Classes 2025
Basic Faire Schedule
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Friday
Intensives 9:00am-1:00pm (This can be purchased separately- you do not need to attend the whole Faire to attend an intensive) General Faire Registration 1:00pm-3:50pm Marketplace opens 3:00pm Welcome/Announcements/Opening Ceremony 4:00pm-5:15pm Keynote 5:15pm-6:00pm Dinner 6:30pm-7:45pm Friday night classes 8:00pm-9:30pm |
Saturday
Sunrise class 7:30am- 8:15am Breakfast 7:30am-8:45am Announcements- 9:00am Keynote 9:15am-10:15am Marketplace/ Silent auction/Mingling Session 1 classes 11:00am-12:30pm Lunch 12:45-2:15pm Session 2 classes 2:45pm-4:15pm Session 3 classes 4:45pm-6:15pm Dinner 6:30pm-8:00pm Musical Performance 8:30pm-10:00pm |
Sunday
Sunrise classes 7:30am- 8:15am Breakfast 7:30am-8:45am Session 4 classes 9:00am-10:30am Session 5 classes 11:00am-12:30pm Lunch 12:45pm-2:00pm Session 6 classes 2:15pm- 3:45 pm Closing Ceremony 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm |
Opening Ceremony
description to come
description to come
Keynote Talks
Lottie Spady
(description to come)
&
jim mcdonald
(description to come)
(description to come)
&
jim mcdonald
(description to come)
Friday Intensives
9am - 1pm September 5th, 2025
Please Note: Intensives take place on Friday morning before the Faire officially kicks off.
They are optional, space is limited, and pre-registration is required.
Please Note: Intensives take place on Friday morning before the Faire officially kicks off.
They are optional, space is limited, and pre-registration is required.
Option One:
Chronic Inflammation: Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes
with Rosalee de la Forêt
Chronic inflammation lies at the heart of many modern health challenges, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In this class, we’ll unravel the connections between inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic health, offering a clear understanding of how these conditions develop and how they can often be addressed and even reversed. Together, we’ll explore the role of diet, lifestyle, and stress in fueling inflammation and learn practical strategies to support balance and vitality. Through a holistic lens, we’ll also discuss how herbal approaches can complement these strategies, helping to modulate inflammation and support the body’s natural processes. This class invites participants to gain a deeper perspective on the roots of chronic illness and discover actionable steps for promoting long-term health.
Option Two:
Hands on Workshop: The Horticulture of Herbs
with Jane Hawley Stevens
(description to come)
Option Three:
Tongue Diagnosis
with Erica Macrum
The tongue is a window into the body's internal health, offering valuable insights for herbalists and healers alike. In this interactive class, you’ll learn how tongue diagnosis can guide your herbal formulations, connecting the tongue’s appearance to the overall wellness of the person you are working with. We’ll explore key diagnostic markers—color, body, shape, and cracks—and uncover what different areas of the tongue reveal about the body’s inner landscape. This class includes a hands-on component where students will practice observing and interpreting each other's tongues, making it a practical and engaging experience.
Chronic Inflammation: Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes
with Rosalee de la Forêt
Chronic inflammation lies at the heart of many modern health challenges, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In this class, we’ll unravel the connections between inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic health, offering a clear understanding of how these conditions develop and how they can often be addressed and even reversed. Together, we’ll explore the role of diet, lifestyle, and stress in fueling inflammation and learn practical strategies to support balance and vitality. Through a holistic lens, we’ll also discuss how herbal approaches can complement these strategies, helping to modulate inflammation and support the body’s natural processes. This class invites participants to gain a deeper perspective on the roots of chronic illness and discover actionable steps for promoting long-term health.
Option Two:
Hands on Workshop: The Horticulture of Herbs
with Jane Hawley Stevens
(description to come)
Option Three:
Tongue Diagnosis
with Erica Macrum
The tongue is a window into the body's internal health, offering valuable insights for herbalists and healers alike. In this interactive class, you’ll learn how tongue diagnosis can guide your herbal formulations, connecting the tongue’s appearance to the overall wellness of the person you are working with. We’ll explore key diagnostic markers—color, body, shape, and cracks—and uncover what different areas of the tongue reveal about the body’s inner landscape. This class includes a hands-on component where students will practice observing and interpreting each other's tongues, making it a practical and engaging experience.
Adult Classes
Friday Evening Through Sunday
For Kids Tent Classes, please view the Kid's Tent page.
(Listed Alphabetically by Teachers last name and by class type)
Plant walks are listed at the bottom of the page.
Plant walks are listed at the bottom of the page.
