About Dr. Jenn:   https://bastyr.edu/people/alumni-faculty/jenn-dazey-nd-rh-ahg   Naturopathic Gardening Book:   http://bookstore.bastyr.edu/products/900-naturopathic-gardening-a-basic-gardening-text-for-students-of-natural-medicine.aspx   Naturopathic Gardening http://learntruehealth.com/naturopathic-gardening/ Have you ever heard of Naturopathic gardening? Chances are, you may not have heard of it or hardly know anything about it. Naturopathic gardening is the practice of growing without the use of chemicals.  But there’s more to Naturopathic gardening.  My guest today, Dr. Jenn Dazey explains why in this episode. Working At A Health Shop Dr. Jenn Dazey recalls that when she was a young kid, her mom would teach classes on wild greens and edible plants. Her student called her mom the edible weed lady rather than calling her a herbalist. When Dr. Jenn Dazey became a teenager, she got a part-time job in a shop, although she didn’t know what the shop was. Working under the table for 5 dollars an hour in Duvall, Washington, Dr. Jenn Dazey learned so much about herbs. It was not long before Dr. Jenn Dazey realized she already acquired quite a bit of knowledge. “I had always wanted to be a doctor and planned to go to formal medical school. But working in that herb shop opened my eyes to the fact that people don’t always agree with mainstream medicine,” said Dr. Jenn Dazey. She adds, “In fact, sometimes people get harmed with surgeries that they didn’t necessarily choose. They end up with associated nerve damage or the toxicity related to medications taken from chronic conditions.” Choosing Bastyr University At a very young age, Dr. Jenn Dazey realized that medical school wasn’t exactly what she was looking for. She wanted to help people. But the herbs, plants, and nutrition spoke to her more strongly than learning just about drugs and formal medical protocols. “When I was looking at different medical schools, somebody came in and asked me what my plans were. They assumed I was going to Bastyr University. When Bastyr moved closer to home in 1996, I took it as a sign and enrolled,” Dr. Jenn Dazey said. Teaching In Bastyr University Dr. Jenn Dazey is currently one of the core faculty of Bastyr University. She has been teaching for 15 years and teaches organic gardening. Organic gardening is parallel to how Naturopathic medicine works. It is also known as Naturopathic gardening. “When you learn how important your gut microflora is to your overall health and well-being, you can understand how important their bacteria, fungi, and soil are to the soil’s well-being. And the ability for the plants to have bioavailable nutrients readily in the soil,” said Dr. Jenn Dazey.  She adds, “When you put the chemicals down, that’s the finished product of the bacterial breakdown of compost. Plants don’t eat compost. They depend on the “gut flora” to process that compost into bioavailable nutrients. Plants take the sun’s energy, carbon, and water. About 75% of that sugar is used as food to maintain the bacteria in the soil.” Builders And Destroyers Dr. Jenn Dazey shares that in her university class, she makes students do an exercise called the Builders and the Destroyers. She divides the room in half and partnerships, and students write a recipe. One is a recipe for destruction. Dr. Jenn Dazey’s students come up with the worse thing they can think of to till the soil. They flip it to the other side of the room, and the Builders have a recipe for rehabilitating that. “You have to be realistic with what zone you’re in and what varieties are worth trying in those zones. Although I’m constantly amazed that seed savers and plant breeders are coming up with new varieties that are adaptive to short seasons. Under all circumstances, diversity is the key to resilience,” said Dr. Jenn Dazey. Dr. Jenn Dazey also adds that merely refraining from using chemicals doesn’t guarantee that the soil will be able to produce crops. She says we need to do much more