Schmidt Homestead Remedies

07/26/2026

If your herbs are suddenly shooting up tall stalks and making flowers, they’re bolting. And it doesn’t necessarily mean you did anything wrong.
Some herbs are worth pinching back so you can keep the leafy growth coming. Others are telling you it’s time to quit fighting the season and let them flower and make seed.
Basil, mint, cilantro, dill, parsley… they don’t all need the same thing.
And once the leafy harvest is finished, that plant still has plenty to give. Flowers for the beneficial insects, seeds for the kitchen, seeds for next year’s garden, and maybe even a few volunteers that come back all on their own.
Learning to work with the season instead of against it is part of learning to grow your own. And I’m still learning every season too.

07/18/2026

We currently are using similar practices to rebuild soil health on our homestead. We don't use chemicals, encourage natural growth in areas, use non dyed mulch that decomposes and a little to no till as possible gardening methods.

Building Soil Part 1

After my previous post about plants and soil, a friend suggested that I explain the best ways to build soil...

So, how do we build soil? Before we can answer that question, we must define what soil is. Soil is the combination of a mineral base and organic matter that provides ideal habitat for the "soil food web".

The mineral base is derived from eroded bedrock, glacial drift, volcanic deposits, etc. The texture of this mineral base can be expressed as sand, silt, loam, or clay. Many of the nutrients plants need are found in this mineral base.

The other component of soil is organic matter. This is made up of living and dead plant, animal, and fungal material. The plant material is obvious, but what where is all this animal material coming from? Decaying large mammals typically contribute very little to the soil, although their waste can play a part. But what if you don't have large animals, do you still have animal material in your soil?

Yes, of course! Small mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates play a part as well, but the vast majority of non-plant material in the soil is too small to see with the naked eye. Microbes! Microbes (including fungi, even though they're not animals...) make up much of the soil's organic matter and play a vital role in the function of soil.

Without microbes, plants can only absorb water-soluble nutrients. Many of the nutrients plants need from the soil are not found in a form they can absorb. Whether in the mineral base or decaying material, plant nutrients can get "locked up" or, even worse, leach out of the soil entirely.

Microbes "unlock" nutrients in the soil and make them available to the plants. Microbes, and soil organic matter as a whole, can also serve as a reservoir for nutrients to keep them from being lost to leaching. Poor soils are low in organic matter and microbial diversity. High quality soils have a relatively greater percentage of organic matter and microbial diversity.

The "soil food web" is made up of many plants, animals, and fungi living and dying; working together in beautiful harmony.

Without organic matter all we really have is dirt. Our job as gardeners and farmers is to turn depleted dirt back into soil. Now that we have a rough understanding of what soil is, we can further explore how to "make" soil.

We'll cover the role of plants next...

07/18/2026

The reason I started developing our herbal tea blends to replace our energy drink consumption.

07/04/2026

Do you remember seeing fuzzy red sumac near your grandparents' home? Most people under 50 have no idea what it even looks like.

Picture a blistering August afternoon on the American frontier. Exhausted travelers would pluck these massive, velvet-textured crimson cones and plunge them directly into a glass pitcher of cold spring water.

They would vigorously crush the berries with their bare hands until the clear water bloomed into a brilliant, vibrant pink.

Here's what most people don't know about this misunderstood roadside shrub. Unlike its toxic white-berried cousin, Staghorn Sumac is packed with natural malic acid — giving early Americans a perfectly safe, wild-foraged pink lemonade.

It feels like we lost a small but beautiful piece of your history when you stopped looking to the wild for a simple summer comfort.

Have you ever seen staghorn sumac growing in the wild? Most people walk right past it every day.

07/04/2026

On today’s episode of “medicinal plants you might want to keep an eye out for”, we have the sacred and revered Tulsi (Holy Basil)!

(Also known as Ocimum sanctum, though Ocimum tenuiflorum is the currently accepted scientific name.)

Common varieties include:
• 🌿 Rama Tulsi (green leaves)
• 💜 Krishna Tulsi (purple leaves)
• 🌸 Vana Tulsi (wild forest type)

Of all the herbs we’ve talked about together, this one is truly in a class of its own. Revered for thousands of years in India as “The Queen of Herbs,” Tulsi is much more than a medicinal plant, it’s considered sacred in many Hindu households and is often grown near homes and temples as a symbol of purity, protection, and devotion.