Friday Evening Classes
Friday evenings we have historically held a session of classes that have some fun and flair to them and people have really enjoyed them.
Friday evenings we have historically held a session of classes that have some fun and flair to them and people have really enjoyed them.
Saturday and Sunday Classes
The Flavors of Insulin Resistance: Tailoring Type 2 Diabetes Care with Herbs, Nutrition,
and Biochemistry
with Abrar Al-Shaer
This presentation offers a deep dive into an integrative approach to managing type 2 diabetes, blending personalized nutrition, herbal medicine, and a clear understanding of the biochemical underpinnings of insulin resistance. Attendees will learn how to use targeted nutrition strategies, such as macronutrient breakdown & timing (e.g., eating protein and fiber before carbs), carbohydrate and protein ratios & servings, how to meet fiber goals to foster a gut microbiome that aids in glucose modulation, utilization of fasting-mimicking diets, and incorporating movement to support healthy blood sugar regulation. The talk will also cover the use of glucometers and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) for tracking progress and personalizing care. On the herbal medicine & supplementation side, participants will explore how to craft custom protocols tailored to different manifestations of diabetes, whether driven primarily by poor dietary quality, inflammation, stress, hormonal shifts like in pregnancy or menopause, or appetite dysregulation. Key supplements and therapeutic doses of nutrients and herbals will be discussed, with a focus on how they target specific steps in insulin signaling and glucose translocation pathways. Additionally, the session will unpack the biochemistry of commonly used medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists and metformin, including when and how to use these medications effectively in conjunction with natural therapies. By the end of the session, attendees will have actionable tools to provide truly individualized care for those with type 2 diabetes, bridging the gap between conventional treatment and integrative strategies.
Intermediate - Advanced
The PCOS Puzzle: Integrating Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, and Hormone
Tracking for Precision Care
with Abrar Al-Shaer
This talk explores a comprehensive integrative approach to managing PCOS through nutrition, herbal medicine, and medication, when necessary, tailored to the unique needs of each individual. First, attendees will learn key warning signs that warrant further investigation for PCOS diagnosis and the risk factors of PCOS. Second, attendees will learn how to set realistic goals for carbs, protein, and fiber intake, how to teach blood sugar balance for PCOS, and how to leverage glucometers and continuous glucose monitoring for blood sugar management and education. Attendees will also learn when and how to incorporate exercise or fasting where appropriate. The presentation will also highlight key herbs and supplements for addressing insulin resistance, regulating ovulation, lowering hirsutism, and supporting regular menstruation. The attendees will also learn when it is appropriate for certain herbs to be combined with commonly prescribed medications for PCOS such as progesterone, metformin, and spironolactone when necessary. Most importantly, the session emphasizes the critical role of understanding a patient’s PCOS phenotype—whether metabolic, reproductive, or a combination—and how this knowledge can guide treatment decisions and individualized custom herbal formulations. Attendees will learn how to understand a client’s PCOS phenotype through laboratory assessment, reported symptoms, and family history. Practical tools, including home urinary hormone tracking monitors, will also be discussed as a way to customize and optimize care. This presentation is designed to empower practitioners to create truly personalized and effective PCOS treatment plans.
Mountain Medicine: Appalachian Folk Herbalism
with Rebecca Beyer
Appalachian folk medicine is one of the most fascinating examples of American folk medicine traditions and what can happen when diverse cultures combine to form something completely unique. Exploring the ways in which Indigenous, African and European folk herbalism informed the birth of this special practice is a part of our collective herbal history. We’ll explore some of the lesser known plants of the region as well as some staples of the practice and discuss both its past and its future.
The Endocrine Cascade- Never Stop Dancing
with Margi Flint
When we understand the magic dance between our endocrine glands, which never ends, we achieve more complete understanding of our client’s overall health story. How do the organs relate to each gland? Come to hear what indications the body shares, the behavior patterns which connect, and the herbs to call on for balance for this magical cascade of wonder. Just a teaser…..Visual indications for the Pineal gland, darkened nipples, dark line down the center of the pregnant belly, new dark pigmentation anywhere! Happy and sad, night and day. A lack of sense of direction.
A Sensory Exploration of Herbal Energetics
with Lindsey Feldpausch
The practice of herbalism, at its very core, uses energetic assessments to help connect
plants with the people who need them. This class will take us on an adventure of inquiry
into plants and their qualities using organoleptic analysis. Through firsthand
exploration, we will work to determine the connection between the qualities of herbs,
their potential for physiological action, and our ability to discern this through our
senses.
