Almost a year ago I decided to convert my vegetable garden to medicinal herbs. I spent the spring scouring every nursery for plants, visited local farms, and slowly planted beds a few plants at a time.
My goal was to start a Community Supported Herbalism project: a seasonal apothecary share of freshly made herbal products with herbs grown on our homestead or sustainably wildcrafted from nature. I had a very limited amount of members and spent the season tending to the herbs and making fresh plant remedies. My love of herbs and the earth deepened. My ties with my community grew. Somewhere in July with my whole face buried deep in a bed of tulsi, I knew I had truly fallen into a place I was meant to be. It just felt right.
This winter I sat and looked over my notes, at what worked and what didn't. What was popular with my members and what they were unsure about. I read wonderful books. I learned and grew as a herbalist and new (dare I say) herb farmer. I chose new plants to add this year - thinking of both my needs as a herbalist and the pollinators I share my growing space with. I'll be adding at least one more raised bed, perhaps two as my plant heart and growing space usually do not communicate with one another well. Our program will expand to include 24 members for 2017. Slow & steady growth.
I have big dreams for the future. Within the next year, I will be digging up the bulk of these herbs (mostly perennials) and moving them north to the farm in New York. In five years I hope to be settled in our new farmhouse, selling my herbs & products at the tiny local farmer's market and teaching in our new community. I see my dream unfolding, little by little. As a person who struggles to keep herself in the moment - always caught up in planning for the next move - these plants are literally grounding me. With every weed to pull. Seedling to care for. Flower and leaf to harvest. Medicine to make. Knowledge to share. They grab hold of my wanderlust and keep it from carrying me away.
And this time of year I sketch maps for bed plans, recipes for products and make list after list, almost like a farmer......
xo,
s
ps - if you are interested in our CSH program (herbal apothecary share), click on the link to read more about it. we ship in the US & Canada and have 10 spaces left for the 2017 season - we are also hosting a giveaway of one share on Instagram this week!
I am so excited for you Stephanie! Somehow I missed your post last year when you decided to plant more medicinals. I've loved adding more medicinals to my garden but have a real problem finding baby plants in nurseries out here. Turns out, my brother, Marcus, in Lafayette grows a good many of the ones you listed. So when I go home, I stock up.
I'm looking forward to following your journey as you all move out to the land!
Posted by: Nichole | February 13, 2017 at 09:35 AM
That is so great that your brother grows herbs!! I ended up ordering a lot through a Canadian company called Richters. They have a wonderful selection! I’m fairly limited to what I can find in reasonable driving distance here - most of which I purchased last summer as perennials - so this year was really fun to plan for and order some harder to find plants to add :) Also, I am so glad that I can move all this - or at least the better part of it to the farm next summer. It feels better putting all this work in when I know some of it will get to come with me!
Posted by: Stephinie | February 13, 2017 at 12:36 PM
i love watching your beautiful dream unfold. i love the way you write about becoming a farmer. you are a very inspiring woman stepinie! it was wonderful catching up with you.
Posted by: jenny | February 13, 2017 at 10:27 PM
I think it will be years and years before I would ever consider myself a true farmer - but it feels good - and right - to be making small steps toward the dream we have held for so long. xoxo
Posted by: Stephinie | February 13, 2017 at 10:54 PM
how lovely to read about (and see peeks of) your plans unfolding.
It's so nice to have big (and small) things on the horizon to keep us motivated and inspired, isn't it? Your dreams and plans sound very inspiring and wonderful!
love from NC
Posted by: amanda | February 18, 2017 at 11:36 PM
Thank you :) So fun to connect a little in this space - that’s the thing I miss the most about my blogging community. Yes to little and big things to keep us motivated….. and always yes to more plants - as many as we can fit in, right??
Posted by: Stephinie | February 20, 2017 at 10:29 PM