Golden Light Center

08/21/2026

I had such a good time at last Saturday’s final class with Magic Keller — complete with Herbal Jeopardy and a wonderful potluck!

And the upcoming fall series with Keller and Sallings looks really interesting, bringing herbs into the kitchen in some practical and creative ways. Take a look at what they have planned!
https://www.theprospectnews.com/news/herbs-meet-the-kitchen-in-new-fall-class-series-dad5a3a5

06/27/2026

What a great question, and one that has shaped my life as an herbalist!

Why is basing your herbal medicine craft off the land around you important? Any thoughts? 🗣️ Let us know in the comments.

We shared a few ideas last week, here are a few more:

🌿Bioregional herbalism gives you the advantage in first aid and trail medicine situations, since you are likely to be able to quickly find a plant that will work for whatever condition you’re working with.

🌿Bioregional herbalism resists commodification, because it is focused on what medicine is around you, not what constituents are trending.

05/28/2026

I had such a great day today visiting Ozark Mountain Ginseng, and learning so much about cultivating forest herbs like ginseng and goldenseal. I saw more ginseng than I ever have in my whole life, including a 75 year plant. I enjoyed learning alongside Ezra Houston of the Midwest Forest Farming Alliance, Wren Haffner of Ozark Mountain Jewel, and Zack Miller of The Nature Conservancy. I'll be writing a story for the local Doniphan paper soon, about how things are going as I start to cultivate some of these plants in my own forest!

05/21/2026

Ozark plant lovers, if you are in the Ava area, there's a wonderful art exhibit coming up with my favorite Ozark nature artist, Mara Bosch. There's a talk by Mara and a showing of her art coming up this Saturday, May 23, 5pm, at the Living Lands Art Collective, Living Lands Art Collective: 106 E Washington Ave, Ava, MO 65608

05/20/2026

I'm really excited to be part of the Ozarks Bioregional Herbal Symposium!

Happy Wednesday everyone! We're here to share another speaker bio. Sasha Daucus of Golden Light Center will be sharing what is sure to be a beautiful talk on bioregional herbalism in the Ozarks.

Sasha Daucus has lived and worked within the culture of Ozark bioregional herbalism since the early 1980s. Her path as an herbalist emerged through years of clinical work, plant study, teaching, and relationships with mentors, healers, and the living landscapes of the Ozarks. In addition to leading herb walks and classes, she currently hosts Earth Listening groups and works with the Missouri Historical Society to record oral histories of influential Ozark herbalists. Her work explores the connections among plants, people, place, and cultural memory.

05/11/2026

Saturday’s herb walk at the Narrows on the Eleven Point was a genuine pleasure. We were grateful for such a beautiful spring day, for the stunning views along the river, and especially for the wonderful group of people who came out to share it with us.

Magic Keller M Keller Herbalist and I had a lovely time sharing the teaching about the rich plant communities in the Ozarks and the plants that inhabit them: native, medicinal, edible, and otherwise. All the shared stories, observations, and conversations along the way made the day come alive. The Narrows was especially beautiful this weekend, full of spring growth and the quiet richness this season brings.

Mostly, though, I just want to say thank you to everyone who came. Your curiosity, attentiveness, and enthusiasm made the day deeply nourishing for me as a teacher and fellow lover of these places and plants. It felt good to spend time together in such a beautiful corner of the Ozarks.

09/25/2025

Upcoming Talk at the Ozark Folk Center Medicinal Herb Seminar 🌿
I’m honored to be speaking at this year’s Wild Herb Hike & Medicinal Herb Seminar at the Ozark Folk Center, October 18–19. My talk is titled:
From Tornado to Forest Garden: A Journey of Healing & Renewal
In this session, I’ll share how the 2024 tornado that struck my woods became an unexpected path into healing, renewal, and visioning new possibilities for the land.
This presentation is rooted in both community support and practical lessons from the land. My hope is that it will spark ideas or others navigating change, whether in the garden, the forest, or in life itself.
📅 Event details and registration:
👉 https://www.ticketleap.events/events/ozarkfolkcenter/wild-herb-hike-medicinal-herb-symposium-2025

09/23/2025

🌲🌱 Forest Farming in the Ozarks - An incredible panel coming to OACC 46! this Saturday, at Hammond Mill Camp, near West Plains, MO🌱🌲
It features some of the most forward-thinking forest farming practitioners in our area.
Meet these amazing LOCAL experts:
🌿 Richard Herman - A true pioneer with the longest-running intentional forest farm in Missouri! 25 years of experience on his 30 acres near Marshfield.
🌿 Nathaniel Graham from Rockbridge practices Korean natural farming and will help us "discover the secret world of microbes with KNF and widen our apertures with how we can partner with them."
🌿 Wren Haffner of Mountain Jewel farm brings wisdom about off-grid living, food forests, adaptation gardening, and natural building with local materials.
🌿 Ezra Houston, forest farming project coordinator at Lincoln University of Missouri, will share about the Midwest Forest Farming Coalition - offering resources, mentorship, workshops, and grants!

Panel moderated by Kelda Lorax, who runs an organic market garden in the Oklahoma Ozarks and teaches permaculture.

This is your chance to learn from the best in our region!

Learn more about the panel and OACC at https://ozarkareacommunitycongress.org/program-and-schedule-oacc-46/

09/23/2025

It's the perfect time to harvest Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), that wonderful immune system stimulant herb. I had a great afternoon out with friends, collecting it to make tincture and tea for the winter.
Boneset is best harvested in the fall in full bloom. It is usually located in wet areas like low spots in fields, gravel bars, or my current favorite place-- in a wet ditch along a dirt road, where I harvested it last week. Be sure to check for the leaves that clasp the stem, as though the stem is 'perforating' the leaf. There are other close look-alikes that aren't healthy for you, and the 'perforated leaf' is the best way to tell that you have the correct plant.