dear Friends, At Mt. Folly farm, we are doing big things, simply. We are part of the drawdown movement, which seeks to sequester carbon dioxide in plants, trees and soils. We have long been a part of the organic movement as well, for us meaning our products are raised in soils, part of the underground…
What is CBC? By now, you have probably heard of CBD and TCH as the popularity of these products has skyrocketed in recent years. However, you may not have heard of the lesser-known and studied cannabinoids such as CBC. What is a Cannabinoid? The term cannabinoid is defined as “any of various naturally-occurring, biologically active, chemical constituents…
Delta 8 THC products are growing rapidly in popularity. But what is Delta 8, and how is it different from CBD? Read on to learn more. What is Delta 8? Delta 8 (Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol) is one of the newest trends in the hemp industry and is being sold everywhere from high-end dispensaries to convenience stores. However,…
What is CBDA? While many people have heard of CBD, the most abundant cannabinoid found in the hemp plant, fewer have heard of the less-studied cannabinoids such as CBDA (cannabidiolic acid). What is a Cannabinoid? The term cannabinoid is defined as “any of various naturally-occurring, biologically active, chemical constituents of hemp or cannabis.” Cannabinoids do…
Dear Friends, Last week we hosted a garden club here. We talked first at the Homestead Cabin, then toured on a tractor-pulled farm wagon. Necessarily, these tours are but a snapshot of what we do at Mt. Folly. One of the most innovative undertakings for the year (and for many years to come, I believe)…
Saplings and seedlings, sprigs, and sprouts oh my! Trees all around the world are starting their lives this very week. Humankind celebrates this holiday of the future of these trees as they sequester carbon, create unique micro-ecosystems for our forests and woodlots, provide shade to rotationally graze livestock and stand tall while fighting soil erosion…
March was Women’s History Month, and to celebrate, Laura asked for stories about the “women who’ve been role models, inspired you, accomplished the impossible, and have improved the well-being of humanity.” We received several heartwarming stories and we have compiled them here for you to read. Submitted by Jan Ward: My grandmother born in 1892…
Dear Friends, March is women’s history month. As a woman, I’d rather an eon than a month, which we deserve. Still, I ask you to send me a vignette, long or short, about the women who’ve been role models, inspired you, accomplished the impossible, and have improved the well-being of humanity. I’ll get these notes…
Dear Friends, There is a connection between the soil microbiome and our microbiome. As we focus on health, we’ve come across these new findings. For organic farmers who use nature rather than pesticides and herbicides to grow plants, including organic hemp for CBD, we are heartened to see this research going mainstream. The human microbiome consists…
Dear Friends, At the fall equinox, farmers pause to reflect on the growing season, with harvest upon us. Here at Mt. Folly, I’m dispensing with happy talk. From Covid to climate, the year has been rough, so rough I’ve had to summon my inner mule. Here is the back story, some of which you may know:…
Dear Friends, A summer theme for Laura’s Mercantile is “Real People; Real Relief.” Here I want to twist that phrase, and call out “Real People; Real Solutions.” We are watching the climate with apprehension. This summer we’ve seen pictures of panicked subway commuters in Asia, as water pours in their car; flooding in Belgium and…
Our website is full of information regarding full spectrum CBD, what it is and why it’s important. However, we wanted to give our customers a place to check out our most popular articles about full spectrum CBD. In these articles, you will find out what exactly full spectrum means and how it can help with…
Dear Friends, “Stress will kill you,” said his doctor, this story recounted to me by a close friend long before COVID made anxiety the proverbial elephant in the room. For me, a Type A personality to the max, stress manifests in my sleep cycles. I wake up at 4:00 a.m., my mind racing. I know…
Dear Friends, January was farm meeting month. I’ve attended hours of Zoom meetings and virtual farmer meet-ups. (1) Now, I turn to summarizing the information for our farm team and our customers. The main theme of our discussions was how to use biology to solve our environmental and health problems. From the gut microbiome to…
Dear Friends, Yes, it’s the holiday season, marking the end of a disjointed, up and down year. Because of COVID, Bill and I are forgoing the seasonal house parties here at Mt. Folly. Instead of spend-the-nights, we are celebrating Christmas outside around a campfire, at the insistence of a retired doctor who always welcomes Christmas…
