Richo Cech is avillage herbalist, plant explorer, author and owner of Horizon Herbs, which is "sowing seeds worldwide for the benefit of people, plants and the planet." Richo is the author of the widely acclaimed and quoted Horizon Herbs Growing Guide and Catalog, as well as Making Plant Medicine, Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs, and The Medicinal Herb Grower. He uses what he calls "natural gardening techniques" to cultivate 1,000 species of medicinal plants at Horizon Herbs Seed Farm in Williams, Ore. Recently he has botanized in China and Africa, resulting in the introduction of many new and exciting medicinal herb species to gardeners throughout the world.
Karen Jurgensen is a chef instructor at both the Seattle Culinary Academy and the Quillisascut Farm School, as well as a mercenary cook and a restaurant consultant in Seattle. Jurgensen grew up in rural Republic, Wash., where her grandmother took her on her first foraging adventures. She founded the Seattle chapter of Chefs Collaborative (a.k.a FORKS) and is actively involved in local food politics, the regional Food Policy Council, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, Les Dames d’Escoffier and Slow Food’s RAFT project.
Activities available at this year's Herb & Food Fair include:
a variety of educational speakers and workshops
cooking demonstrations from nutrition and botanical medicine experts
live entertainment (music and dance)
special activities for children
nutritious and delicious homemade food
distinctive vendors
acupuncture demonstrations
relaxing herbal foot soaks and facials
sampling of a variety of natural foods and herbal products
guided walks through the surrounding woods, teeming with native herbs
Additionally, herb and other plant starts from Bastyr's organic garden will be sold, including medicinal and culinary herbs from around the world. Bastyr's Medicinal Herb Garden and noted reflexology path will both be open and available for all to experience.
Bastyr's renowned vegetarian cafeteria will be open for delicious meals, and student groups will sell homemade baked goods and snacks. Hundreds of books about herbs and nutrition will be for sale at the Bastyr University Bookstore, which also features a wide range of publications on natural medicine and healing.
Proceeds from the Herb & Food Fair benefit Bastyr University students by contributing to the University's garden improvements and providing funding to purchase supplies for its herb and food cultivating classes.
GETTING HERE: A free shuttle will run every 30 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from the Kenmore park and ride, located at 7346 NE Bothell Way. Limited parking is available on campus for $5.
ABOUT BASTYR UNIVERSITY
Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington is an accredited institution, internationally recognized as a pioneer in natural health arts and sciences education. Founded in 1978 as the John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine, the University integrates the pursuit of scientific knowledge with the wisdom of ancient healing methods and traditional cultures from around the world. Today, Bastyr University is the largest university for natural health arts and sciences in the United States, combining a multidisciplinary curriculum with leading-edge research and clinical training.
The University offers Bachelor of Science degrees with majors in exercise science and wellness, health psychology, herbal sciences, nutrition, nutrition and culinary arts, and a dual major in nutrition and exercise science. Graduate programs include naturopathic medicine, acupuncture and Oriental medicine, nutrition, and nutrition and clinical health psychology. Student clinical training takes place at Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle's Fremont/Wallingford neighborhood and at many external sites throughout the region. For additional information about Bastyr University and its teaching clinic, Bastyr Center for Natural Health,
visit www.bastyr.edu or www.bastyrcenter.org.
