Thistle Farming Season

As summer is making its appearance, thistles are blooming all around and Thistle Farming season is in full swing!

To me, being a thistle farmer means that the world is our farm, and our job is to see the beauty in the areas that have been abandoned or deemed unworthy of cultivating. Our fields include allies, lots behind malls, railway clearings, and the poorest sections of town. When we harvest a thistle it means that we still see the beauty in all of creation, and that nothing should be left to be condemned.

- Becca Stevens

The process to making thistle paper is simple:

thistle farmers will find thistles, cut off their royal purple center and bring them to Thistle Farms

Thistle Farms volunteers and employees will grind up the thistles to add to the pulp for the paper

the pulp and thistle is mixed together and strained through a deckle.

once the paper is dried, it is pounded into the shape that can be folded into a box

the result? a beautiful box made of thistle paper, that homes three bottles of the highest quality essential oils (Geranium, Cinnamon and Tea Tree), a small booklet of prayers, blessings and information on the natural healing properties of these essential oils.

Here are more photos from the process!

Now go into the world... and be a thistle farmer.

Photos by Carolyn Snell and Becca Stevens