Dear Friends, Several Fridays ago, I tuned into a live-stream conference at the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). The conference speakers reported on their research into the properties of full-spectrum hemp, under the title Exploring the Mechanisms Underlying Analgesic Properties of Minor Cannabinoids and Terpenes. Homestead customers may not know much about…
Dear Friends, By now you may realize that Laura’s Mercantile is part of an effort to build a regenerative agricultural system. For our part, this involves our regional Laura’s Homestead Alternatives accounts and our online store. In addition (this is Kentucky, right?) it also includes a distillery, Wildcat Willy’s! One of the key practices of…
Dear Friends, Yes, I’m stubborn. At a close friend’s birthday party, she circled her guests around, and recognized each of us for what she admired. Was I brilliant? No. Was I beautiful? No. I had the quality of “perseverance.” Let’s just say I’ve embraced my inner mule. Here, you see me with Bingo, our Jerusalem…
Dear Friends, Ever since I’ve been in business, I’ve been lucky enough to be the focus of good press coverage. But this month I was especially pleased by a story titled, “Local Jobs, Local Wealth and a Fix for Climate Change,” that appeared on the cover of The Lane Report (“Kentucky’s Business News Source.”) The…
Dear Friends, For me, at least, reality is setting in: with Covid, we are in for the long haul, until there is a widely available and effective vaccine. Having just started new businesses to complete our circular economy, particularly Wildcat Willy’s farm-to-table restaurant, the stressors on me and our teams are obvious. I have two…
Dear Friends, We are almost through with planting here at Mt. Folly, and my mind has turned to next year’s seeds. This May, to mark the Covid cancellation of the Kentucky Derby and increased demand for milled organic grains, Laura’s Mercantile sent Bloody Butcher corn seeds to our grain customers. During the lockdown, many of…
Dear Friends, It has been observed by many that Covid has exposed the nation’s food system, with metaphors ranging from the emperor with no clothes to naked swimmers at low tide. Seeing the bare shelves at our local grocery, then watching nightly news reports showing industrial farmers euthanizing thousands of pigs, has shown us to…
Dear Friends, The last time I began a letter with “big news” was 18 months ago, when we kicked off sales of Homestead Alternatives CBD products. Now, our “big news” is that we are putting Mt. Folly milled grains on the website, expecting that you are “social distancing,” and cooking more at home. Not only…
According to the American Sleep Association, 50-70 million American adults experience a sleep disorder, with insomnia being the most common. While some continue to look to melatonin and other sleep aids for relief, more and more are turning to CBD oil. In fact, a recent Consumer Reports survey found that “10% of Americans who…
Use code OSTEO30 for 30% OFF at checkout Can CBD oil help with osteoporosis? According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, worldwide, 1 out of every 3 women over the age of 50 and 1 out of every 5 men will experience bone fractures as a result of osteoporosis. In this article, we cover a few…
Dear Friends, Obviously, these are disquieting times. If one more person instructs me to “stay safe,” I’ll set my hair on fire! Of course, we need to avoid getting sick. Simultaneously, we need to think hard. When I’m trying to figure something out, the first thing I do is assess where the information is coming…
We’re happy to share Laura’s Homestead Alternatives CBD has topped the list at CBD Validator, an independent website ranking the highest-quality CBD oil products on the market. CBD Validator bases their ratings on a few select qualities: The type of CBD (full spectrum vs. isolate) Extraction method Assurance: availability of certificates of analysis for CBD,…
Dear Friends, By golly, I think we’ve got it! “Got what?” you ask. A way to farm which is regenerative, coupled with hemp and a local food system which reduces carbon emissions, builds community, and creates jobs in a coal state. Many of you know that my story has 35 years of twists and turns.…
CBD works in the body through its effects on the endocannabinoid system – and specifically, through its influence on the receptors of this system. Ongoing research is helping to clarify the specific way that CBD impacts these receptors and what these interactions mean in terms of the overall influence on our health and wellness. Though…