Generalities of Reading the Body
with Margi Flint
We all walk on this Earth wearing the condition of our inner self, the effective function of our organs and emotions on our face, tongue and fingernails, voice and choice of words.
Come learn to read!
Integrative Flower Essence Therapy- Connecting People, Plants and Practices
with Hannah Forest
Beginning with the foundations of flower essence therapy, the presentation will explain flower essence remedies and how they work, ways we can include them in practice and in daily life, when they may be appropriate for use and also how to make a remedy. We will then dive into flower essence readings and ways to choose your remedies as well as how to integrate dietary, lifestyle, herbal and ritual support to build a deeply holistic and radically transformative healing experience.
What herbalism has taught me about healing: Body, Self, and Planet
with Erika Galentin
Join clinical herbalist Erika Galentin MNIMH RH of Sovereignty Herbs on a narrative exploration of herbalism and the use of plants for healing our relationships with our bodies, ourselves, and our planet. In this talk, Erika will journey through the internal ecosystems of our physical and emotional bodies and explore how tending to and caring for these systems reverberates out into the external ecosystems that sustain us.
Heroic Herbalism – Low dose Botanicals
with Erika Galentin
The use of low dose botanicals in clinical practice is a curiosity that many budding herbalists are interested in exploring. Low dose botanicals are powerful and exert their influence through very specific pharmacology which in many cases can be deathly toxic to our clients. However, when used in the correct amounts and specificities, low dose botanicals can also provide a short-term strategy for supporting complex wellness challenges. Join clinical herbalist Erika Galentin, MNIMH RH of Sovereignty Herbs and the Herbal Practice Connexion for an exploration of the use of low dose botanicals in her clinical practice which will include an unpacking of a philosophy of practice (which is akin to a pharmaceutical approach) that asks the practitioner hold themselves accountable for taking on the potentially harm-causing role of the ‘hero’ or the ‘fixer’ in their clients’ wellness journeys. (advanced)
Moonpause ~ Embracing the Menopausal Journey
with Leanne Hatfield
“Moonpause” is a celebration of the transformative menopausal years. We’ll explore nourishing foods, herbs, lifestyles, and rituals to support the health of your body, mind, and spirit. Regardless if you are still cycling regularly or have experienced your last menses, let’s gather in a circle of sisterhood. We’ll toss aside societal negativity and fear about the menopausal journey to make room for empowerment.
Nourishing the Nervous System
with Leanne Hatfield
Healthy nervous systems are integral to the vitality of individuals and communities. They are complex systems that are easily sabotaged, especially by lifestyle choices and environmental neurotoxins. Fortunately, there are many nourishing nervines and herbs to support systems that are out of balance. Let’s explore ways to align our nervous systems with vibrant health.
Deep Dive Into Alkaloid Plants
with Heather Irvine
Alkaloids are the thrillers and chillers of the botanical world. These can be poisonous, curative, or both! There are also some lesser-known alkaloids in food plants we eat. So we’ll step through the mischievous and the kind. This class will honor the alkaloids in medicinal plants, from the perspective of plants that even intermediate herbalists can use to some more heroic herbs, and finally, some of the world's most outrageous poisonous and medicinal substances. This could end in burning flames or paradise.
Meet the Mast Cells: Herbs for Allergic Response
with Mel Kasting
Explore herbs for mast cells related health issues in this hands-on class focused on herbal support for allergic responses. We’ll break down the differences between allergies, histamine intolerance, and mast cell activation, giving you tools to assess and address these conditions effectively. Through herb tastings and discussion, you will: Learn which herbs support histamine balance and immune function, gain strategies for working with allergic responses and histamine-related conditions, develop skills to assess symptoms and choose the right herbal approach. And, who knows—there just might be a piñata! Come prepared to taste, learn, and have a little fun.
Checking Out Aquatic Plants by Kayak
(Must be comfortable in a Kayak)
with Amanda Klain
Description to come...
Description to come....
with jim mcdonald
Redefining the Pathway to Wholistic Healing – Making the Connection
with Esstin Niganobe
Healing encompasses a collective perspective that is inclusive to Spiritual Identity and Plant Base combinations. Connecting the perspective on how we identify the concept of healing and what this looks like. Plant base remedies as therapy assisting with emotional and mental fatigue, and plants that connect on a spiritual level that assist the body to reclaiming a sense of connectiveness. Wholistic healing encompasses the 4 main medicines of the medicine wheel a concept that identifies therapeutic connections.
A Meditative Journey: Visiting the Ancestorial Cave
with Esstin Niganobe
Meditation can be a personal tool when journeying inward to searching for direction in life. When journeying inward; we identify with what works for us as we learn how to become comfortable with ourselves on a spiritual level. Visit with the ancestorial helpers, interrupting the messages can offer personal direction as needed and developing confidence to focusing on the journey.
