Become A Home Herbalist 2024

Learn how to create herbal products for yourself and your family. Herbal Practitioner & Holistic Health Educator Connie Karstens, MS, and teaching assistant, Clara Rathke, MH, will instruct a nine-month intensive program that will empower you, with knowledge and confidence, to become a home herbalist. This series of classes take you through the seasons so that you can prepare an entire apothecary of safe, gentle, and effective herbal products.

The program will include a solid foundation of traditional western herbal medicine, local plant identification, wild food foraging, numerous preparation techniques, plant energetics, and knowledge of proper usage. By the end of the class, you will not only have stocked your own botanical pharmacy but also know and understand how and why to use the herbal preparations you have created. Now, more than ever, it is essential to learn these skills.

This program is a rare opportunity for hands-on learning and gathering plants with a local herbal practitioner. This course is designed for those who want to be more self-sufficient and use the Creator's gift of herbal medicine for friends and family. This is the first foundational course of three of the Home Herbalist series. Please note that while this course is not specifically designed for practitioners, it can be a stepping stone toward understanding the healing ability of plant medicine.

Sign up today to become a part of this fantastic program! Certificate of Completion awarded.

2024 Class Dates

The course includes a total of 16 classes. There are 12 Tuesday night classes from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm and 4 Saturday classes from 9:00 am - noon. Forty-eight hours of class time.

• Tuesday, March 12 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tuesday, March 26 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tuesday, April 9 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tuesday, April 30 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Saturday, May 18 | 9:00 am – noon
• Tuesday, May 28 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tuesday, June 11 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Saturday, June 29 | 9:00 am – noon
• Tuesday, July 16 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Saturday, July 27 | 9:00 am – noon
• Tuesday, August 13 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Saturday, August 24 | 9:00 am – noon
• Tuesday, September 17 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tuesday, October 15 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tuesday, October 29 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tuesday, November 12 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Ø Optional Herb Walks FREE to attend for Home Herbalist Students:

Annual Founders Herb Walk: Saturday, May 25th

Other Plant Walks: Thursday, June 27th & Thursday, June 25th

What to expect:

This course is essential for those wanting to take charge of their health and who have a desire to become informed, educated, and more independent. The class will explore the historical roots of herbal medicine and will help you learn how to use botanical medicines for basic natural healthcare. The students will gain an understanding of simple herbal aids for many common ailments and first aid uses. This course will teach the basics of preparing local herbal medicines in your own home. You will also learn about planning, planting, growing, and using your very own medicine garden.

FREE Making & Using Herbal E-Text Included!

You will learn about the following over the 9 -month course:

• Fresh & Dried Tinctures
• Bark Tinctures
• Root Tinctures
• Medicinal Herbal Wines
• Medicinal Herbal Syrups
• Medicinal Herbal Teas
• Herbal Botany Basics
• Herbal Pastilles
• Herbal Lozenges
• Medicinal Vinegars
• Herbal Infused Honeys
• Herbal Oxymels
• Drying Herbs & Storing Herbs
• Freezing Herbs
• Make a “Green Jar”
• Poultices
• Compresses
• Liniments
• Oil Infusions
• Salves, Ointments, & Formulas
• Herbal Hydrotherapy & Formulas
• Herbal Actions & Corresponding Herbs
• How to Put It All Together to Select
• Herbs for Common Aliments
• Using Herbs Safely

This course will require some independent work and research along with a few quizzes, presentations, and group collaboration. There will be a great deal of hands-on learning. By the end of the class, you will have the opportunity to make well over 50 herbal preparations for your own personal herbal pharmacy. Plus, you know how to safely and effectively use every preparation you make.

As a bonus, you will gain the basics of how-to wild forage with common plants in the local area. We will do much hands-on collecting of plants for medicine and food.

Other Added Benefits of Joining 2024’s Home Herbalist Class:

• Join a community of like-minded individuals & make long-lasting connections.
• Have the opportunity to be added to the Home Herbalist Private Group Facebook group of past and present students to ask questions and collaborate with each other.
• 5% OFF any purchases in the Shoppe on class days.
• Make-up time as needed – If you miss a class, we can arrange a time to make up what you missed or an extra chance for those who have questions about the class material.

Plants that may be discussed, but are not limited to: Anise Hyssop, Agrimony, Astragalus, Basil, Birch, Bitters, Black Walnut, Blue Vervain, Boneset, Borage, Burdock, Calendula, Catnip, Cayenne, Chaga, Chamomile, Chickweed, Cleavers, Comfrey, Cottonwood, Creeping Charlie, Dandelion, Dill, Echinacea, Elder, Elecampane, Feverfew, Figwort, Gingko, Goldenrod, Gravel Root, Hawthorn, Honey Suckle, Horsetail, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Linden Flower, Mallow, Marshmallow, Motherwort, Mullein, Nasturtium, Nettle, Northern Prickly Ash, Oak, Parsley, Peppermint, Pine, Pineapple Weed, Plantain, Pleurisy Root, Raspberry, Red Clover, Rosemary, Sage, Self-Heal, Shepherd’s Purse, Skullcap, Solomon’s Seal, St. John’s Wort, Sumac, Thyme, Thuja, Valerian, Violet, White Horehound, White Pine, Wild Bergamot, Wild Cherry, Wild Hops, Willow, Wood Betony, Yarrow, Yellow Dock.

Limited Space. The course will fill up, so register early.

5 Reasons to Take This Course:

1. Hands-on-learning. There are a ton of herbal classes offered online but getting to know the plants in person will teach you so much more!
2. This course will change your life. You will never look at weeds the same way again!
3. Practical information to incorporate into your daily life. You will learn how to identify, collect, and prepare healing herbs.
4. You will create your very own herbal apothecary. You will have the chance to make 50+ herbal preparations throughout this class!
5. Get a FREE Making & Using Herbal Preparation Card Set. This tool will be a great reference throughout this course and beyond.

Early Bird Savings:

•  Register & send in your $50 deposit by 12/31/23 & save $120!
• $1,275 ($50 deposit + $1,225) The deposit is non-refundable to save your spot. Payments must be cash or check. 
• Also eligible for payment plan ($50 deposit + $425 due by March + $400 due by June + $400 due by September). Payments must be cash or check. If needed, an additional $15 will be charged per each payment plan for credit card payments.

Course Cost After 12/31/23:

• $1,395 (cash or check)
• Additional $45 for credit card payments.
• Payment Plan Option – 3 payments of $465 cash or check (Due: March, June, September)