I am excited to offer a season-long program that walks participants through the entire process of thoughtful cultivation/wild-harvest, preparation, and safe & smart use of herbal remedies to complement healthy lifestyle choices. By the end of six months, participants will have a budding home apothecary, and the knowledge to prepare a range of herbal remedies.
Program Outline (subject to minor changes):
May 11
9am-10:15am: Plant walk, creekside plants (Russell Joy Park, Fredonia)
10:30am: plant walk, Greystone Nature Preserve Medicinal Plant trail and grounds (Fredonia)
12:15pm: lunch
1pm: Natural Support for the Digestive System. Bitters, prebiotics, nutrition.
2:30am-4pm: Herb-infused vinegars and oxymels.
Each participant prepares and takes home an herbal vinegar with herbs harvested that day. Dried organic herbs will also be available.
June 8
9am-10:20pm: Medicinal properties of culinary herbs (Lockwoods greenhouse)
10:30am-noon: Perennials, trees and shrubs: navigating a local nursery for medicinal plants (Lockwoods greenhouse)
12pm: lunch at Lockwoods; shop if desired.
Meet at Sarah's home office at 1pm.
1pm: Natural Support for the Nervous system + Stress. adaptogens; natural support for anxiety and depression; nerve tonics; lifestyle factors + nutrition.
2:30pm: tincture making.
Group harvests and prepares their own tincture using herbs from Sarah's garden.
July 13
9am - 10:30am: village plant walk/18 mile creek
10:45am - noon: Sarah's home garden + potted medicinal plants
noon - 12:45pm: lunch
12:45pm - 2:15: Natural Support for the Cardiovascular System (Sarah's home office)
2:25pm - 4pm: Teas. Infusion, decoction, cold infusion, blending.
Each person creates their own tea blend to take home.
August 10
9am-10:30am: Plant walk/discussion, Hobuck Flats, North Evans
11am - 12:10pm: Hobuck Flats, Part II
12:10pm - 1pm: lunch
1pm - 2pm: Glycerites: Prep batch and simmer; chemistry & uses; sample glycerites (Sarah's home office)
2:15 - 3:30pm: Natural Support for the Endocrine System: female / male bodied support. Brief Adaptogens II.
3:30pm - 4pm: bottle and label glycerite together.
Participants take home bottled glycerite.
Sept 14
9am: Intro to Permaculture (Resolve to Evolve retreat center)
10:30am: Natural support for the Musculoskeletal System and Skin.
Garden talk: herbs to support the musculoskeletal system and skin
Noon-12:45pm: lunch (Resolve to Evolve)
12:45pm: Infused oils and salves. Demo: herb-infused oil with primary solvent. Group prepares a salve together. Participants take home 2 oz jar of herbal skin salve.
2:30pm-4pm: Plant walk and sustainable harvest time.
Oct 5
9am - 10:30am: Natural support for the Immune + Lymphatic Systems (Masterson’s Garden Center)
10:45am: talk from Erin of Masterson’s about bee products and beekeeping
11:15am: wild plant + nursery walk (review, plus a few new plants)
12:15 - 1pm: lunch / shop at nursery if desired.
1pm: Herb-infused honey and syrups. Group prepares elderberry+astragalus+rosehips syrup together.
2:45pm: Q & A / Herb Conversation. Sarah shares herbal resources for further learning.
3:30pm: bottle herbal syrup and label together. Group takes home bottle of herbal syrup
Wrap up program: quick paper survey for feedback.
Exchange: $528 for the season. Includes 6 full days of class, supplies and herbs for creating a concoction each day, many samples, handouts, and seeds.
Registration is complete with a $150 deposit. I will refund until April 1st; non-refundable after that.
Payment can be made on paypal (to Sarah@sweetflagherbs.com), or by mailing a check made out to Sweet Flag Herbs (mail to: Sarah Sorci, 142 Buffalo St, Upper Hamburg, 14075).
Full payment is due by/on the first class day. If this is a hardship, please feel free to talk to me about a payment plan.
To keep the cost as low as possible, I'm hosting a few sessions at my home office, and participants will bring a bagged lunch. Herbal tea will be provided each day (and coffee if desired!)
There is a waiting list for folks who want to attend just one or a few sessions. They will be invited to join if the program doesn't fill up.
If you register but are unable to attend a class, you will receive all recipes, handouts, concoctions/supplies, and a summary of plants we encountered that day.
Participants in this program have access to additional supplies you may need at cost (no markup from me). Because I get bulk or member discounts on certain items, I want to make this available. This includes honey, bottles, dropper tops, glycerin, beeswax, tincture ingredients, etc. I will provide a list of what I pay for each item, and you can place an order any time during the program if you wish.