58. Seed Saving, Food as Medicine & Nature Healing with Maria Gilles on Permaculture Herbalism

Embark on a journey into the verdant world of Seed Saving with Maria Gillies. Living a simple yet profoundly enriching life, she is a devoted member of the Mareeba Seed Savers coordinator's team in Far North Queensland and volunteers with the National Seed Savers Organisation to connect all Australian groups and provide seed-saving knowledge and skills. Maria left her life in the laboratory to take off her shoes and follow her curiosity for "food as medicine" and the insightful world of seeds after experiencing a deep connection with Papaya and the lessons learnt from being present with seeds and healing with nature. It wasn't until Maria visited France during a two-year sojourn that she had her hands in the soil, discovering the abundant joys of cultivating fruits and vegetables. The turning point in her journey came when she engaged in a transformative woofing experience with Isabel Shipard, a renowned herbalist and author on the Sunshine Coast. Under Isabel's expert guidance, Maria realised the significance of preserving seeds from one's garden. Join Maria as she shares her insights, experiences, and the rich tapestry of lessons learned in the world of nurturing and preserving life through seeds. SHOW NOTES: Pawpaw, Carica Papaya : https://australianpapaya.com.au/nutrition/ Dengue Fever: Therapeutic Potential of Carica papaya L. Leaves: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33981215/ The Worlds Largest Seed Companies: https://scienceagri.com/9-worlds-largest-seed-companies/ Monsanto GMO Seed Contracts: https://the-kingfisher.org/people/communities/monsanto_lawsuits.html How to grow Papaya at home from seed: https://youtu.be/iUceYy_ZZJA?si=cES-Wwh_VGi32RSK The Seed Savers Handbook: https://seedsavers.net/resource/seed-savers-handbook/ CONNECT: Mareeba Seed Savers and Gardening Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/743397622534234/ Seed Savers Connect: ⁠https://www.seedsavers.org.au/australian-seed-saver-groups/⁠ **THE ELDER TREE TROVE PATREON COMMUNITY** You can join our Patreon here and gain a deeper connection to our podcast. Pay only $2 per week to have access to bonus and often exclusive resources and opportunities- plus support the Elder tree at the same time! To learn more about The Elder Tree, visit the website at www.theeldertree.org and donate to the crowdfunding campaign here. You can also follow The Elder Tree on Facebook and Instagram and sign up for the newsletter. Find out more about this podcast and the presenters here. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  [email protected] The intro and outro song is "Sing for the Earth" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music here and here.