Herbal Radio

This week on Herbal Radio, host Lucretia Van Dyke is joined by the National Science Educators at Host Defense® Mushrooms™, Gina Rivers. Join us as we explore:
How Paul Stamets grew the Host Defense® mycelial community
Growing mushrooms vs. growing plants
Science behind analyzing mushrooms for medicinal use
Mycelium evolving alongside humans
Fruiting bodies vs. mycelium: are they the same thing?
Choosing the right mushroom(s) for your lifestyle
The danger of online identification apps
Lucretia's and Gina's favorite Host Defense® products
As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are so honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are an invaluable piece to our podcast. Email us at [email protected] or reach out on Instagram @Herbal.Radio to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism.
Learn more about Gina below!
🍄 Gina Rivers is a community herbalist and educator with over 30 years of experience in the natural products industry. Her curriculum vitae includes retail management, sales representation, herbal and nutritional education and consultation, and formulation. She began her study of herbalism at the age of 15 and has had the opportunity to study with some of the most eminent leaders in the field. Although she holds certifications from the Natural Healing College as a master herbalist and nutritional consultant, she maintains that plants and mushrooms are her greatest teachers and considers herself to be an ongoing student of their wise ways. Gina has worked for Host Defense for the last 12 years, first as a representative and, in the last 9 years, as an Educator and Product Formulator. She travels extensively to educate the public, retailers, and practitioners across the nation.
EPISODE RESOURCES:
Learn more about the parent company of Host Defense®: Fungi Perfecti, LLC

Read the Host Defense® blog: The Truth About Mushroom Mycelium

Check out the new line of Host Defense® mushroom gummies: Grateful Dead Gummies™

Shop Host Defense® Mushroom Blends

Find Host Defense® on social media!
Instagram: @hostdefense

Facebook: @Host Defense

YouTube: @Host Defense Mushrooms

Lucretia VanDyke began her herbalism journey as a little girl mixing herbs, clays, and muds on her grandparents' farm. Today, Lucretia VanDyke has been in the herbal industry for over 20 years. As a holistic educator, speaker, herbalist, ceremonialist, spiritual light coach, intuitive energetic & reiki practitioner, diviner, storyteller, artist, and world traveler, Lucretia has accumulated over 3000 hours of training. She has studied with indigenous healers and some of the greatest minds of our time. Lucretia has been a holistic esthetician & healing arts practitioner for over a decade focusing on integrating indigenous healing rituals, plant spirit medicine, and meditation into modern-day practice. Lucretia brings her vivacious spirit and message of self-love in her work to inspire others to embrace their unique beauty and purpose. Her work with herbs and sacred practices honors women's wholeness through grief work, sexual trauma, ancestor connection, womb healing, self-empowerment, food alchemy, and holistic skincare. She is currently collecting stories throughout the south while working on expanding her BIPOC community healing arts and herbal education program.
Find Lucretia on social media! Instagram: @lucretia.vandyke
Lucertia's website: https://www.lucretiavandyke.com
Lucretia's Book, African American Herbalism: https://mountainroseherbs.com/african-american-herbalism
Watch the video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/sGs_Y0AWYhw 
 
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Mountain Rose Herbs is a purveyor of the highest quality organically grown herbs and spices, teas, essential oils, & botanical goods. You can find our organic botanical offerings on MountainRoseHerbs.com.
📖 Request a FREE copy of our 2026 Printed Journal to be shipped straight to your door! 
Join our community!
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🌿 Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. 🌿