Top 15 Traditional Medicinal Benefits:

🌿 1. Adaptogen

Perhaps Tulsi’s greatest claim to fame.

It has traditionally been used to help the body adapt to physical, emotional, and environmental stress.

😌 2. Stress Support

Traditionally enjoyed as a calming daily tea.

Many people describe it as relaxing without making them sleepy.

🧠 3. Mental Clarity

Traditionally used to encourage focus and concentration.

❤️ 4. Supports Heart Health

Research has explored Tulsi’s antioxidant properties and potential support for cardiovascular wellness.

🍬 5. Blood Sugar Support

Several studies have investigated Tulsi’s role in supporting healthy blood sugar levels, though it should not replace medical treatment.

🌿 6. Rich in Antioxidants

Contains:
• Eugenol
• Rosmarinic acid
• Ursolic acid
• Flavonoids

🍃 7. Respiratory Support

Traditionally used for:
• Coughs
• Congestion
• Seasonal respiratory discomfort

🌼 8. Immune Support

Long valued as a daily tonic herb.

🌱 9. Anti-Inflammatory Potential

Modern research continues to explore its naturally occurring anti-inflammatory compounds.

🦠 10. Antimicrobial Activity

Laboratory studies have shown activity against certain bacteria and fungi.

🌸 11. Digestive Support

Traditionally enjoyed after meals to aid digestion.

🌿 12. Oral Health

Fresh leaves have traditionally been chewed, and Tulsi has been included in herbal mouth rinses.

🧴 13. Skin Support

Infused oils and washes have traditionally been used for minor skin irritation.

🐝 14. Pollinator Magnet

The flowers attract:
• Honeybees
• Bumblebees
• Native bees
• Butterflies

🌎 15. Sacred Plant

For thousands of years Tulsi has been grown around homes throughout India as a symbol of health, protection, hospitality, and spiritual devotion.

Here Are Some Creative Ways to Use Tulsi:

🍵 Daily herbal tea

🧊 Iced Tulsi tea

🍯 Tulsi-infused honey

🍎 Apple cider vinegar infusion

🫒 Herbal infused oil

🍶 Tincture

🌿 Steam inhalation

🛁 Herbal bath

🌸 Facial steam

🍋 Lemon-Tulsi cooler

🧈 Herbal butter

🥗 Fresh leaves in salads

🍓 Fruit salads

🍪 Herbal shortbread

🧂 Homemade seasoning blends

Harvesting Tips:

Harvest in mid-morning, after the dew has dried and before the afternoon heat

Simply pinch the top few inches of each stem.

Frequent harvesting encourages a bushier, more productive plant.

Most herbalists harvest the:
• Leaves
• Tender stems
• Flowering tops

Tulsi contains:

🌿 Eugenol
🌿 Rosmarinic acid
🌿 Ursolic acid
🌿 Apigenin
🌿 Luteolin
🌿 Caryophyllene
🌿 Flavonoids
🌿 Vitamin A
🌿 Vitamin C
🌿 Calcium
🌿 Iron
🌿 Potassium
🌿 Magnesium

Precautions:

Tulsi has a long history of traditional use and is generally considered safe for most healthy adults when enjoyed in typical culinary or tea amounts.

However:

• It may lower blood sugar, so people taking diabetes medications should consult their healthcare provider before using it medicinally.

• Because Tulsi may have mild blood-thinning effects, those taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications or preparing for surgery should seek medical advice before regular use.

• If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking prescription medications, or managing a chronic medical condition, consult a qualified healthcare professional before using Tulsi medicinally.

• Harvest only from plants that have not been treated with pesticides or other chemicals, and wash fresh leaves thoroughly before use.

07/02/2026

From Floyd County Health department:

Beginning July 1st, Indiana is expanding what foods can be safely produced and sold directly from home or local farms under the new law, HEA 1424 (Farm and Homestead Food Sales)

What’s New?
You can now sell products directly to end consumers that were previously restricted, including:
✅ TCS Foods (Time/Temperature Control for Safety foods)
✅ Freezer Meats (Raised on your property, and slaughtered/processed in compliance with state regulations)
✅ Prepared Foods & Hot Dishes (As long as they are not restricted by Federal Law
✅ All the non-TCS baked goods, candies, and fruit spreads previously covered.

