Farm Silkalni
Medicinal plants on a farm, in the forest and meadow. Plants for health: tea, food, sauna. How to recognise, collect, dry and use. Tips and recipes of Zeltīte Kaviere.
Zeltīte Kaviere is a knowledgeable, open and generous wife of herbs. Her family farm “Silkalni” is located in Vaidava Parish, near the road, which was mentioned in the 13th century Chronicle of Henricus. It took centuries, and New Latvians took this road to Tartu and St. Petersburg to study at universities. Zeltīte has been working in the field of medical plants for decades, with what originally was a hobby growing into a lifestyle. She produces herbal teas, conducts courses and waits for knowledge-thirsty visitors to come to “Silkalni”.
In the Middle Ages, monks of monasteries, alchemists, and later pharmacists explored the miraculous world of plants, and this knowledge was passed down from generation to generation. The word “zāles” in Latvian translates both to medicine and plants. Zeltīte will tell you all about the plants in nature’s pharmacy – how to recognize them when and where to collect them so that the plants would give you all their natural energy, how to prepare, dry and store plants. She has extensive knowledge of how to make and use medicine, tea, fruit juice infusions, syrups, extracts and tinctures. Zeltīte knows which plants to add to food or which plants to use for bathing rituals from Midsummer Solstice to Christmas.
In the warm season, Zeltīte takes her guests to the garden, the forest and the meadow, where the smell of peppermint, oregano, terragon, lemon balm, catnip can be felt in the air, with cornflowers, dragonflies, dragonheads, St John’s-wort, linden blossoms and calendula, field pennycress, heather, clover, plantain and countless other plants blooming beautifully. She works with certified herbal tea producers and also makes her own herbal tea blends. Zeltīte serves yarrow leaf non-alcoholic mohito and shares the recipe with her guests. Everyone will find something useful, medical or delicious in Zeltīte’s farm stock to take with them. Visit must be booked in advance.
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