Marigolds, Hemp, and Healing

A bright garden border turned into a teacher. We start by honoring Kelly’s loss and then follow a thread that runs from marigold folklore and calendula medicine to the everyday choices that shape our health, our farms, and our clarity. Marigold—Mary’s gold—steps out of the garden bed with real receipts: triterpenoids and flavonoids for inflamed skin, antimicrobial support for minor infections, carotenoids for eye health, and a place at the table as a vibrant, edible petal. We share simple, hands-on ways to work with it—garlands for drying, teas and salves for winter, and kitchen ideas that turn color into nourishment.

From there, we zoom out to cannabis in Wisconsin. THCA’s strange legal status exposes a bigger question: are we chasing the high at the expense of the plant’s full healing? We lay out the entourage effect in plain language, why isolates can distort expectations, and how overregulation risks erasing small farms and patient choice. The stance is clear: protect people, legalize sensibly, and let folks grow their own medicine.

This conversation also gets personal. After two years without alcohol and finishing the Bible, I chose to set THC aside and lean into hemp-only support—clarity over fog, presence over escape. That shift runs alongside real farm life: UW–Madison test plots, compliance testing, a late-planted field that taught us hard lessons, and farm tours that reconnect product to plant. It all rounds out with the rituals that hold a season together—self-care tools, canning tomatoes, and the small practices that make health feel local and real.

If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more farm-level truths and herbal how-tos, and leave a review with the one insight you’re taking into your week.

Chapters

• 0:00 Holding Space For Kelly’s Loss
• 2:10 Meet Bubbles & The Farm’s Mission
• 5:30 Marigold: From Garden Border To Healer
• 12:20 Rituals, History & Day of the Dead
• 17:40 Calendula Science: Skin, Gut, Eyes
• 24:30 Crafting, Drying & Tea With Marigolds
• 28:40 Cannabis Policy: THCA, Loopholes, And Limits
• 36:20 Healing Over High: The Entourage Perspective
• 41:30 Sober Mind: Faith, Bible, And Cannabis
• 49:20 Hemp-Only Commitment And Why
• 54:10 UW Test Plots, Harvest, And Farm Reality
• 1:01:40 Visitors, Testing, And Visual Storytelling
• 1:07:30 Self-Care Tools, Green Witch Energy

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:08

And we're live yet again for Sunshine and Bubbles podcast number twenty-one. Although I feel like a big part of me is missing, and that would be my sweet, bestie ray of sunshine, Miss Kelly Sunshine herself. She is absent here today on the farm, although forever in my heart and in my mind and in my spirit, because she had a death in the family and had to take care of business. It was sudden and quick, and it's a time to be with family and reflect and reminisce and handle everything that comes along with the passing on of our loved ones. So I wish her all of the best and uh healing and good vibrations as her family navigates through this difficult time. I know with the passing of a loved one comes changes and unforeseen things that you don't always have control over. So while she is dealing with the death in her family, let's all keep her in our prayers and send her nothing but love and good vibrations and healing sensations as she uh walks these waters with her friends and family. Rest in peace, Ken. He was he was he was a man that had a lot to share and a lot to give, and but had struggled in the end. So it was his time to cross the bridge and move on. So, Sunshine, I'll be channeling all of your awesome bubbliness because I know normally she's my counterpart. It's who I talk to, it's who we're next to, but you know, the the show must go on. And I came here wanting to podcast. There is still a ton to share as things are ramping up quickly here on the farm. So I thought I would hop on here and see what I could do just on my own. Bubbles, you got me. My name is Ashley Amber Schaefer. That's what you can find me on all my socials. But we are creating a brand without red tape and restrictions and all the bologna that goes along with cannabis. Uh, we have a parent company, DNA Hemp, that we have created a wonderful natural pharmacy and are really helping a ton of people deal with a variety of uh things, whether it be proactive or reactive approach to health. But we're really passionate about what we do here on the farm. And I feel like nature never waits. It just is she keeps on moving. And so I really wanted to come on here and share about some of the things that are happening here on the farm. Yes, they call me Bubbles here on the farm. That is my nickname. Thank, thank the goodness, sweetheart of Uncle Dave, who gave me that nickname. I think it matches my personality. So I'm rolling with it as my spirit name. Uh, but most of you know me as Ashley Amber. I am the founder and creator of DNA Hemp. We've been at it cultivating a natural pharmacy on our organic land since 2019. And I couldn't be more excited to be here with you today. Thank you for listening and tuning in and possibly sharing with a bud. Every last bit helps. And it's been a wild ride, a wild adventure. And I feel like this podcast is a great way to document those times and to kind of chronicle what the growth and transformation and the exploration that we continue to do here on the farm is really something out of this world and something to witness. So thank you so much for being here and tuning in. I can feel your energy and it is amazing, and appreciate all the encouragement and love and kindness you have shown throughout this path. It's been wonderful. I'm just I'm an everyday person trying to help everyday people heal themselves holistically. That is the goal, that is the mission here. And there's a whole wide world, a whole natural pharmacy out there that is so abundant that we can really tap into and utilize. So that's what I strongly urge people to do is take their health back into their own hands and figure out how to heal themselves or improve themselves or even connect with nature. Because I feel like sometimes we, you know, we get our feet in the ground and we we feel that Mother Earth is good and she is awesome and has so much to give, but um giving an opportunity to give back and that starts with appreciation and gratitude and recognizing what she has to offer. So that's exciting that we live in a time to share this information and spread the love. And that's been my divine mission and purpose and what I feel so called to do here today as I hold this sweet little uh flower. Uh, does anyone know what she is called or what this is? You have seen it everywhere. It lines a lot of the gardens because it keeps away pests. They do not like the smell or the taste of it, and sometimes it's called merigold or pot calendula. So it is part of the Astra Cash family, which is like the daisy family that has over thousands of different varieties in it, but all of them kind of helping with the same thing. This is a marigold, friends. I know a lot of you probably recognize it and know the name because it is wildfully abundant, although it is an annual, so you have to plant it every year. You just see it so much in gardens because of the pest deterrent. But marigold is blowing my mind. I thought it was just a flower, right? I thought it was just a pest deterrent. I thought, you know, it was sure as pretty. She's she's got a wonderful array of colors ranging from yellows, oranges, and reds. But I never knew the medicinal properties of Marigold until I delved down deep and explored what she haul has to offer. And it's really just truly amazing that this plant, this flower that we look at and gaze upon, uh, but never really come to realize its full potential. And I feel like I can relate to that, right? You know, you just sometimes you just don't realize your full potential until you know. And that's what we pray about, is that we can all realize our full potential and let our love light shine, all for his glory, of course. But marigolds, ah my goodness, it is calendula officiinalis. So its Latin name has calendula right in it, which tells you it's part of the calendula family. Now you hear a lot more about calendula because calendula is a is used in a variety of topicals that we use, if shall you choose to forgo the natural route. Calendula is an excellent ointment and helps heal wounds as it's a mic antimicrobial, but it'll also help relieve muscle spasms and prevent hemorrhaging. But you don't always bundle marigold in with the calendula