Where Can You Sell?
Sales are restricted to direct-to-consumer transactions. You can sell from your own property, online, or at a farmers' market. Wholesale or selling to restaurants/grocery stores is still prohibited under these rules.

Important Guidance & Requirements to Keep in Mind:
• Income Limit: This exemption applies to vendors making less than $1.5 million in annual gross food income.
• Shipping & Delivery: If you want to ship or deliver your products directly to an Indiana consumer's door, you must obtain an ANSI-accredited Food Handler Certificate. Shipping outside of Indiana is not allowed.
• Safe Handling: Meat and TCS products must be refrigerated and handled in a manner consistent with best food handling practices to prevent contamination.
• Strict Labeling Rules: All products must be clearly labeled with the producer's name, address, ingredients (by weight), description, potential allergens, and must include this exact statement in at least 10-point font:

"This product was produced by a homestead vendor or the owner of a small farm that is exempt from government licensing and inspection."

Our local public health teams are here to help you navigate these new changes safely. Guidance on the House Enrolled Act can be found on our websitehttps://www.in.gov/counties/floyd/health-department/files/Indiana-Homestead-and-Small-Farm-Food-Processor-Guidance.pdf

Full Text: https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/house/bills/HB1424/HB1424.05.ENRS.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawSwkgVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFFYzRvMHh1clFPempkN2pnc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjSOmQjnHC_0cae0LkihnDlb_n66ywEKFhD4DOtM4YhxfoU2ymBZRcANhlvD_aem_kJXQzaxjZJzZ4SdusHbkcQ

07/01/2026

Mullein 101 - Year 1 Medicinal Leaves vs Year 2 Flower Stalk

Mullein is that fuzzy plant you see on every midwest roadside. It's actually an indication of poor quality soil but leave it there to do its job & some day, it may move on to work somewhere else it's needed.

But here’s what nobody tells you: Year 1 vs Year 2 mullein are NOT the same plant, medicinally.
Get the year wrong & you’re either missing the medicine or wasting the magic.

YEAR 1: The Rosette is The medicine year for greenery.
This is a low, fuzzy circle of leaves hugging the ground. No stalk yet. It looks like a big gray/green bunny ear. This is when you want to focus on harvesting the leaves late spring through fall, before frost kills it. The first year leaves have the most potent medicinal qualities.

The #1 use is for your lungs as a tea, tincture, or you can smoke it for coughs, bronchitis & asthma. It’s an expectorant, it loosens gunk so you can actually cough it up. Old timers called it “cowboy’s toilet paper” but the lung healing is a great use.

Ear oil. Infuse leaves using an Herbal Chef chef type infuser for maximum potency to create an essential oil for earaches. The herbal chef is how we make all of our tinctures & oils to draw out the maximum amount of benefits from the plant vs just time, sun & a mason jar full of hope. The results are not even close to the same potency so doing it correctly will give you the most beneficial end result for medicinal uses.

Poultices. Smash leaves using a mortar & pestle, to create a poultice to sooth burns & bug bites.

Tea or Smoke. Dehydrate your year one Mullein at your low "herb" temperature setting in a quality dehydrator to maintain medicinal qualities without overheating as it drys. Mucilage in the leaves coats sore throats & sooths lungs from tea or smoking.

So the goal is to pick first year leaves before the plant decides to make a stalk in year two. Once the plant begins it's stalk, leaf medicine drops as the energy is put into its flower.

YEAR 2 is The Flower Stalk. The Magic Torch Year.
That rosette shoots up a 6ft stalk with yellow flowers. This is when it flowers, seeds, then dies.

This is the year to harvest the flowers. Pick them daily in the morning, just as they open. June through August, one stalk means flowers for weeks.

Ear oil or tincture upgrade. The fresh yellow flowers infused in the herbal chef as an oil is the gold standard for ear infections, much stronger than leaf oil.

Pain relief. Flowers have mild analgesic properties. Harvest for essential oils or balm for joint pain & nerve pain.

Torch/candles. Dip the dried stalk in tallow. You now have a pioneer flashlight. It burns 30+ min. This is where it got the name "torch plant" .

Seeds. After flowering comes seeds. Birds love them so now you have a dried fodder for winter feed.

