RIDGWAY - As the heat rises about this time of year, Sheila Manzagol becomes obsessed with water. During the day, the 47-year-old dashes around in a dusty station wagon, checking irrigation ditches and adjusting head gates. At night she's listening in the darkness for the hissing sound of her Rain Bird sprinklers as they sweep across 2 acres of medicinal herbs she grows outside Ridgway.
"When I turn on the water it brings me incredible peace, because (water) is so hard to get," she says, noting that if new plants go without it for 24 hours, she can lose valuable crops.
Dreaming of mountains
Her life is far different from the way it was 11 years ago, when she and husband, Tim Manzagol, lived in the San Francisco area with baby daughter, Brittney. Instead of worrying about water and machinery at their 40-acre farm, Shining Mountain Herbs, the two spent most of their energy battling traffic and other urban stresses.
"Sheila had always wanted to live in the mountains," says Tim, an engineering geologist. "One of our deals as spouses is that we would not live the rest of our lives in the San Francisco area."
In the 1990s, they began looking for a farm in Colorado where they could grow and process valuable crops at a substantial profit. Their choice was organically grown medicinal herbs. She knew the medicinal properties of plants such as nettles, pot marigolds and valerian flowers, as well as endangered herbs being overharvested in the wild, from her studies to become an herbologist. She also knew she could grow them in Colorado, with a little water and a little luck.
"We wanted to show that a modern farm could be self-sustaining and be used to raise high-profit crops," Sheila says. "You just have to be creative."
While Sheila and her two employees nurse seedlings, hoe rows of plants and irrigate, Tim makes sure the farm's head gates and buildings operate at peak efficiency. He calculates the amount of pressure the farm's irrigation pipes can safely handle, manages farm equipment and maintains the business computers. He also works part-time in San Francisco, his income as a consulting geologist keeping the Colorado operation afloat.
So far, the herb business has doubled its revenues each year. But the Manzagols have invested more than $600,000 in their new lifestyle, so their break-even point is years away.
"When we started this, we thought it was going to be a 3- to 4-year project," Sheila says. "It turned out to be an 8- to 10-year project."
She's not disappointed, though. The low valley where they live is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and a creek cuts through their property, drawing birds and other wildlife. Ridgway's restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores and schools are only a mile away, and traffic jams are almost unheard of, except during an occasional pancake breakfast for the fire department or when Ride the Rockies passes through.
Love at first sight
Even better, the Manzagols can retreat into their homey farmhouse that Tim, 55, remodeled with the help of a local contractor.
The two found the property in 1995.
"It was at the end of a long day, and the Realtor wanted to show us just one more house," Tim says. "Sheila almost said 'no.' But when we came over the hill and saw this farm in the valley, we just knew this was going to be the new home.
"Sheila didn't want me working as hard as I was in San Francisco, but I knew I could make a go of this place.
"I was the one who really fell in love with it because of its potential."
At the time, single-family homes in the Bay Area averaged around $500,000. So the farm's $370,000 price seemed like a sweet deal, and included water rights, mountain views, outbuildings, and a few roaming elk. It also included a two-story home that had been built in the early 1900s.
"We were really happy to find an existing home, because it already had that feeling of history," Sheila says.
They looked beyond the home's '70s-era popcorn ceilings, shag carpeting and faux wood paneling, instead remembering that the previous owner had been a kind-hearted and popular rancher in the area.
"We just walked around and you could feel the energy," Sheila says.
Their first task was to strip away the outdated decor. Their contractor removed low ceilings that had been covered with popcorn soundproofing. He knocked out walls to make some rooms larger or improve mountain views. He also built a 350- square-foot addition to the front of the house, following Tim's view-capturing design.
Today, the finished space contains a dining and living room area where wrap-around windows look out at the 13,000-foot Courthouse Mountain peeking just above the Cimarron Range. In another direction, toward Ouray, they can see the Mount Sneffels Range, one of the most dramatic in the San Juans.
Salvaged oak floors
The remodel let Sheila express her natural instincts as a designer. To visually connect the home's interior to the rough mountains and arid surroundings, she covered the main entryway and living-room floors with worn oak planks salvaged from an old South Carolina tobacco barn. Finished with organic linseed oil, the floors are ruddy in color and texture, and look as if they have been there forever.
"When we first put it down and hit it with the sanders, this house smelled like tobacco," Tim says.
Making sure nothing went to waste, they turned leftover scraps into cabinet doors and moulding around windows. However, to prevent the home from feeling like summer camp year-round, Sheila added a few civilizing touches. The couple's antique sofa from San Francisco is covered with deep red velvet; polished granite covers the windowsills; their old mahogany dining set gleams in the natural mountain light; Oriental, tea-stained rugs cushion every footfall.
They've also added a covered porch onto the back of the house so they can relax when their farming routine allows.
At the same time, they upgraded the farm's buildings and equipment to transform it into a modern operation. They surrounded two 1-acre herb plots with wire fencing high enough to keep out grazing elk. Tim designed a $60,000 underground irrigation pipe system, with special straining screens, to funnel clean water to their hay fields and herb gardens three-quarters of a mile away. They also added a greenhouse where Sheila starts herbs from seed and a commercial kitchen where she, their daughter, 14, and employees process the herbs into oils, tinctures, teas and salves for sale.
Yurt to house guests
The most recent improvement is a round wood-and-canvas Mongolian-style yurt constructed near the lower herb field. Someday, when the plumbing is finished, it will serve as a comfortable summer guesthouse.
When Tim is away, Sheila stays busy with business details such as product development, label design, promotion and sales. Once a week, she and Brittney load tables, displays and products into a truck, drive dozens of miles to a farmers' market and spend hours educating walk-up customers about medicinal herbs. Other times, when Brittney is in school or at a sleepover with friends, Sheila and her employees process orders they receive through their Web site at www.shiningmountainherbs.com.