family. But if you just look at the Latin name, you'll see for yourself that it is part of that same family and therefore shares some of those same healing properties. It has a long history as a healer. As a matter of fact, a lot of people would reference it as the golden healer. When I think of like the golden healer, I have thought of the golden milk made with turmeric root, but not never heard Marigold reference as the golden healer. So I just feel like it's wild that it has this name. And it's called Mary's Gold because back in the day, people would put this flower at the feet of Mary at that altar, Virgin Mary, in place of gold coins. So that's pretty wild that that it's if its name has any testament or testimony to its use. This is a very valuable plant ally for people to utilize. The it is known as the pot marigold, and the Christians used to place it at the Virgin Mary, which is wild. But also, I feel like it's a Mexican marigold or tarchetes erecttica, as is used a lot in the Day of the Dead. The Dia de los Muertos. They put it at the gravesites of their past loved ones. Funny that we should talk about this today with Kelly's loved one passing on into the altar, into the next life. Because if it's vibrant color and its fragrance, it's musky fragrance, it's believed to guide the spirits of loved ones from the graveyard to the family altar. So giving the notion that they smell this and they'll come back to the altar and visit their loved ones for a hello because Lord knows we need them and we miss them, and we go to their altar to bring back those memories, and the marigolds can help to assist in that process. So it's a culinary, uh it has culinary uses. Did you know that you could put this in your salad? You could eat the petals. So it's an edible flour. I've never eaten marigold before, but I can't say that anymore. It's absolutely delicious and nutritious. And a lot of times they'll use these petals as a cheap substitute for saffron in color broths, soups, stews, and cheese. Or they're, you know, simply added to dishes for the color because it is beautiful and vibrant. They uh the in the past, people have used this for toothaches and eyesores and fevers, and they can strengthen the heart exceedingly, which is interesting. Uh which is uh was claimed in the astrological herbalism. Um but folklore often associated the marigold with protection, which is why, which is interesting that we would put it by the gravesites, thinking that our loved ones are always our angels and kind of looking over us. But it was even optimistically suggested as a preventative treatment against plague in Europe. Also, it's sacred in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. They it would they would call it the flower of 400 lives and associated with the sun and used in religious and ritual ritualistic practices. So wild that it is so plentiful and it has all this meaning behind it that I never really thought twice about. But this pot marigold, calendula officialis, has a lot of benefits to it that can help you in your everyday life due to its powerful compounds. It has triterpenoids and flavonoids that are the workhorses of calendula that makes it anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. So it helps reduce inflammation, which so many Americans suffer from, and it helps fight off free radicals, which are everywhere and in everything it seems that we eat nowadays. So what a great plant ally. Also, it's kerotenoids, lutein and zeoxithin are critical for your eye health. So it's kind of interesting because some might even think that it, you know, with his textures and ruffles, it could even look like an eye with the inside and the pupil. And the iris could be use that doctrine to signatures, which is interesting. So for the wound healing and skin repair, is with that anti-inflammatory and volunteer healing properties and helps stimulate tissue regeneration, which is really interesting. So a lot of people will put it in as a salve or an ointment for minor cuts, scrapes, burns, rashes, insect bis, and post-radiation dermatitis in cancer patients. Also, it is anti-inflammatory because of those triterpenoids that we talked about, which can help reduce redness and swelling. And people use it in the creams too, like for conditions like eczema and internal preparations to soothe inflammation inside. Who would have thought? It's also antimicrobial, antifungal. It can fight against bacteria and fungi, and it can be used for athlete's foot and other fungal, minor fungal infections. I think I'm gonna make a topical with this. But not only that, I might make a tea because as a tea infusion, it helps soothe the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, helping with mild gastritis, ulcers, and general stomach discomfort. And gargling, it can treat sore throats and mouth ulcers. Wow. I think it would make a wonderful tea. Although it does seem a little bitter, so I might put another sweetener in there to help it go down a little bit. But I think that people will specifically grow Marigold to help harvest the lutein and hexanathon, which helps with your eye health, instead of taking modern-day health supplements. So it's a great natural alternative to help you see. I see, said the blind man. Ah, I just was really excited about learning about all the health benefits of this overlooked flower. And often we thought just used in landscaping. So in spirit of the day of the dead, I harvested a bunch of the marigolds and filled up a paper bag with them, took them home and strung them on fishing line. And I made a wonderful garland, which I think is awesome for fall because you know it can decorate my house with these beautiful coloring. It gives you a total fall vibes. And it's a great way to dry it. So then when they are done drying on this garland, I can then preserve it for the winter time when I want a nice merigold tea to help me with my sacral and solar plexus. I just think that with its coloring, you know, with the red, with your heart, the aching heart, in the yellow area for your digestion, which is your solar plexus, your I am center, and then all the way down to the orange that's present in here for your creative solar plexus. I feel like, oh excuse me, I solar and sacral of flow. I just think it's really interesting that even just the colors kind of play to what it can help with and like what part, what systems in your body. So I think it's just wonderful that this is so abundant and grows so freely with just being able to water, water it and plant and put the seeds in the ground. And think of how much it could help you in your everyday life. So if you have access to Marigolds, now is the time to harvest these babies and you can even get crafty with them and create something really cool that can make you smile and knowing that you're utilizing this plant medicine in how many different ways. And maybe you could even share with a friend or a family member that you know, that you think of when you're working with this flower. I think sometimes we got to trust our intuition and those thoughts will come, and you'll be like, ah, my mom would really benefit from this. Let me make her a wonderful tea. As a matter of fact, you might want to go sit down next to your mom and have tea with her and talk about the future plans or in the good old days and kind of connect the dots that way. Because no better time than the presence to connect with our loved ones. So we don't have to wait till Dia de los muertos to uh be able to communicate with them. We can do it right here and right now. I just think that marigold is one of the most well-known and versatile herbs in Western herbal medicine. And they're an excellent excellent remedy for inflamed and angry skin. So think of not just calangula, think of marigolds too, when you have skin conditions and want to make an awesome topical for your family. It could be really, really cool. It's also a really good cleanser and detoxifying herb. So make that infusion, that that herbal tea, or you could even tincture this and use it in the winter then too to treat uh chronic infections. Ah, yes, the the constituents in here with the triterpenes, the resins, the volatile oils, the flavonoids, mucilage, keratins can all help with the anti-inflammatory, muscle spasms, astringent, preventing hemorrhagen, heal wounds, antimicrobial, detoxifying, and mildly estrogenic. So I just love the antifungal properties, antibacterial, antiviral. It's just super effective for cuts, wounds, varicose veins, and other skin conditions, digestion, detoxifying, and reduce pain during menstruation, even.