Flowers don't last long. Pick & infuse immediately, or they rot. And only take 1/3 from a stalk so it can still seed.

Be sure to double strain teas, tinctures & tonics that will be consumed internally. The tiny hairs can be irritating which defeats the purpose.

Same plant. Different jobs. Learn both and you’ve got free medicine growing while also healing the soil.

Who’s got mullein popping up on their place right now? Year 1 rosettes or Year 2 torches?

06/30/2026

🌿 The Herbal First-Aid Kit I Didn’t Know I Had

I recently had a hand wound that needed some serious attention, and instead of reaching for the standard over-the-counter stuff, I decided to turn to the plants growing right outside my door. What I found amazed me.

I made a hot water soak using five herbs: yarrow leaf, lavender leaf and flowers, broadleaf plantain, rosemary, and spearmint. The combination worked wonders—cleaning the wound, easing the pain, bringing down the inflammation, and preventing any sign of infection.

Here’s why I chose each one:

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🌱 Yarrow Leaf
Yarrow has been used for centuries to treat skin injuries. It’s known for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound-healing properties. In fact, studies have shown that yarrow extracts can reduce inflammation by up to 40% and accelerate wound closure by 35%. It’s also a natural antibacterial—exactly what you want when you’re trying to keep a wound clean.

💜 Lavender Leaf & Flowers
Lavender is so much more than a pretty scent. It has powerful antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic (pain-relieving) properties. Research shows that combining lavender with other wound-care agents can actually create a synergistic antibacterial and wound-healing effect. It helps reduce swelling, promotes blood circulation to the wound site, and even has a calming effect on the nervous system.

🍃 Broadleaf Plantain
This is the humble “weed” that’s actually a healing powerhouse. Broadleaf plantain has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that make it incredibly effective for treating everything from insect bites to small wounds. Scientific studies have confirmed its wound-healing, antimicrobial, and analgesic properties. If you have this growing in your yard, you have a free first-aid kit.

🌿 Rosemary
Rosemary isn’t just for cooking—it’s a skin-healing superstar. Its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties all contribute to supporting skin recovery after wounds. It’s been shown to help with multiple aspects of skin healing, and it even promotes collagen production, which is essential for tissue repair.

🌿 Spearmint
And finally, spearmint—not just for tea! Spearmint has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties. Its antiseptic qualities make it helpful for wound healing, and it also has analgesic properties to help soothe pain. It’s a gentle but effective addition to any herbal wound-care blend.

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Together, these five herbs created a soak that cleaned, soothed, and healed—without a single synthetic ingredient.

It’s a good reminder that sometimes the best medicine is already growing right outside our door.

Have you ever used herbs for first aid? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments. 👇

06/28/2026

Wildflower Lemonade 🍋

What You Need:

1 cup fresh dandelion flower heads (green bases removed if desired to reduce bitterness)

½ cup fresh sweet violet flowers

Juice of 2 lemons (about ¼ cup)

2-4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, to taste

4 cups filtered water

Method:

1. Gently rinse the flowers and inspect them for insects.
2. Add the dandelion flowers and violets to a quart-sized jar or pitcher.
3. Pour in the lemon juice and stir in the honey or maple syrup until dissolved.
4. Add the filtered water and stir well.
5. Refrigerate and let steep for 2-4 hours.
6. Strain before serving and enjoy over ice.

Notes:

• Dandelion flowers are traditionally used to support a healthy inflammatory response and provide natural antioxidants.

• Sweet violets have long been used in traditional herbalism to soothe the throat and support respiratory health.

• Harvest only from areas free of pesticides, herbicides, and roadside contaminants.

• Always be certain of proper plant identification before consuming wild plants.

• Best enjoyed fresh and refrigerated for up to 48 hours.

Wildflower Lemonade is a refreshing way to enjoy the beauty of edible flowers. Fresh dandelion blossoms lend a mild floral flavor, while sweet violet flowers add a delicate sweetness and beautiful color. Both flowers have a long history of use in traditional herbal practices. Dandelion flowers are traditionally used to support a healthy inflammatory response, while sweet violets have long been valued for soothing the throat and supporting respiratory health.

⚠️ Always do your research before introducing into your diet, especially if you have any underlying or pre-existing conditions, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are taking medications.