"I've had the luxury of building a foundation for this business, because Tim has been supporting us, so everything is in place to go to the next level," says Sheila, who dreams of someday selling her herbal products at Vitamin Cottage.
"It's like a circle. When I bring water to this little piece of land, I am able to give back. I'm able to take medicine from the earth and bring it to people."
Herbal helpers
If you're interested in making your own herbal remedies, you don't have to go far for materials. Many medicinal plants are probably already growing in your backyard.
Here, Sheila Manzagol, owner of Shining Mountain Herbs, identifies seven common herbs and their healing properties and provides instructions on how to prepare them.
(Check with your physician to see whether you have a medical condition or take a medication that might conflict with use of an herb.)
Comfrey
(Symphytum officinale)
Comfrey grows 3 to 4 feet tall in Colorado gardens, producing furry, arrow-shaped leaves. By June, tiny clusters of nodding flowers appear at the tops of the plants. Available at many nurseries.
• To grow: Purchase at a nursery that specializes in herbs and follow planting directions.
• Active ingredient: allantoin, which helps heal skin
• Use: for external use only; heals minor wounds, sores, burns and swollen tissue
• Dosage: Mash fresh leaves and place directly on injured area. Harvest roots in the fall after the plant becomes dormant. Clean, dry and chop the tapering roots; place in small jar; cover with olive oil and cap. Two weeks later, strain through cheesecloth; stabilize with some vitamin E and store in cool, dark place. Apply to skin when needed.
Dandelion
(Taraxacum officinale)
Considered a weed, this plant was brought from Europe by early settlers, who valued it for its food and medicinal properties.
• To grow: Sure, they're all over your yard, but if you've used pesticides, grow in a controlled environment.
• Active ingredients: rich in vitamins, minerals and diuretic compounds
• Use: Dandelions make a great spring tonic to strengthen and cleanse the body, Manzagol says.
• Dosage: Pick and clean tender young leaves, add to salad or cook like spinach. Or place ¼ teaspoon of powdered, dried root in a cup, add boiling water and drink to clear up acne or boils. Tea may be bitter.
Echinacea
(purple coneflower)
(Echinacea purpurea)
This drought- tolerant perennial produces purple, daisy-like flowers with high, dome- shaped centers.
• To grow: Plant in sun in well- drained soil. Available at most garden centers.
• Active ingredients: alkylamides and polyacetylenes
• Use: Echinacea works best when adults take it at the first sign of cold or flu. To make an alcohol- based tincture, finely chop clean roots. Place in glass jar and cover with vodka or Everclear. Store in dark place, shaking daily. Decant through cheesecloth and seal in bottle.
• Dosage: Take one full dropper four times a day at first sign of cold or sore throat. If you suffer from any kind of autoimmune disease, check with your doctor before taking this.
Feverfew
(Tenacetum parthenium)
This bushy, aromatic perennial produces mounds of white-and- yellow daisy-like flowers and is sold at garden centers that specialize in herbs. Plant in well-drained soil in full sun to part shade, and water regularly until established.
• To grow: Buy at a nursery that specializes in herbs; follow planting directions.
• Active ingredients: sesquiterpene lactones
• Use: Herbalists consider this plant very effective in controlling migraine headaches. Do not use while pregnant or nursing.
• Dosage: Eat two to three leaves daily to prevent migraines, wrapping them in a small piece of bread to reduce bitterness.
Mullein
(Verbascum thapsus)
Tall, silvery stalks of yellow mullein are common in vacant lots and along dusty roadsides. This biennial also is becoming more popular as a drought- tolerant flower for the garden.
• To grow: Scatter seed in the fall. The plant forms flower spikes during its second growing season.
• Active ingredients: mucilage; tiny amounts of saponins and tannins
• Use: Mullein has been used as a home remedy for the treatment of coughs, as well as ear infections, unless the drum has ruptured.
Pour one cup of boiling water over 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried flowers. Steep for 15 minutes, strain and drink three or four times a day. For ear drops, cover fresh-picked flowers with olive oil for several weeks, strain and store. This treatment is even more effective when combined with olive oil infused with garlic.
Pot marigold
(Calendula officinalis)
This common annual is available at garden centers in the spring and produces cheerful orange flowers.
• To grow: Buy as seed or seedlings and plant in full sun; water moderately. Will grow 2 feet tall.
• Active ingredient: flavonoids and triterpene saponins
• Use: An antiseptic, this plant reduces swelling, relieves muscle spasms and heals minor wounds. Also great for diaper rash and cradle cap. Harvest flowers throughout growing season and dry. Break up flower heads, pack in jar and cover with organic olive oil. Store in dark place for two weeks, press through cheesecloth, stabilize with a small amount of vitamin E and bottle. Store in dark space.
• Dosage: Apply as needed.
Valerian
(Valeriana officinalis)
Also called garden heliotrope, this 4-foot-tall, clump-forming perennial produces fragrant clusters of pinkish flowers throughout summer.
• To grow: Purchase at your local garden center, being careful not to confuse it with red valerian, which is a different variety. Plant in well-amended soil in full sun to light shade. Valerian is somewhat drought-resistant once established.
• Active ingredient: alkaloids
• Use: Used for insomnia and anxiety, its anti-inflammatory properties also make it valuable for treating shoulder and neck tension. Finely chop fresh roots, cover with Everclear. Store in cool, dark place for two weeks and shake daily. Press through cheesecloth and bottle.
• Dosage: one to two full droppers up to five times a day
Reprinted from RockyMountainNews.com
|