The Purpose Pledge is a collaborative initiative anchored in 10 clear, time-bound commitments that embed purpose into company governance, operations, and supply chains. It brings together an ecosystem of companies and allied support organizations in a shared, accountable community—where members learn from one another and measure progress publicly and transparently.
This week on Herbal Radio, we are sharing a special conversation with David Bronner of Dr. Bronner's, joined by host Jiling Lin, and Mountain Rose's very own CEO/CFO, Cameron Stearns. Tune in to explore:
Purpose Pledge: what it is, why it matters, and who should be paying attention
What collective accountability looks likes through a business lens
Radical transparency: from supply chain to consumer
Envisioning a future of regenerative agriculture and natural products
How other companies can join the Purpose Pledge movement
What's in store for the Purpose Pledge in the coming years?
As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are so honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are an invaluable piece to our podcast. Email us at [email protected] to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism.
🎥 Watch the video version to this episode on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/npMYSEt-_jk
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🌷 Cameron Stearns is the CEO and CFO of Mountain Rose Herbs, leading the independently-owned benefit company with a commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices. With a strong financial and strategic background, she ensures the company's mission-driven growth while maintaining its core values of organic integrity, environmental stewardship, and community well-being. 
"Mountain Rose Herbs is delighted to commit to the Purpose Pledge and continue our journey towards a transparent and collaborative future that benefits both community and planet."
– Cameron Stearns, Mountain Rose Herbs CEO/CFO
🫧 David Bronner is Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner's, the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America. David was born in Los Angeles, California in 1973 and earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Harvard University. A dedicated vegan and an advocate for drug policy and criminal justice reform as well as regenerative organic agriculture and other social justice and environmental causes, David serves on the board of MAPS and the Regenerative Organic Alliance. He lives in Encinitas, California.
"As a society we have to collectively embrace an economy based on ethical and not extractive and exploitative business practices. Purpose Pledge is an invitation for companies to rise and journey toward that just and healthy economy together."
– David Bronner, Dr. Bronner's CEO
🪷 Jiling Lin is an acupuncturist and herbalist in coastal southern California. A clinician and teacher, Jiling is also a passionate traveler, artist, and adventurer. Visit Jiling at JilingLin.com— and get her free Nourishing Life (養生) template and Five Phases (五行) outline. Join her newsletter for seasonal beauty— and updates on her coming book! (Publication 2028)
~~~
Mountain Rose Herbs is a purveyor of the highest quality organically grown herbs and spices, teas, essential oils, & botanical goods. You can find our organic botanical offerings on MountainRoseHerbs.com.
📖 Request a FREE copy of our 2026 Printed Journal to be shipped straight to your door! 📖 
Join our community!
Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter
Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
Like on Facebook
Follow on Pinterest
Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog
Follow on TikTok 
🌿 Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. 🌿

On today's episode of Herbal Radio, you'll hear from a collection of herbalists answering the question:
🌿 What herb do you wish more people knew about? 🌿
Each month, we bring together a variety of herbalists to explore thought-provoking, herbally-inspired questions to share the different voices and diverse experiences that shape the botanical community.
Featured speakers: Meghan Henshaw, Maureen Judith, Lucretia VanDyke, Roy Upton, Jiling Lin, and Julia O. Bianco.
Want to share with us what herb YOU wish more people knew about? Have a question in mind you're itching to have answered on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] to let us know what we should uncover next in the vast world of herbalism.
Check out our other episodes featuring these guests below:
Plant Stories | Featuring Lucretia VanDyke
Animism & Alchemy | Featuring Mo Judith
Jiling Lin | Interviews on Herbal Radio
Plant Stories | Featuring Julia Orquera Biano
Flora's Daughters | Featuring Julia Orquera Bianco & Meghan Henshaw
The Man Behind the Monograph | Featuring Roy Upton….coming soon!
🎥 Watch the video version on this epsiode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J7VNIrvsfzI
 
WANT MORE HERBAL RADIO?
Watch all video interviews here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1mbKr5N28toNtPFecp5VqiqfMUK2nsrr
Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herbal.radio
 
Mountain Rose Herbs is a purveyor of the highest quality organically grown herbs and spices, teas, essential oils, & botanical goods. You can find our organic botanical offerings on MountainRoseHerbs.com.
📖 Request a FREE copy of our 2026 Printed Journal shipped straight to your door! 📖
Join the Mountain Rose Herbs community!
Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter
Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
Like on Facebook
Follow on Pinterest
Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog
Follow on TikTok 
🌿 Strengthening the bond between people and plants for a healthier world. 🌿

This week on Herbal Radio, host Jiling Lin is joined by Patricia Kyritsi Howell, an herbalist in the mountains of northeast Georgia and director of the BotanoLogos School of Herbal Studies. Patricia recently published the second edition of Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians, a guide to 44 native North American herbs. She also leads tours to Crete, focusing on herbs and traditional cuisine, and supports emerging herbal practitioners through her virtual course, Crafting Your Herbal Practice.
Listen in as Patricia and Jiling discuss:
One of Patricia's favorite ways to cultivate relationships with plants as beings
Writing and self-publishing her book twice, Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians
Some of the plants in the book, and plants unique to southern Appalachia
Expanding the uses of plants
Food as medicine in Greek culture
Preventative herbalism for our complex times
🎥 Check out the video version of this interview on YouTube: 
Visit Patricia Kyritsi Howell:
💻 Website: PatriciaKyritsiHowell.com
📸 Instagram: @botanologos
📱 Facebook @Patricia Kyritsi Howell
📚 Get Patricia's book: Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians: Second Edition
🌿 Crafting Your Herbal Practice Course: https://www.yourherbalpractice.com/
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🪷 Jiling Lin is an acupuncturist and herbalist in coastal southern California. A clinician and teacher, Jiling is also a passionate traveler, artist, and adventurer. Visit Jiling at JilingLin.com— and get her free Nourishing Life (養生) template and Five Phases (五行) outline. Join her newsletter for seasonal beauty— and updates on her coming book! (Publication 2028)
~~~
Mountain Rose Herbs is a purveyor of the highest quality organically grown herbs and spices, teas, essential oils, & botanical goods. You can find our organic botanical offerings on MountainRoseHerbs.com.
📖 Request a FREE copy of our 2026 Printed Journal to be shipped straight to your door! 📖 
Join our community!
Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter
Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
Like on Facebook
Follow on Pinterest
Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog
Follow on TikTok 
🌿 Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. 🌿

