As an herbalist and farm-to-table chef, Erika Kuhr envelopes herself in nature’s best medicine at Starseed Ranch, which she owns with her husband, Dash Kuhr. Located on the northern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii, the remote ranch consists of 26 acres of farmland filled with fruit trees, gardens, bamboo, plant medicine and so much more to explore. With a deep connection to this sacred island oasis and her passion for plant connection, Kuhr infuses herbal remedies in everything she touches — whether that be a delicious and fresh farm-to-table meal cooked for Starseed Ranch guests or an educational program via her farm-based non-profit, the Hawai’i Institute of Pacific Agriculture (HIP Agriculture). With a love for passing on knowledge, Kuhr gives MOTHER a crash course in herbal remedies and how she uses the power of plants to take care of herself and others. 

DESCRIBE STARSEED RANCH 

Starseed Ranch is a really special place. We’re on the northern tip and it’s just so beautiful here. The feeling that comes across when you’re here and walking the land is calm and peaceful. The winds that we have and the sounds that come with the winds through the bamboo and the leaves along with the birds are like medicine. Both sides of the property are bordered by two different streams, which are running all year long. After it’s rained, you can hear the sound of the water flowing. It’s also a grounding part of the island and a place where you can be barefoot. 


YOUR CONNECTION TO PLANTS AND HERBS

As a person that is an herbalist and loves plants, and loves to connect with plants, it's really about the plants that speak to me and call me. The ones that we’ve come to study and work with, we have a connection with. And, the other plants that are just here and what we call weeds — those are just plants that we don’t yet understand. We’ve had amazing mentors, both before moving to Hawaii and being here in Hawaii, that have taught us so much about different plants and how we can use them.  

YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF MAKING HERBAL TINCTURES

Probably as a little girl making potions. We would harvest the grapes off the vine and smash them with honeysuckle flowers. Making potions was something I did as a little girl for fun—that practice of collecting and making and feeling connected has always been there. We all have it in us from a young age, if we have an environment with plants and the outdoors. 


YOUR GO-TO REMEDIES

The best way to have an herbal remedy and incorporate herbal remedies into your life is through infusions or herbal tea. I’m always making a fresh herbal tea inspired by whatever herbs are calling me. It’s always something different and special because it has to do with the season, the temperature, and how I’m feeling. On your journey for herbal remedies, herbal tea is a great one and everyone can make it. We also do a lot of herbal teas with alcohol tincture, which gives them a longer shelf life. Once you have it, it lasts for years and it doesn’t go bad. 

WHY TASTE MATTERS

When you’re looking at herbal remedies to bring balance into your body, mentally, spiritually, or physically, you want to taste the herb. That will help signal to the rest of the body what actions are going to happen. Herbal remedies in a capsule are sometimes helpful if it’s really gross tasting, but a lot of times your body’s not tasting that — you’re swallowing it and your body isn’t able to process if it is of good quality. My recommendation is in a form in which you taste, so that could be herbal teas and tinctures. 


HOW YOU CREATE REMEDIES WITH NATURE

You can make sun tea or moon tea. I like to brew some flowers in room temperature water under the full moon. There are certain plants that are more connected with the moon and, on a full moon night, I fill a quart jar with water and put in some jasmine flowers that I collected because that’s a very good moon cooling type of herb. Then, drink it in the morning and the rest of the day. For sun tea, put it out in the morning and bring it in the evening at the end of the day — one day is really good for brewing sun tea. You can use tea bags or just put the herbs in loose and strain them out with a sieve after. 

THE BEST WAY TO ENGAGE WITH PLANTS FOR WELL BEING

The easiest way is just being able to see and smell plants. So, if I’m taking a walk in the city and there’s nice lavender, I pick the lavender and smell it. Scent is the first way to engage in herbal remedies. We can just smell and that can bring us to the present moment. It also helps to give notice to all of these things around us. Other everyday ways to incorporate is picking and tasting. For example, pine needles are a good source of vitamin C so, if I’m on a hike or walking about, I’ll grab one and chew on the juicy parts to give myself a little boost — it’s invigorating. 

DESCRIBE YOUR WELLNESS REGIME

Giving thanks and gratitude for the plants that are around me and just recognizing the plants and the healing that’s all around me is the first thing. Second, is harvesting fresh herbs—that gives me the most joy and it’s calming and grounding. From that, my biggest healthcare practice is the ability to smell, pick, and taste the plants. I love Tulsi, which is a great adaptogen that is good for calming and stress. I’ll just chew on a few leaves to help me. It’s really easy and I don’t even have to make tea. 

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