I wish I'd gotten to learn the plants at my grandmother's knee, following a Medicine Woman through the woods, watching intently, making mental notes as I smelled the strong oregano-like scent of the bee balm while it was being pollinated by hummingbirds, and felt the weight of a handful of lavender blossoms to learn how much to put in a formula for which ailment and who to or not to give it to.
But I didn't get that opportunity.
My Botany degree taught me pretty much nothing about how to harvest plants in Right Relationship with them and the hummingbirds and the underserved communities that need them, how to wild tend black cohosh and ginseng so they'll come back for all of our descendants, how to make a tea to support lung health while also tasting delicious, how to dry mullein so it doesn't mold, how to develop a smell sense for when there's a forageable mushroom nearby, and feel it in your bones when it's time to harvest hawthorn berries.
I've learned these things the hard way, through lots of trial and error, and copied, pasted, and tweaked other teacher's teachings I've gleaned along the way at conferences and classes and in books. This is definitely not easy or ideal, and sometimes not even safe. But I didn't have a choice.
I want you to have a choice.
I want to teach you hands-on and in-person.
I want you to have the opportunity to:
*Learn in my herb garden how the plants like to grow, so you can create your own herb garden.
*Harvest in the woods and wild meadows in a way that will keep those plants around for generations.
*Get ideas for how to create your own ingenius herb storage solution in your home, hutch, corner, cabinet . . .
*Recognize the habitat around you and just know who you'd expect to be growing there.
*Breathe a sigh of relief when you realize Botany and Plant ID actually make sense and can be easy.
*Know where to forage safely and legally.
*Create an herbal formula for yourself, your kids, your community, with herbs that grow outside your back door.
*Proudly call yourself an Herbalist, a Forager, a Wildcrafter . . .
*We will be working together to create formulas that will fulfill our mission of Herbal Reparations: giving herbs, herbal formulas, and herbal education to underserved and historically oppressed communities. We will be learning about Right Relationship & Social Justice in Herbalism. This can be triggering for some people. To be a part of our community, you will have to be okay with being uncomfortable and be willing to grow together through discomfort. We take this commitment seriously and expect you to also. Please sit with your decision before committing.
If this sounds awesome to you, woohoo! We need more folks like you in the world!
The Important Details:
We'll be meeting on Thursdays within an hour of Asheville (get ready for field trips!), 10 AM - 5 PM.
2024 Dates (subject to change):
July 18
August 1, 15
September 5, 19
October 10, 24
November 7, 21
December 5, 19
Make Up Dates TBA
(You can still join if you're seeing this after the dates have begun.)
Abby has so much experience teaching botany, herbalism, wildcrafting, foraging and medicine making! Learn more about Abby here if you haven't met her already.
What you'll be learning...
*Herb Gardening
*Foraging/Wildcrafting
*Creating Your Own Herbal Storage & Organizational Methods
*Herbal Formula Creation
*Right Relationship & Social Justice in Herbalism
*As we grow, there may be opportunities to help in our free/by-donation herbal clinic.
*There will be opportunities to take home wildcrafted & garden herbs & formulas we make together.
Tuition:
Apprenticeships are sliding scale $80 -$120 per day per person for a total of $160 - $240 per month. We offer sliding scale payment options to make it financially accessible for a wide range of people. If you can afford to pay more, please do, as it supports our nonprofit work of herbal reparations: getting herbs, herbal medicine, and herbal education to underserved and historically oppressed communities.
Let us know if you have any questions before you apply.
We'll be meeting on Thursdays within an hour of Asheville (get ready for field trips!), 10 AM - 5 PM.
2024 Dates (subject to change):
July 18
August 1, 15
September 5, 19
October 10, 24
November 7, 21
December 5, 19
Make Up Dates TBA
(You can still join if you're seeing this after the dates have begun.)
Abby has so much experience teaching botany, herbalism, wildcrafting, foraging and medicine making! Learn more about Abby here if you haven't met her already.
What you'll be learning...
*Herb Gardening
*Foraging/Wildcrafting
*Creating Your Own Herbal Storage & Organizational Methods
*Herbal Formula Creation
*Right Relationship & Social Justice in Herbalism
*As we grow, there may be opportunities to help in our free/by-donation herbal clinic.
*There will be opportunities to take home wildcrafted & garden herbs & formulas we make together.
Tuition:
Apprenticeships are sliding scale $80 -$120 per day per person for a total of $160 - $240 per month. We offer sliding scale payment options to make it financially accessible for a wide range of people. If you can afford to pay more, please do, as it supports our nonprofit work of herbal reparations: getting herbs, herbal medicine, and herbal education to underserved and historically oppressed communities.
Let us know if you have any questions before you apply.
"There are not enough words to describe how meaningful my experience in the apprenticeship program with Abby has been. I was able to learn so much more than I ever thought possible in the time I spent with her and then put those lessons to work daily in the apothecary or out in the community with her. Through the apprenticeship program, I feel like I’ve gained the knowledge I need to confidently move forward on my path of becoming and herbalist and healer. I would highly recommend the apprenticeship program to anyone who wants to learn about herbalism no matter your skill level. Abby will truly take the time to listen and help you develop your skills regardless of where you are on your journey. I believe being able to work so closely with her also gave me the unique chance to understand just what it means to be an herbalist and work so closely with the community." - Sara J.