Fine tuning the Clinical Practice of Herbal Medicine: The Consideration of Constitution, Energetics and Body Signs - IN TWO PARTS- 3 HOURS TOTAL
with Althea Northage-Orr and Patricia Kyritsi Howell
PART ONE will focus on three primary aspects critical to developing an effective clinical protocol.
The first day will focus on learning how to judge the constitutional state of the patient, and how it
effects the direction of the protocol. We will look at the constitutional “types” of both the West and Traditional Chinese Medicine and learn how to map the energetics both of the typical patterns of the patient, and in their current state. We will look at pulse diagnosis in a simplified form, tongue analysis and overall consideration of body fluids.
PART TWO will continue look at energetics, but considering how to judge the energetic pattern of a particular illness and how to look at staging illness from the standpoint of depth, seriousness and the direction it is most likely to move. We will then consider common herbs from the same standpoint. Which are best at which stage, what are their energetics and how can we utilize them most effectively.
Diagnostic Tools in Herbalism
Done in 2 1.5 hour classes for a total of 3 hours.
with Olatokunboh Obasi
Tongue, pulse and iridology are common diagnostic tools in herbalistm. This class will introduce diagnositic practices and the reasons they support the herbalists practice.
Starting To See Clients: Navigating the Early Days of Your Herbal Practice
with Angela Pietraszewski
This interactive workshop is designed for herbalists who are ready to take the leap and begin offering wellness consultations. We'll delve into the essential steps of establishing a successful and ethical herbal practice, covering key topics such as: ● Determining Readiness: Honest self-assessment, identifying your unique skills and offerings, and understanding your personal and professional boundaries. ● Building Your Foundation: Creating a professional presence (website, social media, herb shop), developing intake forms and client agreements, and establishing clear communication protocols. ● Marketing: Marketing strategies, networking within the herbal community, and building a referral network. ● Common Challenges & Solutions: Addressing common pitfalls, such as pricing, scope of practice, client communication challenges, and navigating difficult client situations. ● Establishing a Sustainable Practice: Strategies for building a loyal clientele, setting realistic goals, and creating a sustainable work-life balance for long-term success.
Formulation for the Practicing Herbalist
with 7Song
One of the key components in herbal practice is formulation. This combines an understanding of a patient’s condition (symptoms, diagnosis, etc.) and a working knowledge of the plants used in treatment. In this class we will cover strategies to formulate and use case studies as examples of this
often complex process.
Looking to Next Year: Plant Propagation and Seed Collecting
with Patti Travioli
Herb seed sowing and propagation don’t always follow a springtime schedule. In nature, seeds fall to the ground, often lying dormant through winter, waiting for the perfect moment to germinate. But what if they never experience winter—will they still grow? How can you increase the number of perennial herbs in your garden without breaking the bank? When is the right time to take cuttings or collect seeds from flowers, and what should you do next? September is a busy time in the garden prepping for the following growing season, and it’s the perfect moment to learn about herb cultivation, propagation techniques, and seed collection. In this class you will discover how to make the most of your garden and grow more sustainably.
Nasya: Administering Herbs through the Nasal Route
with Seva Van Why
Nasya is an ancient practice in Ayurveda. It involves creating herbal formulas to be applied through the nasal route. This is traditionally recommended for increasing cognition and focus, nervous system disorders, draining the lymphatics of the brain, balancing hormones, insomnia and depression. Applying herbs through the nasal route, breaks the blood/brain barrier and allows medicinal delivery directly to the brain and nervous system.
The Stories of our Wombs
with Racquel Washington
This is a conversation on pregnancy loss. Individually, communally, and generationally. These are stories we dont tell and share about womanhood and parenthood. These are moments in Womanhood and parenting that isolate us. You will have space to share your story, think and talk about pregnancy loss historically and in our families. How do people respond to it? How does this impact us? Participants will leave empowered to share their stories with the world. PArticipants will also be armed with herbal allies to support themselves and others as they navigate this experience. Recognizing the power these stories hold too.
