Walk With Us: Memoirs & Meanderings

To those who have decided to learn more about herbs, I encourage you to write things down!

This advice comes in many forms, but most important is keeping good informative labels on your bottles and jars. It is easy to ignore this step when you get started. You've spent the spring and summer growing and tending plants, spent the autumn harvesting and drying, and now you have the jars full of herbs...

Nothing jolts an herbalist into action like the two words: Frost tonight.

We have an annual tradition in our family, whoever hears those two words in the weather forecast first is responsible for calling and texting the family so we can all jump up and shout, "FROST TONIGHT!”

Though most of us have been harvesting and wildcrafting through the summer and autumn, first hard frost marks the last opportunity to gather any tender plants we might want to dry for winter and spring use.

After the call we all grab harvest baskets and shears and head to our gardens to fill...

We all can feel the wheel of the year turn from summer to autumn, the air is a little crisper and cooler, leaves are changing to bright colors, porches are full of pumpkins and gourds, and we are pulling out our chunky sweaters. Though beautiful, fall isn't just sipping hot coffee, wandering around apple orchards and eating pumpkin everything. As the seasons shift, we are bombarded with all the stress that comes with it. Kids are back to school and there are lunches to pack, alarm clocks to set, ball games, practices and band rehearsals to remember and homework to finish before bed. Summer sunshine allowed us to spend plenty of time outside, and now kids...

Farmer’s Markets are my happy place. There is nothing nicer than rising early on a Saturday morning, throwing on a wide skirt and big hat, and driving to the market with tote bags in tow. While I always find delicious treasures in my local market, the start of the autumn season transforms the local gathering. Harvest season brings such an overflowing abundance of produce, herbs, honey, maple syrup, meats, baked goods, fresh cut flowers and crafts. Towers of multicolored pumpkins, a rainbow of tomatoes, piles of beans, potatoes, and sweet onions. I can spend an entire morning flitting from table-to-table shopping and visiting...

"It sounds like a bunch of bull, meant to make people spend more money on fancy crap." Despite being raised by a wise herb lady, I actually said these words when I watched a deluge of TV commercials advertising the newest trends in body care products years ago. I'm sure you will remember the flawless faces filling the screens for the latest wrinkle cream or long manes of hair whipping around or ladies grinning near hysteria while lathering brightly colored body washes. "Paraben free!" all the beautiful people exclaimed...

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a curious person. Growing up, I was often labeled, with much chagrin, the black sheep or was called a modern hippie by family members. Perhaps… But what I know to be true is my journey was a very unlikely one. I grew up in a conservative waspish family, and was raised by a single mother who struggled with stability and mental illness. I became very independent, finding solace in computers and technology, and camaraderie from people I met online, eventually growing to become an accomplished designer, writer and photographer...

“It’s just tea. What does it matter if it’s in a bag, or a silly ball? I can’t live without my Lipton’s iced tea,” said the lady in the grocery. “What’s the difference?”

Well… It may not seem like it, but there’s a world of difference in big box store tea brands versus organic loose leaf teas. The win is that they are in bright packaging, they’re easy to use and can be a little cheaper in price, but the loss is huge when you consider that convenience isn’t always what’s best...

Summer days spent in the grass under a shade tree, barefoot firefly chasing, and joyously soaking in the heat and sunshine never fails to remind me of my Mamaw. When little, I spent many lazy hot days with my grandparents in Cambridge, Ohio. In their words, their little house was, "deep in the holler," surrounded by forest, ponds, fields, and streams. All the wonderous things that call to a child on warm days.

My Mamaw Keith was a tiny woman...

Barbara (Lanning) Keith, aka Mama and Nana, is the matriarch of our herbalist family and the reason we are passionate about the green path. While our family tree contains many healers, our own herbal story begins with her.

Raised on a farm in Cambridge, Ohio, Barb grew up tending gardens, raising and showing cattle, canning harvests, and sewing clothing. Her deep love of herbs was sparked after the birth of her first child, me, in 1981. She was determined to give me a good, clean, and wholesome start to my life. That same year she planted her first herb seedling...

A common question we receive is how long do our products last, and how can I tell? We offer some insights on how to tell when our products have expired on our FAQ page, but the point of this article is to breakdown what we look for in our ingredients.

Do you want to make a new recipe on your own? Did you hear about a herb that sounds interesting and you would like to try it? Have you ever wandered down an aisle of a store and saw loose leaf tea on the shelf, or found a little shop selling herbs in...

For many new to it, herbal medicine can feel like an intimidating subject, and rightfully so, for without proper respect, knowledge, experience and technique, one can wrought much damage. But when it comes to our beloved little people, you shouldn’t scare yourself off, because while bodies of children are sensitive, their systems respond wonderfully to plant medicines. The key is to be informed, be safe, start slow, and trust in the intrinsic wisdom of mother earth...

Your health is a serious matter. We herbalists dedicate our lives to understanding medicinal plants and how they affect the body. In today’s age of modern medicine, it can be a struggle to get real answers, guidance, and clarity when it comes to how we feel and why. It can be difficult to even find an educated ear willing to listen.

We are here to offer some clarity and point you in the right direction to do your...