Picking and using medicinal plants
The Heilkräuterschule organises a training "Natural Pharmacy in the Garden" which ist open to everyone and teaches seasonal cultivation, harvesting and processing as well as the use of medicinal herbs for a "home pharmacy". The course series is a good combination of theory and practice and shows the different tasks needed for a herb and medicinal plant garden during a whole season. At the same time, the participants can create their own herb garden around their house, put into practice what they have learned and spread the knowledge they have acquired.
Gathering and cultivation of wild plants
Since forever and all over the world, wild plants have been part of the human beings' food and medicine. The picking and growing of wild plants is registered in the Swiss inventory of living traditions by the canton of Valais. Indeed, this activity was still very common until the middle of the 20th century. Since then, the habit has been lost and only a few passionate people are left to share their practical knowledge.
However, the most popular plants are nowadays cultivated and mostly harvested by hand. They bring an additional income to the mountain farmers. Harvesting and picking are regulated in Switzerland by a legal framework to avoid damage to the environment.