"One day I stepped out into the warmth of the afternoon sun, and was greeted by the fragrance of hundreds of summer flowers. The next day, I stepped out and ran into a miasma of Canadian wildfire smoke, tightening my lungs and making my throat ache."

Our "summer fun" continues here in northeast Wisconsin. Now that the extreme heat has let up, outside time is still challenging due to high amounts of particulates in the air. We've been in the Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy range all week, with no estimated time for it to let up. I'm mildly asthmatic, so breathing soot is contraindicated. Not that it's recommended for anyone, but...

Apparently, as the smoke interacts with UV radiation, it forms various compounds, including benzene and formaldehyde, which is why is smells like a garbage fire by the time it reaches us. This makes it more damaging than standard campfire smoke. The acreage burned thus far rivals the record breaking 2023 season, with no signs of letting up soon. It's crazy how other areas are dealing with flooding while those areas are parched. Of course, if you go back in the fire records, there have been other big fire periods in the past, including some roughly around 200 and 100 years ago. Climate cycles tend to repeat over time.

Other than avoiding the smoke as much as we are able, there are things we can do to help deal with the smoke.

Support your lungs by staying hydrated. Herbal teas like mullein and licorice root have long been used for lung support. You can also use mullein leaf extract.

Herbal steam inhalation and saline nasal sprays can help soothe irritated airways. Fresh fruits and veggies are hydrating and have anti-oxidants to reduce inflammation. We have a full list of sore throats remedies here.

Limit pet time outside if possible during poor air quality days. Make sure livestock has shade and plenty of clean water. You can give them access to a weak mullein tea in addition to their main water, if you like. Don't overdo it and give them free choice.

Whether you're dealing with wild weather, fires, or smaller scale everyday emergencies, it's important to plan ahead as best as you are able, and work the problem one step at a time.

All our best to you and yours,

Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)

This week's featured articles...

This quiet wild beauty shrinks away from the summer heat, but you can still find it in shady corners, and it will have a new flush of growth come fall. Learn more about using common chickweed for food and medicine.​

Zucchini season is ramping up, and we continue our quest to keep up with the plants. If you discover some club sized zucchini that got missed, zucchini flour is a great way to use them up (and shrink them down to size). For baking, you can use up to 1/3 cup of zucchini flour per every cup of all-purpose flour.

Cherry season is also ongoing, and we have instructions for canning cherries, tips for pitting cherries without a pitter, cherry jam, and cherry preserves. (The cherry amaretto jam is my personal favorite.)

If you are swamped with produce, or thinking about selling produce, this may be a project you'd want to tackle. My friend, Amber, shared how she built a walk in cooler with a CoolBot controller and a window air conditioner.