unknown: 17:32

What?

SPEAKER_00: 17:33

I just love it. I also think that it is important to recognize that I am pulling some of this information from this wonderful Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. And I was opening this book not expecting to find Marigold, honestly. But then here it was. And I was like, whoa. So it's not just another pretty flower. I feel like nature continues to show up and show out and blow my mind every single time. And it's so lovely. So if you haven't planted or don't have access to it, don't overlook it when you want to plant your garden next year, as it will help ward off any pests as well. Thank you, sweet Marigold. And it was crazy because as I was opening up this book, I came across this, which is actually one of my friend Patty Stimmel's God Rest Her Soul, uh, eulogy cards. And yeah, she lived a very wild and vibrant life. And I would like to say that even though it's roses on here, she was like a marigold. I feel like she was zesty. She uh was always so giving and sharing and generous. And on the back it says, I am free. I'd like to share this with Sweet Sunshine too, as she's going through the grieving process for her family. Don't grieve for me, for now I am free. I'm following the path that God laid for me. I took his hand when I heard his call. I turned my back and left it all. I could not stay another day to laugh, to love, to work, or to play. Tap tasks undone may stay that way. I found that peace at that close of day. If my parting has left a void, then fill it with remembered joy. A friendship shared, a kiss, a laugh. Ah, yes, these things I too will miss. But be not burdened with times of sorrow. I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow. My life's been full, I've savored much. Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch. Perhaps my time seemed all too brief. Don't lengthen it now with undue grief. Lift up your hearts and share with me. God wanted me now, He set me free. I feel like we've seen this a lot when we've experienced loss, this I'm free poem. And it's again another reminder that you know, nothing is guaranteed. Each live each day as if it was your last. That's why I'm on here on this podcast. I said, Oh, I can't stop, won't stop. Too legit to quit. I'm gonna live this day and share my gifts. And it's a beautiful, wonderful thing. Thank you, sweet Patty Feltus Demo, for reminding us of that. And Ken, God rest his soul as we pray for sunshine through her healing process. And may she know that Ken is free, and so are we. Uh, we are free the day that we chose to believe in our salvation and our good Lord, and know that we live in an eternal life. So we got a lot of work to do, and one of that is the sharing. So take it all in balance with a strong and sweet and humble heart. We could take good care of one another while we have the time in the right here and the right now. I just I think a lot of times we get wrapped up in the day-to-day and what we have to do instead of what we get to do. And by doing, we forget about being. And so just be. Just breathe. Be here now. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing. And speaking of being here now, I have some updates on the cannabis front. There was a bill that was proposed and it was not passed, but it was to ban THCA, which indeed is illegal here to grow in Wisconsin, which is crazy to think that, you know, no cannabis for any medicinal or recreational use is allowed here, except for the exception of hemp, when some places have been legal since 2008. And over 40 different states, 40 states are medicinally legal for the for patients to use cannabis. And I think 25, so half of the United States is using cannabis recreationally. But it really kind of well, before I get into what the what my journey and path has led me on, I wanted to just put out there in the universe where I stand about the THCA. We see it all over now in Wisconsin. Anyone with a seller's permit can actually sell THCA. Where any of the THCA is coming from, God only knows because it's not coming from here in Wisconsin, because it again, it is illegal to grow. So people, you know, like like us have partner farm relationships where we're able to source our organically grown THCA, but that's not always the case with all the companies. I do on the bright side, I love that THCA is accessible for people that are looking for that high, that escape, if you will. Now we're seeing it in a ton of beverages and different edibles, and even in some topicals, they're putting it in everything, but I really think it's altering the perception and the perspective of how we're viewing cannabis. I just want to let it be known that THCA is one, the precursor to THC, and it is just one single cannabinoid available in the cannabis plant, which has over a hundred different cannabinoids. So, yes, you are getting high legally, and that is a step in the right direction. And I love that people are becoming more open and accepting of that, but you are not getting the full experience, the full joy, the full uplifting effect that cannabis has to offer. Because if you think about the entourage effect and all of the cannabinoids working together in their natural synergistic fashion, that's really how nature intended the plant to be, not these isolated single compound cannabinoids. So just keep that in mind as you're consuming these products, that you are consuming the product just for the high and not so much for the healing. Which so when it comes to the ban for Wisconsin for the THCA, I think it would close that loophole and people would no longer be able to operate in that gray area. And which has left a lot of people, including myself, scratching our heads about what we're even doing here and how this isn't legal already. I say just legalize it already. My goodness, the genie is out of the bottle. There is scientific studies and research proven on how cannabis can help improve the quality of life and bring balance to both you and I. But God has proven to me again that I am missing the point of the opportunity that is right here, right now, of so much what I've talked about, about being here now. And that is that it's not about the high, it's about the healing. Yes, yes, call me crazy. But this plant has so much more to offer because she is the queen herb and the master healer, the master conductor of all your other operating systems. Because in cannabis has a rich concentration of phytocannabinoids, which, when consumed, are speaking directly to your endocannabinoid system, which is your master conductor, your operating system that oversees all your other bodily functions, from your neurological systems to your endocrine systems to your digestive systems, all of it is bring uh balanced from your endocannabinoids, which we produce endo within ourselves. And these phynocannabinoids supplement your endocannabinoid system. And they all kind of have this mode of communication, a lock-in-key method, if you will, where it could say that each part of your body needs a little extra help. So I'm a big proponent of leveling the playing field. And if we are going to allow people to get high here legally, they should be able to grow it. Free the flower. So one of our senators gave passed on the proposed marijuana legalization bill that they will be releasing here in the next couple of weeks. And I was reading through it and just shaking my head and just really just it just becomes a bit disheartening. And I know to have faith over fear, and everything's going according to plan, and day by day, not my plan. I get, I, I told, I totally embody all of that. And I really have to remind myself that as I is is is my natural response to be disheartened. But it seems like with this flower, with this plant, and I'm talking about cannabis, they just want more and more regulation to go