Hi, my Neem is ...

My Mark and I were in the Concord Pharmacy yesterday picking up a prescription and while Mark was waiting for the pharmacist, I took some time to wander around the place and take in their selection of herbal supplements and holistic remedies. I found some neat flower extracts by a company named "Bush" I think, that were fairly intriguing. At $16 a pop I changed my mind on taking the Olive or Rose Hip extracts home with me. So as we're headed out the door I notice on some nearby shelving this sign:



I did a double take because Mark and I have been using a Neem extract in our garden all summer long as a pest repellent. Neem has more uses? We get to the cashier and there, in a small cardboard display ... Neem chapstick. I couldn't make this up if I wanted to. Now my curiosity level is really peaked. So I did some Internet research.

This site is a blog titled "Desertification," and the author looks at the expansion of deserts as well as poverty and drought in the world's dry lands. Go figure, the author has an entry dedicated to what they refer to as "Nature's Drugstore." Neem is "The perfect family herb," native to the middle east and countries like Pakistan, India and Myanmar.

This is the Web site this blog used as their resource.

According to this Online Herbal Encyclopedia, Neem loves drought conditions, has been used for over 4,000 years, can live to be 200 years old and produces fruit when it ages 3 to 5 years.

As I was doing research, I stumbled across the book that the sign in the pharmacy was referring to:

Neem, The Ultimate Herb by John Conrick.

Long story short- I bought the damn book. I got it on www.half.ebay.com for just $6.99, brand new. How could I not? A plant that's been revered for over 4,000 years and is commonly known as "The Village Pharmacy?" The incredible results we've seen with our own Neem use is enough to get my attention and hold it. As I continue to read more about this tree I am realizing its basic applications that can directly benefit me. Now, the only problem is how to get one for myself! Due to our cold winters and high water table, Neem can't survive in a majority of the United States. It can be kept as a house plant, but the Neem tree grows at incredible rates and would eventually become too much of a hassle to keep indoors. I won't venture to try raising one myself. It would break my heart to have to destroy it one day when it became unruly. Regardless, I'm curious to learn more about this plant and hopefully put it to use in my life. I have a good feeling about this stuff. Anything to promote a crop that could bring prosperity to impoverished parts of the world, right? Neem is relatively unknown in the West, but if demand increased enough it might create a viable economy for countries in the middle east. Not too shabby a deal if you ask me.

Have a great weekend everyone! Be safe!!