Education is at the heart of our herbal philosophy
Herbal medicine has been called the people’s medicine and huge part of our mission is to connect people and plants and rekindle folks’ connection with the green world
In-Person Classes
Join us the weekend of spring equinox for a 2-day intensive on the medicinal trees of the northeast!
The northeast is about 75% forested and contains numerous medicinal tree species, both native and non-native, making this a category of medicinals well worth getting to know. In this 2-day, weekend intensive, we'll highlight the medicinal uses of northeast tree species in season in the spring- which is an ideal time to harvest medicinal barks- and learn about a variety of medicinal trees.
Trees we’ll work with may include Willow (Salix spp), Sweet Birch (Betula lenta), Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides), Cottonwood (Populus deltoides), Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina), Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), Peach (Prunus persica) , Magnolia (Magnolia spp), Apple and Crabapple (Malus sylvestris), Alder (Alnus spp), White Pine (Pinus strobus), Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), Juniper (Juniperus spp), and more.
Tree Medicine Spring Intensive
Spring Equinox Weekend 2025
March 22nd + 23rd
9am-5pm
At Sawmill Herb Farm- Montague, MA
Class will be a combination of:
Plant walks focusing on ID, ecology, and sustainable wildcrafting methods
Materia Medica (full medicinal profile) of numerous northeast medicinal trees
Medicine-making (tinctures, cordials/elixirs, conifer resin salve, cottonwood bud tallow balm, and more)
Solo and integration time with the plants on the land
We’ll learn techniques for sustainably wildcrafting bark, how to to I.D. many of our local medicinal trees while they are still in bud before they have leafed-out, their medicinal benefits, and how to capture these properties in your own homemade medicines like tinctures, oils, syrups, teas, and more!
FULL! Please email to be added to the waiting list
From The Roots Up:
Bioregional Herbalism Apprenticeship
An 8-month apprenticeship meeting April-November with Year 1 + Year 2 options!
This class is all about connection. We all come from plant people, be it an ancestor one generation back or fifty. This class is a remembering. Of our ancestral connection to the plants. Of herbal medicine. Of trust in nature. Of trust in ourselves.
Our focus is on medicine-making, sustainable wildcrafting, building the home apothecary, and nurturing relationships with our locally abundant medicinal plants.
“I have become enthralled with what is available to us from the plants around us and have become much more connected to those growing right in my own yard. I can’t stop thinking about everything I learned!” -T. S.
Currently enrolling for 2025
Medicinal and Edible Plant Walks
Public plant walks focusing on edible and medicinal plants are offered throughout the year at various locales throughout the valley and beyond. We discuss medicinal and culinary uses of the many useful plants we find along the way, as well as medicinal preparations, easy plant ID tips and basic botany, and wildcrafting techniques. You can view our upcoming events below, including plant walks, and also on our events page.
Private walks on your land can be arranged, as well as private walks for events, organizations, and so on- please email or reach-out on the contact form for details!
Workshops
Workshops are offered throughout the year at local farms, colleges, co-ops, conferences, and events. You can view our upcoming events below or on our events page
And please be in touch if you're interested in hosting a workshop in your community or space!
Upcoming Events
Featured Past Events
Find a full list of past events here.
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American Herbalists Guild (AHG) Symposium, HERBSTALK, Western Mass Herbal Symposium, GATHER Herbal Conference, RADHERB Convergence, Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Summer Conference, Northeast Permaculture Convergence, Yoga + Herbs Convergence, UMASS Residential Life Wellness Conference, NOFA-MA Winter Conference, Groundnuts Ancestral Skills Gathering, Rhode Island Herb Fest
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Unifier Festival, Red Fire Farm Tomato Festival, Winterfare
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CISA (Communities Involved in Sustaining Agriculture), Railroad Street Youth Project, Brickhouse Community Resource Center, The Hitchcock Center, Just Roots/Greenfield Community Farm, Bullard Memorial Farm, Grow Food Amherst, Spiral, People's Medicine Garden, Amherst Historical Society
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Food For Thought Books, River Valley Co-op, All Things Local Cooperative Market
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Next Barn Over, Sawmill Herb Farm, Brookfield Farm, Crimson & Clover Farm, Just Roots, The Farm at Avalon, Full Kettle Farm, Red Fire Farm, Dig In Farm, Montague Retreat Center, Sweet Autumn Farm, Montview Farm, Blue Crow Botanicals Farm
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Blue Dragon Apothecary, Goldthread Herbal Apothecary, Bower Studio, Flower Power Herbs & Roots
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Shutesbury Public Library, Public Library System of Martha’s Vineyard
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The Childbirth Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Permaculture FEAST, UMASS Medicinal Plant Program, UMASS Permaculture Initiative, Hampshire College, Western Mass Herbal Meet-up Group, SPIRAL, Herbal Community of Central Mass, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, UMASS Arthur F Kinney Center for Renaissance Studies, Amherst LSSE
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New England Botanic Gardens at Tower Hill, Northfield Mtn Recreation & Environmental Center