along, more hoops to jump, and really making it impossible for the small hobby pharmaceutic, for the small business to even compete with these huge corporations that can afford the license fee, which they're saying it should be$10,000, the testing fees, which you have to get tested before the as the flower and the afters for the finished product, maybe I should open open up a testing company because it seems like there might be a more profitable route to go. And also like the Bureau of marijuana regulation and all these hoops and obstacles that patients are going to have to jump through to get access to this medicine. And I just feel like with the 40 other states where the medical marijuana is legalized and 25 of the states that it's for recreational, we could really adopt a better system and allow people at least let them have the option to grow their own. If they want to, you should be able to grow your own herbs, really. I feel like all of this is just grasping at control, which for a millennia now, people have had their own systems. You know, I've never had a problem get sourcing my plant medicine. I feel like people are using it regardless of this regulation. So as much as I feel like regulation is necessary so we can ensure that the consumers are getting the best products, I do think there is a better way to help spread the buck per se. And I think that's gonna start with going full wreck and oh, I'm getting a buzzing feedback. Oh, here we go. And allowing people to grow their own flower to the people. I feel like all these extra hoops and bounds are just gonna trip people up. And it's not for Wisconsin. It's not for Wisconsin farmers at that point. It's not for our agricultural benefit. It's really for big pharma to still maintain control and find a way to mess it up somehow. I feel like standardizing this herb is just not an option. The the pill bill that they proposed just totally turns me off because it's just the that's not how nature wants it to be working with single isolated compounds just so it can be standardized. I feel like people allowing people the freedom to create, discover, and explore with the herb on their own on our own accord is gonna be the best route for us. So stay tuned about the proposed. Medical marijuana. I am still combing through the 70-page referendum of what this all entails. But as I delve deeper, I will have a lot of faith that everything is going according to plan. And when I sat with that, so I recently announced or put out there publicly that I have been alcohol free for the last two years of my life. I've found myself when talking with people about my decision to quit consuming alcohol. People would be like, are you like totally you're not sober? Like, are you totally sober? And I'm like, well, I guess no, I'm not. I'm not totally sober. I still am California sober, in which I still use cannabis. And so, you know, I had to like be like, no, yeah, I'm I'm not sober. I I still use cannabis, which has been a wonderful plant ally, and taking nothing away from her. But as I recently had finished the Bible also front to back, I read the greatest book of all time, the Old Testament and the New Testament. It took me about two years. So about the time that I went sober and decided made the conscious decision to give up alcohol, I also finished reading the Bible, which is really eye-opening. And I really took my time with the Bible and I didn't rush through it. And I just kind of tried to read a chapter a day, which took about two or three minutes, and and worked it into my morning meditation practice. And it really seemed to work with me, along with, you know, talking with my peers and attending church and trying to like in the information gathering phase, I guess you will. And in that two-year journey, I've I am on fire for God. I'm on fire for Jesus. I in there it's so much be Fisher's a men, scotal on the mountain, spread the joy, spread the good word. And I've like personally made that my mission, but I couldn't help but see on there so much that it wants you to be of sober mind. Of sober mind. And as I was explaining my California sober sobriety to people, I realized that I am using the alternative substances to not be to alter my psychoactive consciousness. So upon finishing the Bible on the yesterday, I read the last chapter and made the announcement online as I was really proud of myself because it has been a really big accomplishment and an excellent journey that as I live in awe and wonder. I've also made the conscious decision to stop using any of the mind-altering substances like THC or THCA. So I have to just laugh. I was like, oh my god, Ashley, Bubbles, the answer has been here for me this entire time. It's right there in front of my face of how to be of sober mind, and that is through hemp. So I just go back right to square one. I feel like I've resisted it. I have resisted just using hemp for so long. I feel like I always wanted that gas. I always wanted that THC. And even last week, I I was still eating my edibles, eating my gummy gummies of the THC. But something switched for me in this last in this last week upon the completion and the celebration of finishing the Bible and the two-year sobriety. And I'm gonna give it a go. I don't know where I'm going with it. Okay, I might quit smoking weed for or I don't smoke weed because it upsets my tummy strangely. I'd eat it, which doesn't upset my tummy, strangely enough. Really that. But I know hemp certainly doesn't do either of those things if I smoke it or eat it. So it really just, it's my body telling me what is for me, what is good. And I'm excited for this journey. I've been marijuana, you know, cannabis user, just putting it out there for the better part of my life, for more than half of my life. And I would go on and off, off again, but it was never like a conscious decision. So this time it's different. This time it's different for me. I want to kind of push it. And it would like just when I quit drinking, quit using alcohol, I didn't know when, how, how long I would do it for. I didn't know, I didn't have all answers. I just said, hey, this isn't serving me anymore. I'm kind of done. Um, I I wonder what that looks like. Now I wonder what this, what my new life looks for me not using marijuana. So wish me luck. I've I don't know where I'm going. I don't know how long. Heck, I could have a moment of weakness and eat a gummy tomorrow. But I think it's I think the urge has been calling me down this path for some time. You know, in my world, um, marijuana maybe isn't legal. In my world, okay, this might sound selfish and I don't mean it to be this way, but maybe marijuana isn't legal for me because it's it's the Lord's way of saying like you've you've had hemp this whole time. Like, use that plant medicine. It's not gonna alter your mind. It's really for your health benefit. Practice what you preach. I feel like this whole time, it's like really giving me the opportunity to work with the plant, respect hemp and all of his intended purposes, and know that it is about the healing and not about the high and how to best communicate that with my community has been a real, has been a struggle for me because I feel like in intrinsically, I know that it's good. Intrinsically, I know the health benefits because I've experienced them, but I feel like it's also been in conjunction with THC. And I feel like he's giving me such a wonderful opportunity to really get to really get to know hemp on an intimate level without its twisted sister, cousin, friend, marijuana, and see how hemp can help my life without altering my mind. So I'm gonna stay strong. I'm gonna stay vigilant, and with your grace and mercy, I might be irritable at some point in my time. I my moods might seem to fluctuate a little bit more, but maybe not because I think hemp is really it. I feel