Ancient Healing Secrets, Tinctures, Salves, Hydrosols & Teas, Permaculture Tips & Much More From A Little-Known Superfood Farm In Hawaii.

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I first met Doug Wolkon when I was visiting Kauai and was convinced by big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton to go visit a favorite local farm of his called Kauai Farmacy. I was immediately blown away by the vast array of over 80 varieties of organic healing plants and food orchards…

…along with a team of incredibly knowledgeable herbalists and gardeners; a closed-loop vermiculture feeding system (worm compost farm), honeybees, butterflies, and other pollinators; wildfowl; environmentally-compatible farming (water-catchments, permaculture guilds, and more); and medicine-making systems (solar-dehydrators, low-temperature herb-curing, herbal teas, tinctures, hydrosols, salves, honey, capsules, and more).

Everything is done by hand at the Farmacy, including brewing homemade fertilizers from the plants they grow. They seed, propagate, plant, hand-harvest, artisanally-craft, and package all the herbal products they grow right on the farm. The fresh and pure nature of the herbs ensures high quality, potent, consistent, and effective plant medicine straight from the source.

Since that visit two years ago, if you've been following me on Instagram and elsewhere, you've seen me using ample amounts of Kauai Farmacy powders and tinctures in my recipes, along with products such as their salves and hydrosols for joint and skin health. Rooted in the wisdom of Hawaiian La’au lapa’au, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and the tribal indigenous, the potent herbal plant medicines harvested from the rich, volcanic soil of Kauai just seem to have a very unique and special energy.

After graduating from the University of Michigan, Doug pursued a ten-year career in private equity finance in Connecticut. Before moving his family to Hawaii in 2007, Doug published The New Game, an economic theory and strategy for sustainable communities.

Doug co-founded Kauai Farmacy in 2010 with his wife Genna, and they currently live there with their three kids. The Farmacy is a seed-to-cup tropical herbal oasis spanning four acres and consisting of what may be the most diverse collection of plant medicine in the western hemisphere.

After spending the last 10 years experiencing the power of fresh plant medicine for both himself and his family on a daily basis, Doug thrives on a high-fat, ketogenic, 100% raw-food diet. Doug believes Kauai Farmacy's vertically-integrated herbal medicine model is a budding example of what needs to be the future of a more sustainable, preventative-care-focused healthcare industry.

You can click here to shop Kauai Farmacy, and use code GREENFIELD15 to save 15% on any products on their site, including those you'll discover below.

During this discussion, you'll discover:

-Why cacao is the ultimate superfood…8:45

  • Cacao Olena Olena is Hawaiian for turmeric
    • Helps with inflammation, metabolism
    • Freshness is key
    • Ingredients are yin and yang with the root family
    • Cacao is more of a fruit than the other ingredients (ginger and Olena)
  • Dark chocolate is a good source of magnesium
  • Cacao pods before they become chocolate are an intense experience
    • Elevates serotonin levels
    • High iron levels
  • Trail mix is coming soon (not on the website yet)

-An herbal chew containing moringa…15:45

-The fascinating story of Doug's Kauai Farmacy…20:30

  • High school athlete; went into world of finance
  • Left that world at age 31, overweight, unhealthy lifestyle
  • Became disenchanted with western medicine and lifestyle after traveling the world
  • Saw a need for real education on health and wellness in Western culture
  • Settled in Kauai, began a “healing journey”
  • Began planting and harvesting noni leaves
  • Island of Kauai is unmatched in its beauty and potential for plant medicines
  • Building the immune system is the best defense against disease
  • Blockages between the head and the sacral

-How noni leaves heal lower back pain…28:25

  • Kauai Farmacy has noni leaves in their salves
  • Noni Hydrosol (steamed distillation)
  • Alkaloid Xeronine in noni
  • Noni leaves grow wild all over the island of Kauai
  • Cancer tumors are made up of acidic toxins
  • Noni alkalinity chips away at the toxins left in the body from bad food
  • Use caution when using noni at night due to its high circulatory effect in the bloodstream

-Techniques for growing a vast array of superfoods with minimal space…36:25

  • Biodiversity is the key
  • Feed the garden what is grown in the garden
  • Vermiculture (worm composting)
  • Worm poop is the healthiest manure possible
  • Comfrey tea goes in the garden
  • Hand-feed, harvest, cull, craft everything
  • It's very labor-intensive (but that's what this society needs)
  • Trenched farm, feeds into stream due to excessive rain on Kauai
  • Freshness of water, exposure to minerals

-Comfrey and its effectiveness in healing joints…43:00

  • Salve is the most convenient form
  • Root is more potent than the leaf, but the leaf has qualities not found in the root
  • Local beeswax added for additional medicinal benefits
  • Lubrication is a way of “thanking” your body after strenuous exercise or work
  • Cracked heels are a sign of things to come without any intervention
  • Comfrey brings suppleness to the bones and joints
  • Three main benefits of comfrey: stabilizes breath, hydrates, brings restoration

-Why Doug's ashwagandha is more potent than others from a libido standpoint…50:30

-Why turmeric needs to be an essential part of your diet…57:30

-Doug's unique high-fat, plant-based diet…1:01:15

  • Coconuts
  • Cacao
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Avocado
  • Fruits and greens during the day (the darker the better)
  • Moringa and spinach (raw)
  • Keep clean and light
  • Eat fatty foods in the evening
  • Avoid processed foods
  • Mashed, pureed, “slipper” foods

-How to visit and tour the Kauai Farmacy…1:06:30

-And much more!


Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

– Doug Wolkon:

– Podcast:

– Other resources:

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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Doug Wolkon or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

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3 thoughts on “Ancient Healing Secrets, Tinctures, Salves, Hydrosols & Teas, Permaculture Tips & Much More From A Little-Known Superfood Farm In Hawaii.

  1. Steven E says:

    Ben – you mentioned that you were chewing on Ashawaganda root that Doug sent… and that is was incredibly potent!

    I know the tinctures and teas are available through Kauai, but how can I get my hands on some of that root? If not KF, any other places you would recommend?

  2. Chris says:

    This was a great podcast. I really enjoyed Doug’s story, thoughts, and attitude.

    I had a chance to work on the Big Island for a few months and it was beautiful. We actually harvested turmeric there and the amount you can grow in such a small space is incredible.

    I can’t wait to plan a trip to Kauai soon and visit the Farmacy!

  3. Florian says:

    If you want to know the Plasma-Side of Gardeners & Growers, here is a nice playlist

    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpCKWzA-bp9u08-2qiX0h2Y4HFgS51xHw

    This is a nice side effect of what happens when using this technology in the garden

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgtn1Urlzc

    reminds me of the Agnihotra Fire Ritual, where also a plasmatic dome is being created.

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