CBD oil is most commonly taken using the sublingual method, which means you place the oil under your tongue and allow your sublingual gland to absorb the CBD. This allows for the highest bioavailability — the amount of CBD that makes it to your bloodstream and ultimately delivers the relief you’re seeking. We’ve encountered a…
Dear Friends, Deep in January, I love to wake early and look at pictures from the year past. The pictures show much nature, from our discovery of endangered Running Buffalo Clover, to bees in the buckwheat cover crop. A couple of my favorites are below. One of the reasons it became endangered was the loss…
There is mounting research into the benefits CBD may offer those who suffer from less severe mental health disorders. In this article, we’ll discuss what the science says about CBD’s impact on three specific ailments: CBD and anxiety CBD and depression CBD and sleep Though the precise ways that CBD may impact mental health are…
In this article, we’ll discuss what the existing research suggests about how CBD may help with ailments that commonly come with aging, including neurodegeneration, chronic pain, and skin disorders. As with all our CBD science articles, we’re keen to share an objective view of what the science says, so you can make the best choice…
CBD has exploded onto the marketplace, making it one of the fastest growing industries and a target for many who see it as easy money. The market has been flooded with product, not all of it good, and it’s easy to get confused. It’s important to do your research and choose a company you know…
Dear Friends, We are in harvest at Mt. Folly and the Mercantile, with our hay made, silage chopped, and some of our hemp in the barn. A cover crop of organic rye and hairy vetch is going on the hemp fields, tillage radish and rye on the silage corn field, so they will not be…
“Is it okay to give CBD to my dog?” Good question, and one many are asking. Following the federal legalization of hemp, there has been no shortage of CBD products for pets hitting the shelves. With this growing interest, there is a need to understand the impact of CBD on animals, especially household pets like…
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the most abundant components of the cannabis plant and has been growing in popularity in recent years, as research and legislation have started to focus on the potential therapeutic benefits of the substance.
Whether you’re a gym-goer or outdoor sports enthusiast, the evidence is clear that spending time exercising is exceptional for your overall health. People with rheumatoid arthritis, for instance, can benefit from being outdoors or working out in the gym, but their pain often prevents them from engaging in these constructive activities. Unfortunately, a lot of…
Since CBD has entered the mainstream, there has been a quick rise in the number and types of products on the market. From extracts and topicals to candy and capsules, there is no shortage of options when you start searching for CBD Products like our CBD capsules are consumed orally, whereas topical CBD products like…
Dear Friends, I’m regularly asked, “Why organics?” It’s a question I appreciate, coming most often from my friends who are not farmers. I started farming organically for environmental reasons. Back in the day, it seemed obvious to me that killing everything in the soil, sterilizing it with chemicals, so you could grow corn was not…
March is Women’s History Month, and several groups have asked me to speak about my life and work. I was born in the late summer of 1957, which makes me a “boomer,” but one too young for the jolting summer of 1968.
While hemp is a popular topic today, this isn’t the first time the plant has been involved in our culture. It turns out that hemp has a well-documented history in the US.
From NBC Nightly News to the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, this has been a week to remember. Here’s how we’re making things better for you.
Dear Friends, It’s New Year 2019, my 38th one as the proprietor of Mt. Folly Farm. It’s been quite a ride. With our new crop of hemp, the gallop is far from over! As a young farmer, I made it through the farm crisis of the mid-80s by starting a company selling beef raised without…
I’m Laura, well-known agricultural innovator and entrepreneur, once knocked back hard in a horseback riding accident. My bones mended, but until I discovered CBDs, I hurt. I recently dug out the box of records I kept from my stay at the Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital. Because my cerebellum, at the top of my spine, was…
We and our customers are no strangers to CBD (cannabidiol) of course, but we do sometimes find ourselves fielding questions about what full-spectrum CBD means, and how it differs from other CBD products on the market, particularly CBD isolate. So, let’s break it down.
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