like I have now just arrived to this, to this sober mindset, this sober mentality of not having to use any mind alterer, altering substance and and prep and put my put my money where my mouth is and and know that it is really just it is about the healing. And so I am as of 10 125, I shall forgo this journey of no longer altering my state of mind, whether it just be from this plant genetics, and really truly learn to appreciate hemp and knowing that she is enough, and that she is worthy and she is capable, and I am worthy, and I am capable, and I am enough just as I am, and and and I am exactly where I need to be. And I hate to share sunshine's news, but in lieu of her absence, it's pretty wild because her and I have been kind of off on our own, like side quests and missions, and we haven't had an opportunity to connect. Well, we did this week as we were at the farm and kind of rehashing our weekend and what all transpired. And I told her about my epiphany upon, you know, finishing the Bible and upon this meditation and what that all means to me and how I want to move forward and how I want to show up in this world. She like looked at me with these eyes and she's like, I cannot believe you're saying this right now. And I'm like, why, what, why, why? She goes, I quit smoking uh marijuana for two weeks now. And I was like, Whoa. Because it was I who quit drinking and she followed two weeks after. So I feel like this is like flip-flop, fight versa. And I feel like, not to share her news, I don't mean to, but she has been using, uh she's older than me, so she's been using longer than I have. And for her and I just to be vibing on that level was pretty eye-opening. I was like, wow, sister, wow. Like, you can't make this up. And it, you know, if if it were, if someone were to have told me, like, hey, Ashley, you have to quit smoking marijuana. Like if I had a job or something like that that drug tested me, or if my my husband told me, or like, you know, nobody likes to be told what to do. I don't, it's it for what I'm saying is that it is my own conscious decision to want to be of sober mind so I can be of best service to you. And that's my whole reason why. I don't want to miss a thing. I don't want to miss a beat. I want to feel all the feels. I want to be true and step into my own power as my and show up as my authentic self and not altered by any mind-altering substance. So I feel like slowly but surely I'm shedding away what no longer serves me. I am like shedding the layers, right? And and sharing them with you. So again, thank you so much for being on this journey with me. I feel like it's been a really big eye-opener of uh reading the Bible. And I feel like a lot of the times, you know, the Bible is just misinterpreted, misconstrued. You want to think it was written in Hebrew thousands of years ago and interpreted how many different times? Uh, but it's such a lovely, and there's a lot of hearsay, different interpretations from friends, family that are melding in with their experiences and what and what they know. But I think the Bible is just such a solid foundation to read and start with because really they say that the people that wrote the Bible, the priests and and the monks and and everyone who had a hand in it, it is like breathed out by God. It was there, they were the scribe, and that was God's word. So to have that's a reference back to, and I don't know, I could probably Google how many times in there it said be of sober mind, but I it was a lot. I want to say if I had to take a guess, I would say over 24 times. 24 hemp day. It's also really strange how much 2.4 or 24 is referenced in the Bible because oddly enough, that is National Hemp Day. And also 42, which is like the the stoner day too, a 420. How much though that numerology is mentioned in the Bible? And every time I would like highlight it and like like put a draw an arrow to it in the Bible, like, oh my gosh, like it's all connected, and you just really can't make this stuff up. Come on, like also, too. I think when I end this, I will be looking up how many times Sub Sobermind is mentioned. If it's 24, oh my gosh, like whoa, whoa, whoa. But also how many times the numerology two four and four two is mentioned in the Bible because it's all out there and it's all so true and so worthy and so awesome. And I highly encourage you to read the Bible for yourself. Quit quit listening to to what everyone else has to say or have to think about it. It's really your own spiritual journey. And if you just take a couple minutes out of your day to strengthen that relationship, strengthen that foundation, and read it from the breath of life, from his Holy Spirit for yourself. And you can come up with your own assumptions and buckle up buttercup because it's gonna be a wild bride. His purpose, his plan. And we are just here. I just constantly am in prayer just to be his hands and feet. And when I do pray, and there is no wrong way to pray, I just ask for, you know, how I can be of best service and how I can be his hands and feet. And it he keeps relaying the message to me with my degree in my bachelor's degree in communication and my dig my master's degree in herbalism to keep sharing the good message about his gifts, nature's gifts. So I just couldn't be more excited to be here now and in appreciation of the hemp that we are growing. We've had a wonderful year on the farm for our UW Madison test plot. The UW Madison sent us a variety of different genetics, all regionalized here in Wisconsin. And we are sending in samples and pictures and being on-the-ground botanists about what we think about the germination and the maturity and pest resistance and mold resistance and all this, sending this information to UW Madison so they can compile it so we can grow the best weed ever because Wisconsin is built to do so in the land of agriculture. Anywho, it's been really fun to work with those genetics, and the buds are beautiful and bountiful, and they are ready for harvest. So we put out there like, come on, come all to all of the people that are vendors and retailers that we work with. They're like, come on out and check these plants out. And some people have taken us up on it. I just gave sweet Kayla from Needed Paws Massage a farm tour this morning, and she was in awe and wonder of the nature. And while she was here, I had a praying mantis land right on my hip. And I was like, whoa, if that isn't crazy, praying mantis, praying mantis, and I bet that's very symbolic. And I'm also gonna do my research upon the symbolism behind that godly creature. It looked like an alien, it looked like something out of this world. It was so wild. And what did you roll in? Robe dobie, meh yam, meh yam yam yam. Oh goodness. She's like, what, mom? I did nothing of this sort. Oh, you're getting a bath tonight. You're a stinky. Uh but Kayla came out asking all the good questions, um, wanting to know source origins. And she uses the balm as an add-on in her massages, and her guests just absolutely love it for you know, the their pain, for their inflammation, for any of their skin conditions, just to even relax. So I love that she has been offering our balm for years now, and to be able to connect with her in person face-to-face on the farm and show her our works has been amazing. I'm a proud plant, mama. I also, speaking of harvest and on the farm, this year my husband Dan planted a little less than 10 acres. We intended to grow for biomass, hemp CBD biomass, in which we had a connection with a contract grow where we were guaranteed a price point per percentage per pound. And not our plan. It didn't work out as planned. We got the plants in really late in the season. First of all, my husband had to special order an implement that would plant all of the seeds, special for that size of seed and the row spacing that we needed. And