238.Polyculture=Quality: Biodynamic Farming with Tony DiMaggio

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A decade or so ago, we saw a big push in the Herb World toward Wildcrafted herbs because they make better, stronger medicine. That push endangered many wild areas and plant populations…and it underscored the importance of looking to Mother Nature to school us in growing good medicine.

Today, we’re talking with Tony DiMaggio, owner and operator of Sacred Blossom Polyculture Herb Farm, about Polyculture farming for strong Plants and Plant Medicine.

Herbs we mentioned:

• Little Bugleweed
• Lemon Balm
• Mint
• Echinacea
• Hyssop
• Nettle
• Ashwaghanda
• California poppy
• Potato

Places and people we mentioned:

• Natura Farms
• Viriditas Wild Garden, Jeff and Liz
• Dr. Elaine Ingham, Soil Foods Web

Tony DiMaggio

Born in California, I went to highschool in Costa Rica then business school in Argentina. I dropped out to start a horse tour company and run a beachfront restaurant in Uruguay. Then I became a barefooted global nomad, of course.

At 22 I met Farmer Paul Otten one of the top berry experts in this country. He was a lifelong student of health; soil, plant, human / animal and spiritual. He taught me so much and had a tremendous impact on my path. I worked directly under Paul for six growing seasons (nomading during Minnesota’s long winters) and we continued to be best friends until his death in 2018.

After apprenticing under Paul I went on a year long farm tour studying a wide variety of specialty crops and deciding to dedicate my career growing herbs. I worked on an industrial scale herb farm in Oregon before starting Sacred Blossom in spring 2016.

I farm for my health, your health and the health of the planet.

Most herb farms look like vegetable farms – monocultures with abundant fertility and irrigation. I believe that nature produces superior quality herbs, so that is what I mimic on my farm. Minimum fertilizer and irrigation. Polycultures with biologically active soils. Every plant is considered before it is harvested by hand and then processed with care.

YOU CAN FIND TONY AT:

• Sacred Blossom Farm
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone:  715.946.3604
• Facebook: /SacredBlossomFarm
• Instagram: @sacredblossomfarm