Herbcraft: An Intro to Herbalism & Medicine-Making

Using plants for medicine is an ancient human art that was, and still is, a necessity to keep one’s family and community healthy. To create an herbal home apothecary is to make an investment in the health and well-being of your self, your family, and your loved ones. It is also a meaningful way to connect to our local landscape and the energy of the seasons.

It is with this in mind that Herbcraft: An Intro to Herbalism & Medicine-Making as created. This hands-on and informative class series will cover practical medicine-making skills as well as discussing in depth a number of plants that are seasonally abundant and available in the midwest, how to harvest and prepare them, and what their medicinal and folkloric uses are. Upon leaving each class, we will have hand-crafted 1-2 small batches of seasonal herbal medicine you will bring home, as well as printed handouts for future reference. There is the option to complete homework after each class if you feel called to dive even deeper into your herbal studies.

Topics covered:

- Intro to folk herbalism, herbal energetics, and a holistic view of our body and health.

- How to live in harmony with the flow and energy of the seasons to build resilience.

- 35+ local medicinal plants at their peak each season and how to work with them to cultivate well-being.

- Ethical foraging practices and how to grow these herbs for future use.

- An overview of the main organ systems (digestive, endocrine + nervous, immune, elimination, respiratory) and an introduction to local herbs for each body system.

- Folk methods of medicine-making and herbal preservation.

This will be an ongoing series with each class building off of the skills learned in earlier ones. They are also inspiring on their own and can be taken as a single drop-in if desired. Classes are on evenings from 6- 8pm at Fairhaven Farm,  in Saginaw MN. Cost is $35 per class, or you can sign up for the whole series for a 10% discount ($190). Sliding scale available for BIPOC or single mothers, please reach out to set that up.

Where:

Fairhaven Farm

5818 Munger Shaw Rd. 

Saginaw MN

When:

Wednesday evenings

6-8pm CST

June 21, July 12, August 2, August 23, September 13, October 4

In-depth syllabus ~

JUNE

✦ The history of herbalism, wortcunning + plant craft

✦ What is folk herbalism? What makes one an herbalist?

✦ The importance of reclaiming the home herbalist

✦ What is holistic health, healing, and wellness?

✦ Building resiliency + vitality throuhg preventative health measures

✦ Living with the flow of the seasons to be well

✦ Making infusions + decoctions, teas + tisanes

✦ Local herbs nourishing tonic and food herbs

✦ Herb study: red clover, alfalfa, nettle, oatstraw/milky oats

❊ You will leave with two different tea blends to enjoy and explore.

JULY

✦ Ethical wildcrafting + growing your own herbs, the honorable harvest, supporting local farmers

✦ Intro to herbal energetics + constitutions, the intuitive folk approach to herbal healing

✦ Tending the skin + musculoskeletal system, wound care, integumentary body system overview

✦ Herbal beauty care + bathing traditions

✦ External preparation methods - water + oil/fat based, making infused oils, fats, salves, compresses + poultices

✦ Herb study: comfrey, plantain, yarrow, balsam poplar bud

❊ You will leave with an infused oil that we will use at a future class date for salve-making.

AUGUST (1)

✦ Tending the nerves and hormones, nervous + endocrine system overview

✦ The innate intelligence of our nervous systems

✦ The material + immaterial dimensions of healing

✦ Flower essences, hydrosols, scent as medicine, smoke, fumigation, amulets + folk magical applications

✦ Adaptogens + herbal support for stress

✦ Local herbs for the nerves + endocrine system

✦ Herb study: blue vervain, goldenwort, chamomile, valerian, hawthorn

❊ You will leave with an elixir and a mugwort flower wand.

AUGUST (2)

✦ Tending our metabolism

✦ Overview of the organs of elimination + detoxification 

✦ Supporting our drainage pathways through nourishment, lifestyle practices, + gentle herbal allies

✦ Deconstructing the modern idea of “detox”

✦ Local herbs for elimination support

✦ Local herbs for the reproductive system

✦ Herb study: ground ivy, burdock, goldenrod, birch

❊ You will leave with an oxymel and a salve from a previous class' infused oil.

SEPTEMBER

✦ Tending digestion as the root of health and vitality, digestive system overview

✦ Kitchen herbalism + food as medicine

✦ Holistic nutrition: ancestral foods + eating practices, avoiding modern diet dogma

✦ Bitters as fundamental folk remedy for resiliency

✦ Local herbs for gut health

✦ Folk tincture making methods, options, and best practices

✦ Herb study: yellow dock, dandelion, marshmallow, calendula

❊ You will leave with a tincture blend. 

OCTOBER

✦ Tending immunity and vitality in the modern world

✦ Immune and respiratory system overview

✦ Syrups, infused honeys, electuaries, honey as medicine

✦ Acute immune herbs vs. deep immune tonic herbs

✦ Medicinal mushrooms + herbal deep immune tonics

✦ Local herbs for the immune + respiratory system

✦ Herb study: elderberry, bee balm, wild sarsaparilla, boneset, chaga

❊ You will leave with an herbal syrup.