it was a custom order and quite a sizable investment, but smart investment because he can always trade it in and use it for his contractor business for like a skid loader or whatever else he needs. Yeah, he always needs more, more, more for his for building homes and and beyond. But, anyways, so smart investment, right? And there's a little holdup with that and a little holdup with the seed. So we finally got into the ground really late this season. I think it was like July, right? Like a middle of July. And I feel like the weed pressure just took over, and there will be no hemp harvest for biomass. I could go around and like clip some colas because they are looking rather healthy and green and vibrant out there when the time is ready, but nothing will be harvested for sale, and nothing for biomass, and we're not even getting it tested this season. Seems like a shame, but you know, fortune does not favor, fortune favors the bold and brave. So I give him kudos for even planting that field of dreams in hopes that we could get a contract buyer to secure a price for the hemp that we for the premium sun-grown organic hemp that we grow. It's all step by step and day by day. So it was not a failure, but it's definitely not what we anticipated and intended. Although the plants that are there look, like I said, rather healthy from having no like nutrient regimen, no watering program schedule. So it is what it is. So buttons on your underwear. It's we will, I wonder, I'm curious what Dan the Man will do next year. Will he purchase more seed to plant in the ground much earlier? Maybe we can evade the weed pressure. Maybe there is a cover crop that we can sow before the winter that will help help die down the weed pressure. I don't know all those answers, but I know Danny always trusts, you know, men are so intuitive, and he's a doer. He's definitely a generator. So I feel like he just gets in there and and gets after it, which I absolutely love and adore about him. He gets it done. So I'm curious to see what his next course of action will be. And I'm on standby waiting for the good word to tell me how I can be of best service in that production. But it was cool showing Kayla like the vision and where where we started of like having grown 10 acres before a full heel field and yield of beautiful hemp that you know plants over six feet tall and six feet wide just mother plants. But that's when we had weed barrier and drip line irrigation. So, you know, and also, you know, explaining this process to sweet Kayla and for the needed pause massage and knowing that uh how hard it is to work. Like nothing worthwhile is ever easy. So I guess uh people that first started growing hemp thought that you know you would be in and out and you'd make a quick buck and you're gonna be millionaires overnight with just like the harvest, but definitely not the case and not true. It is takes a the entrepreneurial spirit and the ingenuity mindset to really get out here and get after it. And look how few of us hemp farmers are left out here. That's why I love being a part of the U.S. hemp roundtable because it is really connecting and networking with farmers and seeing how we can further along the hemp industry. Again, another reminder from God that I have to be here now and really appreciate hemp for what it is and use those networking connections and skills to better our farming operation here because there's still a ton of potential and there it just has yet to be realized. So I surrender. I surrender. I will do, I will live in the moment and do what is necessary and what he asks. And I make sure I keep my crown chakra open and my penal gland shined up so I can download these insights and hear, hear his voice as he keeps telling me to share. Because Sharon is Karen. Mm-hmm. Indeedy. So in lieu of like having farm visits and people wanting to come witness it, some people had seen the live flower for the first time that had never seen a live living plant. They've only seen dried buds. So that was really cool to see the reactions of people being like, oh my gosh, it always is every time. And cannabis always has the wow factor, and I absolutely love that about her. But we have had our testing is done. Um, so we're just wrapping up our harvest here with our test plot for the UW Madison extension. And that was with sweet Dustin that came out and he is certified through the USDA to come test out the plants and make sure they are in that 0.3% compliance. So we can, you know, we can indeed make use of these plants legally and follow all the rules, regulations, and guidelines and through the USDA. So that was wonderful to kind of get the testing done and scheduled and into the lab so we can get the green light and go ahead and harvest this crap and make good use of it. Also, I called my wonderful and beautiful photographer friend Miss Autumn from Hey, it's me fall it's Hey, it's me Fall Marie on Instagram and Facebook. She has a photography company and does excellent work. She is a proponent of HAP and loves working with it, loves picturing it as she photographs so well. So it was really cool to meet up with her and kind of have like-minded people share ideas on how we can best portray these beautiful products in with the living, the live, living bud so people can kind of connect the dots that, like, hey, this is just an herb. Like, this is an herb. This is this is something that you I can grow in my garden, you can grow in your garden, and together we can have a garden and you know, share phenotyp together. Or, you know, like clone, you clone a plant, I'll clone a plant. It should really just be that simple. Let's quit overcomplicating it. And of course, two, in lieu of, you know, the harvest, I did want to quickly, I realized I didn't show this before. It is the marigolds that we I put in the dehydrator to kind of preserve that vibrant and beautiful color. So not only did I make a garland, but we're preserving the marigolds. So I have some for the winter, but kind of reaping the bountiful harvest of that beautiness. And on the first two, I know I was supposed to open the box, but each season I get a seasonal self-care box from Sienna Moon from Grace and Michelle, the beauties over there that offer crystals and other high-vibing healing in their shop in Pewkey, Wisconsin. And I love how intentional their seasonal self-care boxes are. I opened, I had the joy and pleasure of opening mine up yesterday. I waited until October. It felt like a suiting suiting time since I missed the new moon and the autumn equinox opening. But I just absolutely loved it. I'm so excited to work with some of the things in there. I'm wearing one of the bracelets that they had sent in. And I just love the red garnet and the energy that that kind of helps promote of the grounding and the rooting and season of the witch. And so it's like the, you know, you think of a witch and not only for like the October, like put a spell on you, but like also like the Green Witch, right? Of like herbal remedies and working with the land. And, you know, that's thought to be like the hoodoo voodoo kind of vibe, but nothing to be scared of. The Green Witch is just an herb, herbaceous babe working with her buds and sharing with her loved ones. Nothing to be scared of there. So I always get the song in my head where it's like, must be the season of the witch. Yow! That's a good one. Uh, but I love that they like encompass that in the self-care box. And in the self-care box has all these different supplemental uh tools and supplies to help with your prayer journey and your mindful meditations that you can, you know, kind of drop into and do breath work and meditation and journaling to help you live your best life. So it's really a box of self-care in there. I also had a flame, carnelian flame tower that was sent in there that I absolutely