Ep 7: Richo Cech: Herbs to the Rescue

Richo Cech is the owner of Strictly Medicinal Seeds and author of Making Plant Medicine. He's a legendary figure in the herbalism world who has spent decades growing medicinal plants and teaching others to do the same.

In this conversation, Richo moves seamlessly between scientific observation (seeds erupting under microscopes) and spiritual practice (transmuting desire through incense), between practical farming advice (why he abandoned no-till methods) and philosophical insight (how mandrake teaches you about greed). We discuss:

• Plant consciousness and what seeds reveal under a microscope
• The consequences of separation from nature
• How he's avoided doctors for years using homegrown remedies
• The trap of avarice that mandrake revealed—and how he countered it by giving freely
• Why many medicinal herbs (thyme, rosemary, hyssop) actually need bare soil, not mulch
• His marriage and how opposites attract and complement each other
• Practical advice: late-season cover crops, herbal teas, parenting without food neurosis

Richo doesn't romanticize farming or herbalism. He's honest about what works, what doesn't, and why food self-sufficiency is "a chimera" that requires community and trade. This is a conversation about connection—to plants, to earth, to each other—without any new-age fluff. Resources:

• Strictly Medicinal Seeds: strictlymedicinalseeds.com
• Books: Making Plant Medicine, Growing Plant Medicine (Volumes 1 & 2)
• YouTube: Strictly Medicinal LLC

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Website: http://www.tristanroberts.org

Music: Produced by Turner Andrasz, beat-boxing by Felix Roberts, guitar by Tristan Roberts, drums by Merrill Garbus