Get ready to join the herbal revolution, Somerville! The Center for the Arts at the Armory is hosting HERBSTALK 2012, an inaugural herbal and holistic health event taking place on Saturday, June 9th from 11am to 6pm.
This day-long community event is bringing together over 20 local herbalists, holistic nutritionists, naturopathic doctors and natural health counselors who will teach about herbs, health, nutrition and how to heal ourselves. Check out the schedule of educational talks here.
A vibrant marketplace will showcase vendors selling their herbal-based goods while several local bands will provide musical entertainment between classes. Mass Horticulture’s “Plantmobile” will offer interactive, educational opportunities for young herbalists and gardeners alike, and a Clover food truck will be parked in front of the Armory to serve up tasty, locally grown food and drink.
The talks and workshops will range from creating herbal remedies from your back yard to urban plant walks to utilizing herbs for common ailments. Amongst other speakers, the list of participants includes:
- Animal herbalist Nancy Anderson of Canis Major Herbals in Somerville
- Spring Hill’s own flower essence practitioner, Catherine Iagnemma
- Dr. Jennifer Zartarian a naturopathic doctor practicing at Cambridge Health Associates
- Local herbal schools such as: The Boston School of Herbal Studies, The CommonWealth Center for Herbal Medicine and the newly established Herbal Academy of New England
At Herbstalk so-called “weeds” such as dandelion, burdock, plantain and red clover will be celebrated for their healing virtues. The ubiquitous dandelion, for instance, has long been known by the herbal world as being one of the most useful herbs for promoting liver health. Just drink some dandelion root tea or munch on some raw leaves for the benefits. At Herbstalk expect to have your definition of “weeds” uprooted…
The folks behind Herbstalk believe that with a little education, the plants that grow all around us will be seen in a whole new light… Dandelions become food; plantain leaves become soothing poultices; red clover blossoms become a nutritious tea. Herbstalk seeks to inspire Somervillians, and all urban dwellers, to build a greater connection to the natural world and to the plants that offer their healing gifts to us.
For more information and the class schedule visit the Herbstalk website at http://www.herbstalk.org.