love. It has my whole heart. I know Carnelian, like representing the heart and the flame, and I just immediately like looped it back to the fire that I have for, you know, being a Christian and wanting to share the good news of our salvation and eternal life. So I was like, yeah, see, they like felt these vibes and connected and throw it down. And hey, it is what you make of it, right? Like to each their own. Like that's some of what that was my experience, and you know, in in what I was thinking, but that's doesn't mean that's what you have to think or what you would get out of the box. Is I think it's really personal journey. And when you open the box, is what you it's life is what you make it. So it is whatever you want it to be. You got to use your imagination and tapping into that is art in and of itself. So thank you so much, Grace and Michelle from Siena Moon, for sending out that seasonal self-care box. I really feel the high vibration and intention that you're putting off into the universe. It is heard and felt, and and and with a grateful heart, I say thank you. Thank you so much for taking the time to give me that extra nourishment that I need in this time of harvest, where I feel like I'm running around like a wild woman, you know, trying to work with nature, not against her, and reap those harvests and all in faith in lieu of reciprocity and being able to give back. So I feel like my way of giving back is by using my throat chakra and my communication skills to be able to portray these messages to people that might not know, even if it is for a minute or two, just to kind of energy zap invite you to hopefully inspire you to get out there and um get connected in one way or another, whether it be with the source spirit of divine, whether it be with Mother Earth and all of her super awesome gifts and the ether and everywhere in between, or connect with your grandmother before it's Dia de los Muertos, because learning from our past, learning from our ancestors, and paying homage and gratitude. That is something that we talked about a lot in this podcast. And, you know, paying tribute to what is already known and and and with a bright future of what is to come and kind of speaking that into existence. So I just love the tools in that box to be able to connect with that energy and help get through it. Get through it step by step, day by day. Lord, I pray. And some other things in this bountiful harvest season on the farm has been the food preservation. I actually got a big bag of tomatoes, a half peck of tomatoes. I don't know if I'm saying that right, but a half a peck, a half a bushel. And did some canning. I just think I can see why ladies get hooked on canning and this food preservation. It's just wonderful because it's like you know where that came from. You know you grew that tomato. You have that ether connection with that tomato and all the tomatoes that it takes. And then pouring your love and pouring your energy and time and investing in yourself in that manner and in the highest regard that you are vibrating at that level where you want to know your source of your food and where it's coming from and how it is being processed and preserved, and having that connection to the food over the winter is something that'll nourish my soul up until spring when we can start doing it all over again. So I just want to say thank you so much for that time and that energy and that that bountiful tomato harvest to be able to can that. I got 10 quarts out of uh the half a peck or the half a bushel of tomatoes, and I'm looking to get another one. I'm so excited. Another great place if you don't have the tomatoes is to connect at a local farmer's market because Lord knows they got tomatoes coming out of their owls and they're practically giving them away right now for the prices that they're they're selling and making sure that they're organic. And having that conversation with Glenn, the farmer, and saying, Hey, like how did you grow these? Or like what does that look like? What herbicides, pesticides, if any, have you used? And being able to like connect on that level and get those answers so you can feel really good about what you're canning for to feed your family is something just so rewarding in and of itself. And I'm hooked. I'm obsessed. Like, I'm gonna start pressure canning everything and anything, and I just need more time in the day because like again, nature does not wait on you, she just keeps on, keeping on, and a good testament about what we should be doing too. Don't wait on anyone else, count it in, count it in all for yourself to get it done, and don't just talk about it. Be about it and you know, give yourself a lot of grace and a lot of mercy. Like you're gonna mess it up, you're gonna make mistakes, you're not gonna do it right the first time, but at least you did it, right? At least you're trying. You are in the arena. So for all the people that are out there, you know, poking fun of whoever, or make you know, trying to bring other people down, laughing at other people for what they're trying and their failures and their miscomings, like, you know what? Get in the arena and then talk about it and then and then be that person. You know, I just like really want to challenge, you know, people that do have that negativity to put out in the world to like maybe channel that negativity into positivity and speak that into existence and get in that arena and get right in there instead of being a criticizer, because we all know that we're our own worst critics, right? We're already doing it to ourselves. Don't be nobody needs to kick you when you're down. You just kind of have to just take that into accord before you speak something into existence and know that your tongue is like your magic wand, and whatever you're saying out of your tongue is gonna come true. So I want it to come true for to for hemp to be realized to its full potential that it is about the healing, not about the high, and that it will give you a sober mind so you don't have to live in a fog or in an alternative universe where you need any kind of substance to live your best life. You can truly just bring that balance in by utilizing nature at her finest, and that is a sun-grown organic plant sunness. Uh, but I do hope that when it comes to cannabis, people will be given the freedom of choice on either whether they want to grow their own plant medicine, whether they want where they want to source their plant medicine, how they want to use their plant medicine, who they can share their plant medicine with. All of that should be freedom to choose and discover, create, and explore on your own without having to ask permission. Because it's already yours. It's already yours, it's already written. Oh, one more thing that I have to share with you. And honestly, it was a pretty wild experience. So I'll try to make a long story short. It always ends up being a long story long, but here we go. So we had a dwarf hamster. Her name was Strawberry, and we lost her a couple times in the house, but we found her. So we did it by like turning off all the lights and busting out a flashlight. Like one of the kids like spotted her from across, and we were able to find her underneath the couch. The other time we like got it all quiet and listened, and I could hear her like scratching around at something, and I was able to find her that way. But then Nixon and I what decided that it'd be fun to make an obstacle course for the hamster. So we did. We made like a little cardboard box. We like cut out all these like little pieces that the hamster could climb up on and climb, climb down on and climb through. And Danny had to leave to go take care of an errand, and he's like, Now don't take your eyes off that hamster, you guys. Like, they're fast. And Nixon and I looked at each other, we're