Class title to come
with Shana Weddington
Plant Family Patterns: The Key to See
with Marc Williams
Plant family patterns can greatly aid in demystifying the “green wall” of botanicals around us. Close to 400,000 species of plants are known to global science. These species have been grouped into around 15,000 genera and over 400 flowering plant families. About 200 flowering plant families grow in the temperate world where it annually frosts and or freezes. You will know something significant about the majority of plants that you see in the temperate world if you learn the top 30 families around you. It is often possible to guess whether a plant is edible, medicinal, or poisonous simply by the family it occupies. However, some exceptions are important to know as well. We will engage in a lively presentation delving into the major plant families of the Midwestern USA. Students will reinforce plant identification skills by observing family patterns such as leaf, flower and fruit types. Uses including edibility, medicinality, craft, wildlife promotion and landscape beauty will be discussed. Participants will gain a more holistic understanding of the major plants comprising the Midwestern US flora and their potential ecological and ethnobotanical applications.
African American Agricultural, Botanical and Horticultural Traditions
with Marc Williams
Gain a better understanding and appreciation for the multitude of contributions from African Americans to the farm, garden, herbal, horticultural and scientific traditions of the U.S. We'll consider crops brought to this country from Africa, traditional diets combining those plants with the native plants of the Americas, and the food as medicine practices that have grown from this synthesis. We'll also explore African American garden aesthetics, innovations in plant science and landscape practices.
Wound Healers and Wounded Healers
with Leah Wolfe
Many herb folk are first drawn to plants to heal their own wounds and many develop profound ability to use plants to help others with similar wounds. Their experiences and the calling to work with herbs plant them in the paradigm of the wounded healer. Delve into the wounded healer archetype to understand and separate the potential insight or blindness that comes with transferring knowledge from personal wounds to caring for others. Wounds, whether by injury or disease, often cut through the physical into the emotional and spiritual being. In this context, explore the wisdom imparted by wound healing herbs. Herbs covered include yarrow, marshmallow, heal all, St. John’s wort, comfrey, and calendula.
Trail Medicine: Herbal First Aid for the Outdoors
with Cal Wolfpack
Bug bites? Poison ivy? Scratches, scrapes, cuts, puncture wounds? Sunburn? If you spend a lot of time working outside or enjoying the outdoors you know that these things happen. Sometimes they happen a lot and it often doesn’t take much for a wound or an itchy bug-bite to fester. In this class we will cover first aid and herbal options for addressing common outdoor injuries and irritations. Class will include wound-care basics and a sample first aid kit will be provided to help you be best prepared for your next camping trip or field day.
Basic Herbal Safety
with Cal Wolfpack
Frequently I come across the assumption that just because something is natural, it is safe. Herbal medicines and herbal products, while being generally safer than pharmaceutical medicines, do have safety considerations. First, we will place plants used for medicine on a spectrum from those that are most food-like and most safe to those that are more toxic and therefore more likely to carry risk. Next, we will discuss specific herbal actions and plant chemicals that carry safety concerns and contraindications. Finally, we will shift our focus to discuss different health situations that warrant caution regarding the use of herbal medicine. Participants will leave class with a better understanding of herbal medicines that are generally safe as well as a better idea of when and how to be cautious when using herbal remedies. References for further research on safety concerns and herb-drug interactions will be provided.
YOU SMELL ME? – AROMATHERAPY & BEYOND!
Yuma "Docta Yew" Bellomee
In this presentation, we will discuss the benefits and a diversity of practical applications of well-known and lesser known essential oils for energetic, emotional, physical, and environmental wellness support.
Plant Walks
Herb Walk- Transition Time Plant Walk
with Abby Artemesia
Learn the plants of this transition time into Autumn and also this time of transition in our world, when being able to identify the herbs that grow around us every day is vital. Abby will give you some basic introductory botany tips for identification, along with sustainable harvest and processing tips. This will demystify the often but unnecessary complications of learning Botany and even make it fun! Bring your field guides!
Description to Come....
with jim mcdonald
Herb Walk- ecological patterns and the doctrine of signatures plant walk
with Greg Monzel
description to come....
Plant Walk: Introduction to the Local Plants
with 7Song
Learn the medicinal and botanical characteristics of the plants growing here. We will discuss ways to gather and prepare them as medicine, clinical uses, as well as just appreciating their place in the ecosystem.
with Abby Artemesia
Learn the plants of this transition time into Autumn and also this time of transition in our world, when being able to identify the herbs that grow around us every day is vital. Abby will give you some basic introductory botany tips for identification, along with sustainable harvest and processing tips. This will demystify the often but unnecessary complications of learning Botany and even make it fun! Bring your field guides!
Description to Come....
with jim mcdonald
Herb Walk- ecological patterns and the doctrine of signatures plant walk
with Greg Monzel
description to come....
Plant Walk: Introduction to the Local Plants
with 7Song
Learn the medicinal and botanical characteristics of the plants growing here. We will discuss ways to gather and prepare them as medicine, clinical uses, as well as just appreciating their place in the ecosystem.
House of Moons