This week on Herbal Radio, host Lucretia Van Dyke is joined by the herbalist and artist dynamic duo, Julia Orquera Bianco and Meghan Henshaw. Tag along with us as they explore:
Behind the scenes of Meghan's and Julia's zine, Flora's Daughters
Committing to collaboration: the intersection of art and plants
Cyanotype printing: a unique way to connect with plants
Weaving different cultures and backgrounds together
Women's connection to plants throughout history
What can we do for the plants vs. what can the plants do for us
📘 Get your hands on a copy of Julia and Meghan's herbal zine: Flora's Daughters
🎥 Watch the video version to this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/p5GRbFzvRb0
Learn more about Julia and Meghan below!
Julia Orquera Bianco was born in Argentina and lived in Mexico before moving to the United States in 2016. She earned a BFA from Universidad del Museo Social Argentino in 2012. In 2018 she graduated from the MFA program at Roski School of Art and Design, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Bianco earned a Certificate on Sustainability from UCLA in 2020, was an intern in the Medicinal Plant Conservation Program at United Plant Savers in 2022, and earned a Certificate in Permaculture Design from Cincinnati Permaculture Institute in 2023. Bianco interrogates Modern Western Culture, collective memory, and migration through the lens of a guest on the Land. Identity becomes an experience rather than a concept. Her work draws from her family and cultural heritage and from her practice with plants to craft stories where past, present, and place come together, redefining notions of belonging.
🌿 Julia's business website, Mundo Q'enti: https://www.mundoqenti.com/
🎨  Julia's artist website: https://www.juliaobianco.com
🎭 Check out Julia's upcoming gallery exhibitions and events: https://www.juliaobianco.com/catalogueandevents
Meghan Henshaw has spent many years studying the plethora of ways in which medicinal plants are woven into the fabric of everyday life. This has led her all over the United States and abroad where she has worn many hats as a field researcher, wildcrafter, herbalist, and educator. Her medicinal plant studies began with an internship with a large herb company twenty years ago and was followed by formal botanical study in herbal science and ethnobotany. Meghan currently has a private practice in Cincinnati and sees clients for one on one herbal support and bodywork. As Ocotillo Herbals, she teaches herbal classes throughout the Midwest and crafts a line of herbal products which emphasize bioregional plants using many of the herbs she grows in a community garden in the city.
🌿 Meghan's website, Ocotillo Herbals: https://www.ocotilloherbals.com
🌀 Meghan's upcoming workshops: https://www.ocotilloherbals.com/events
📓 Ohio River Valley Herbal Zine Project: https://www.ocotilloherbals.com/herbal-zine
📚 Llyod Library: https://lloydlibrary.org/
Lucretia VanDyke began her herbalism journey as a little girl mixing herbs, clays, and muds on her grandparents' farm. Today, Lucretia VanDyke has been in the herbal industry for over 20 years. As a holistic educator, speaker, herbalist, ceremonialist, spiritual light coach, intuitive energetic & reiki practitioner, diviner, storyteller, artist, and world traveler, Lucretia has accumulated over 3000 hours of training. She has studied with indigenous healers and some of the greatest minds of our time. Lucretia has been a holistic esthetician & healing arts practitioner for over a decade focusing on integrating indigenous healing rituals, plant spirit medicine, and meditation into modern-day practice. Lucretia brings her vivacious spirit and message of self-love in her work to inspire others to embrace their unique beauty and purpose. Her work with herbs and sacred practices honors women's wholeness through grief work, sexual trauma, ancestor connection, womb healing, self-empowerment, food alchemy, and holistic skincare. She is currently collecting stories throughout the south while working on expanding her BIPOC community healing arts and herbal education program.
📱Find Lucretia on social media! Instagram: @lucretia.vandyke
🌻 Lucertia's website: https://www.lucretiavandyke.com
📚 Lucretia's Book, African American Herbalism: https://mountainroseherbs.com/african-american-herbalism
~~~
Mountain Rose Herbs is a purveyor of the highest quality organically grown herbs and spices, teas, essential oils, & botanical goods. You can find our organic botanical offerings on MountainRoseHerbs.com.
📖 Request a FREE copy of our 2026 Printed Journal to be shipped straight to your door! 
Join our community!
Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter
Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
Like on Facebook
Follow on Pinterest
Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog
Follow on TikTok 
🌿 Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. 🌿