like, Oh, we're we're totally gonna keep an eye on this hamster. Like, yeah, it's fine. And so we went to go grab a blanket. Uh it was something so silly. We did we took our eyes off the hamster. And would you believe that hamster got out of the cardboard box? And never to be seen again. And sometimes I swear I hear the hamster scratching around in the walls, and I'm like, strawberry, strawberry, is that you? Strawberry. Rest in peace, strawberry. Lord, rest your soul. I will never know what happened to that sweet girl. Maybe she is leaving the walls, maybe she died a week later. But we left the cage out. We tried to find her with no avail. So just last week, my sweet darling 10-year-old Nixon James was really trying to convince me to get another hamster. He goes, Mama, I'm older now. I I can do it. I can take care of the hamster. I promise, you know, we won't lose her. We're gonna be really vigilant, we're gonna be really responsible. Like, I can I get two? Then she'd have a friend, and and you know, and then I won't have to play, you know, I just won't really want two dwarf hamsters, mom. Can we get another hamster? Well, he almost had me convinced, but then I was like, no, like, no, no, no, no, no, no. We just have a puppy, we have Ruby Doobie. These kids got me taking care of fish. My daughter has a fish, and my son has a frog and two fish. So I'm like, no, like I harvest season, like, no, I have enough to take care of. I'm not even gonna think about getting an hamster right now, okay? Put it to bed. Well, this week was a different story. We were taking our dogs for our nightly walk around our subdivision, and we came across the dogs sniffing this dead mouse in the middle of the road. And it was a mama mouse. I could tell because they had a little baby right next to her, and her like guts were slatted out. The baby mouse was also passed on. And Nixon and I came up to her, like, oh no, no, Mama Mouse passed away. And like, let's say a prayer over her. So, sure enough, we put our hands over it, and Nixon led the prayer. It was the sweetest prayer to God about, you know, may He take care of her and love her, and she's an eternal life, and maybe she'll come back in another way. I don't know, it was a sweet prayer. So sweet. And I absolutely loved it. And so we, okay, prayer said, we said, we keep up, we keep on walking on. Well, a couple steps forward, and we found this tiny little baby mouse. It was still very much alive. You could tell it was like trying to get away. I was like, oh no, the baby mouse. And I like instinctively, you know, instinct instinctively like picked it up and put it in my hand. I'm like, oh my goodness, this sweet little baby mouse. Look at it. Oh, it's so cute. And then we're talking about the baby mouse. Well, the dog was also sniffing another dead mouse along the way. And next to that dead mouse is another alive baby mouse. I was like, oh, look, another one. I went and scooped it up. I'm like, this little sweet little baby mouse. And so I put the baby mouse. Now the baby mouse, there's two baby mice, and they're brother and sister, sister and sister, who knows? And I wrapped them up in my hand and I look at Nixon and his big brown eyes, and I'm like, well, he's like, Well, what do we do, mama? And I was like, oh gosh. And our neighbor rolls up and he's like, ah, toss them in the grass. He's like, forget about them. They're mice. Get rid of it. And I'm like, but they're orphaned. And he's like, ah, roll keeps on rolling. So again, I look at my 10-year-old and I'm like, oh my gosh, babe, what do we do? And he so we were like, well, let's just go put it in the grass. Let's just let nature do its work. We're gonna just go put it in the grass. And we put it in the grass and like look down at these things, and they're clearly not gonna survive in the grass. Like they're orphaned, like there is no, like, the mom's not coming back. Like, she's gone. And I was like, oh my gosh, we can't. Nick said, and he's like, Can we please keep them, Mom? And I was like, Your dad's gonna kill me. And he's like, Let me talk to dad. I'll do the talking, mom. He said it was so cute. I was like, oh my gosh. So sure enough, we bring these two baby mice back to the home. Of course, I have all the things. I have the the hamster home in the house from strawberry. So I'm like, all right. So I'm like, well, now what? Now they're probably hungry, right? So we look up, we call up Friends of Nature and Slinger, and we're like, do you have any kitten formula? Because that's what we've read that they like to eat. So we went and got the kitten formula, started feeding them how we should. It's ended with a brush, like a paintbrush, like put the formula a little warmed up on there, and they'll like suck it off the brush. That's what we're doing. And things were going really good for the last couple days. Like these mice are thriving. And my daughter came home, she absolutely fell in love with these mice. We ended up naming them Raz and berry as for Raspberry and tribute to strawberry, and uh with blue as their middle name. So it's like blueberry, raspberry. But she liked the idea of ras anywho. So they're named, they're like our pets now, right? I feel like initially I had the intention of like nursing the mouse back to like maybe like adolescence and then letting them go, but I was getting used to the idea of keeping these mouse as pets because I actually had two mice as pets, Millie and Tilly, that my friend Lauren gave to me and that she had to surrender. So it kind of like brought me back, and I'm like, I ended up having to surrender them as well. So it was kind of like a wound there. It was like filling a wound that I didn't even know I had, and through these baby mice, and being able to like have that life in my hands and taking care of them and having the kids be involved in that was really special and sweet. Well, today I was having a glorious day. I took the cover off and I had the bottom pan like kind of tucked back, and it there the sun, the sun was coming down on the mice. I was like, oh, this will be nice. It'll keep them nice and warm. These sweet little babies, they love to be warm. And I go outside, I water my flowers. I'm outside watering my flowers. I'm singing. I'm like singing to the Lord. I'm like, ain't nothing gonna steal my joy. Oh no, nothing's gonna steal my joy. Sure, the neighbors could hear me. Whatever. I'm singing, having a glorious time watering my flowers, and I come back in and I check on the mice right away, and there's only one mouse. And I was like, Raz, where are you? And I'm like looking through the cage. Okay, like it's nowhere in there, it's not there. I like turn around, and there is Ripley with it in its mouth. And I was like, No, Ripley! And he like drops the mice, and I like go over to the mouse. I'm like, oh my gosh, Raz. It's like still breathing. So, but it was like gasping, and you could tell it was like a labored breathing. I was like, And I was like, oh my gosh, Raz Barry! And I'm like, oh, so I like like breathing, I'm like breathing, I'm like, like breathing on it, trying to like give us this Holy Spirit, you know, in the breath. I don't know, and saying prayers, and I don't know if it's gonna make it. So that's what I'm going home to right now. Um, stay tuned to see if sweet little Raz is gonna survive. I got used to the idea of having sweet little mice as pets. I mean, why not? What's the difference between a dwarf hamster and a mouse? Like they're both rodents, right? I and I just feel like had a laugh because, you know, I said no to Nixon, and I was like, Nixon, you manifested this. Like you wanted two dwarf hamsters, and you got two baby mice. Speaking about the power of speaking it into existence and manifestations and like God's plan, like he had another plan. Like jokes on me.

unknown: 1:10:26

So God.