By Amanda Riley
NettleWitch Herbs
An herbalist works with plants in support of health and wellbeing. Herbalists are not licensed medical professionals, so we don’t diagnose or treat disease. Instead, we access plants that have been used traditionally to address particular symptoms, such as joint pain, head congestion, or difficulty sleeping. Sometimes this is called “plant medicine.”
Herbal schools teach students how to identify plants, correctly harvest, and prepare the plants to best extract phytochemicals that address symptoms. Herbal schools also offer general knowledge of body systems and common symptoms that people experience, as well as which plants have traditionally been used to address which conditions.
Plants help people feel better because they contain phytochemicals, many of which the plant uses to heal itself. For example, plants in the mint family contain oils that help the plant fight off infections. These can help humans in the same way. Plant medicine has been called “people’s medicine” because it is accessible to anyone.
Many herbs are considered weeds because they grow so easily. The chemicals that make them strong survivors can be extracted easily at home without the use of special equipment and, when consumed, are processed easily by the body because humans have co-evolved along with plants.
Phytochemicals break down over time as plant material contacts light, heat and air. So, just as with your food, it matters where you get your herbs. Many herbs available in stores are shipped from distant places or stored for a while before they reach the consumer. But our local herb economy is growing! Here on the Northside, we have several herbalists offering support for health and wellbeing.
Check out Wild Elderberry Collective at the Northside Farmer’s Market. Licensed processor Sandy Welander turns wild harvested berries into syrup at Feed Kitchens. Find out more on Facebook and Instagram
@wild_elderberry_collective.
Connect with Kinfolk Nomadic for sacred hospitality experiences, such as Tea Ceremonies and Herbal Aufguss, a European sauna ritual. Kinfolk’s Lynsey and Micah grow herbs at Troy Farm and also offer products and an herbal CSA. Lynsey, a certified Sauna Meister, will be offering Aufguss at Saundaday, Aug. 9 and 16, and Sept. 13. Find out more on Facebook and Instagram @kinfolknomadic or find them at the Northside Farmer’s Market on Sept. 27.
Reach out to Shannon Renne of Herban Artisans for a personal herbal health consult. Shannon is trained in clinical herbalism, a practice in which an herbalist conducts a wholistic health interview and offers plant suggestions specific to individual health needs. Herban Artisans also offers an 8-week Foundations of Herbalism course in the winter months. Reach Shannon at herbanartisans@gmail.com.
Learn by doing with NettleWitch Herbs. My hands-on plant workshops offer a full sensory experience and plenty of time for all your plant questions. I am a retired classroom teacher and trained clinical herbalist, and I coordinate care for Troy Farm’s U-pick Community Herb Garden. This season’s Herbalist in the Garden workshop series has three more sessions: Aug. 22, Sept. 12, and Oct. 10. Find out more at www.nettlewitchherbs.com.
