What a great time we all had at this year's Prairie Herbalists Conference! This yearly conference is a gathering of like-minded folks who enjoy educating one another and sharing personal experiences in the outdoor classroom of nature. A variety of herbalists, growers, practitioners, and experienced providers of alternative healing modalities come together to share knowledge on a wide range of topics. This year we would like to highlight a few of the presenters, as well as our own favorite moments during the weekend event.
Dr. Jen Hebel is co-owner of Five Elements Veterinary Alternatives, an integrative veterinary clinic in Omaha, NE. Her clinic specializes in chiropractic, acupuncture, and herbal medicine for small animals. Jen has been a handler with Search and Rescue Dogs and served as a Captain in the US Army Veterinary Corps. She recently received certification as a Clinical Herbalist from Northstar Herbal Studies in Omaha, NE. She presented the interesting class "Top Herbs for Dogs and Cats". An insightful suggestion she shared during her presentation was to adopt a pet with the same constitution/personality as yourself. An easygoing, laidback human may not be a good match for an energetic, intense animal, for example. Both could suffer because of their opposite needs and personalities. It makes so much sense! Another point she shared with us is that the main culprit for skin and digestive issues with our pets is from feeding them processed pet food. Also, cats cannot be given the herb Chamomile because it can cause serious bleeding in them. Learn more about Dr. Hebel's clinic at www.5elementsveterinary.com, on Instagram @fiveelementsveterinary, or contact them at (402) 614-6075.
Clinical Herbalist, Sara Brubacher, was drawn into the herbal world after experiencing the mental and physical health crisis of people living in conflict zones and witnessing the healing power of plants. Her family is proudly revitalizing the historic homestead Sky Chief Springs in Nebraska. This beautiful 28-acre area is named after Sky Chief of the Pawnee Nation, and features spring-fed ponds, native prairie, and ancient cottonwoods. Interestingly, it was a major campsite for the Nation's summer buffalo hunts. Sara led the 3-hour intensive class, "Intro to Herbal Energetics/Tastes". Learn more at www.starflowerbotanicalsne.com, or on Instagram @starflowerbotanicalsne
Lisa Grabenbauer and Molly Swanson, both herbalists, spoke on the topics, "The Greening Crone" and "Crone Project Year Three". What is a crone? She is a healer, a wise woman, a matriarch of the family or community, and shares her wisdom of life. It was brought out that nature helps us to connect with our internal cycles, the "seasons inside of us", and that connecting to plants, or "greening", connects us to all of our senses. Motherwort is said to be a crone plant, an herb to mother ourselves when we're feeling untethered or scattered. Other herbs mentioned specifically for women experiencing menopause symptoms are Black Cohosh root, Red Raspberry Leaf, Stinging Nettle, and Violet. Lisa and Molly are both involved in community events that provide support and education in a variety of ways. Together they help bring awareness and knowledge to the Crone years of a woman's life, and how we can support each other. "A woman's journey through perimenopause/menopause is a transition into deeper wisdom. We believe in honoring this journey by providing a loving circle of safe space for women where we can share our experiences and knowledge in order to empower and support each other, and to better understand this important passage in our lives." Learn more about their educational support groups by emailing thecircleoftheowl@gmail.com and thecronesjourney@gmail.com. They also host a private FaceBook group you may ask them about.
"The Mind-Body Connection in Traditional Chinese Medicine" was the topic of Paige Hill's discussion. This topic helped us to explore how our physical body processes different emotions and how thoughts can change the way our body functions. We will be sharing more about this topic in September's upcoming blog, so please stay tuned for that. Paige is a Clinical Herbalist, owner of Oak Leaf Herbal, and co-owner of Prairie Star Botanicals. Learn more about her at www.oakleafhealingcenter.com
Rachel Liester, herbalist, ethnobotanist, and co-owner of Red Road Herbs Retreat and Learning Center where her family has lived and worked for 25-plus years, has been teaching about the traditional uses of herbs as food and medicine for 30 years. Red Road Herbs Retreat and Learning Center is part of United Plant Saver's Botanical Sanctuary Network and much more. It is where events, retreats, classes and wild herb walks are hosted, and a haven of peace and tranquility where visitors are encouraged to experience Nature's healing touch. We love it there so much!
There were many wonderful presentations and discussions at the Prairie Herbalists Conference, but time and space here doesn't allow for all the details. Other presenters and educators include: Shea Harkness, Nicholas Schnell, Dustin Clayton, Amy Seger, Michelle Free-LaMere, Bob Henrickson, Mollie Morehead, Rebecca Chandler, Eve Conners, and perhaps others.
What does PSB staff have to say about some of their take-aways during this year's conference? Sylvia shares, "Dustin Clayton (in his presentation 'Herbs, Bones, Stars, and Stones - An Introduction to Natural Magic in the Western Esoteric Tradition') opened my eyes to something completely new...forming relationship with nature through natural magic. I found it very important when he spoke of how today it is more about taking from nature, but there should be a better balance. I believe he has found a way to that balance." Aaron adds, "This year seemed to be extra joyful...the event was full of chatter and good moods. I attended a Reiki class and I think I learned more about myself...Every year we meet new faces and often see recurring ones, too. I'm always excited for this event as it is such an important event for our local herbal community." And Victoria chimes, "This conference had some of the best energy yet. The presentations were on point and wonderful, and the entirety of the event had an exciting-but-healing energy...Having the option to learn and better yourself among like-minded people is always one of the best feelings, and having someone eager to facilitate that for so many people warms my heart. I look forward to see what's in store next year!" Yes, we all do!
Thank you, Red Roads team, for all you do to make each year's conference a special and memorable learning event! Learn more about this amazing retreat and learning center by visiting their website, www.redroadherbs.com
I love this recap! Thanks for the photos and I’m putting this on my bucket list for future years. The ones I’ve attended in the past were fantastic and it sounds like it just keeps getting better, if that’s possible!
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