from your local herbalists here at the Natural Health Hut!

Almost two months into the season and we are still reveling in the many gifts and blessings this past Spring has brought to the farm.  As the season so beautifully bestows, the gift of new life has been abundant. We welcomed the birth of 8 kittens from two litters, and witnessed the hatching of 7 brand new baby chicks- one of which we had to rescue and assist in her hatching and first few days of life (see photos). Even the animals that live wild on the farm have found a haven in our land this year for their offspring.  Baby racoons, deer, birds, and more have taken up residency in the trees and herbal brush that grow undisturbed on our 7 acres.  Let’s just say it’s not a rare occasion to see a different species cohesively hanging out with our goats in the woods.

For a short stint, and at different times, we had two separate Bantam roosters make their way onto the property uninvited. They stayed with us for a short while, displaying quite the courage and spirit to take over and call our land home. Unfortunately, our other roosters did not take so kindly to this, and we had to rehome both of them on another farm.

Just as there is always a yin to balance the yang, the Spring was preceded with the passing of a few of our beloved farm animals during the Winter season.  Many may remember our blind goat Luna (ironically the only goat to be able to sneak out of our fenced-in goat pen).  We are unsure of the exact details, but she passed away in the middle of the night one night.  We found her the next morning and appropriately buried her remains under the oaks. 

Due to factors such as age, health conditions, and external circumstances, we also lost 3 kittens, 3 cats, a hen and two roosters already this year. 

As for the kittens that were born in Spring, their journey has not been without it’s own story worth telling.  Born to a mama cat that came to the farm as a feral kitten, the status of her underlying health condition was not known or made apparent at the time.  It turned out she was positive for FVR (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis).  In other words: cat herpes.  Unfortunately, this meant conjunctivitis for her kittens from the time they could open their eyes, ensuing cases of upper respiratory issues, skin rashes, and compromised immune systems.  That last part would entail a whole host of other issues we could not forsee: an erupting hot spot, better susceptibility to parasites of all kinds, slower healing times, sensitive guts, and compromised livers (if not addressed), just to name a few.

We had our work cut out for us, and thankfully a fabulous herbal medicine cabinet to pull from.  We documented as much of it as we could with photos and journaling in between hourly dosing, parasite dips, wound care, and the many hours spent researching and compiling the proper herbal protocols.  Because of the vast details surrounding their care, we intend to do a separate blog post related to their healing and what protocols we used, found successful, and how they were administered. Check back later for that in-depth write-up.

While the new farm life settles in on the land, our herbalists-in-training have been in full swing learning, apprenticing, and making herbal medicine with the newly sprouting plant life the Summer has brought about.  Thanks to some former graduates who lent their energy on a day in the winter to help us save a number of the Elder trees, we have had a fabulous harvest of Elderberries this summer. Of course this has meant a lot of Elderberry Syrup in production.  We’ve got your cold and flu season covered!

Another big project our herbalists and apprentices have been working on is creating herbal medicine/support for people experiencing post-COVID symptoms.  Herbal support for things like hair loss, fatigue, upper respiratory issues, circulation variation, electrolyte balancing, and more. Stop into the Hut or visit our online store to get more information on these post-virus balancing and supportive assistants.  

The end of Summer also means our students of the Herbalist Training Program, as well as our Clinical Herbalist students, will be graduating from their year-long intensive studies. Their graduation day will be held in September.

Enrollment is still open for the Fall startup of our next Herbalist Training Program, with only a handful of openings available.  Be sure to let anyone know that may be interested, so they do not miss their opportunity to get a spot for the first class, starting in October.

As the Fall season approaches, there are many improvements being made around the farm.  Our driveway and parking lot will get graveled, expanded and lined to help facilitate a better flow on class and event days.  Once the rainy season has subsided a bit, extra weeding and clearing will be done to open up more areas for students and clients around the farm to take advantage of the land and all it has to offer.  This means cleared and marked paths to and from buildings, the greenhouse, student gardens, and fire pit, as well as cleared and marked areas for gathering, spending time reading and researching, events, workshops and more.  As always, we are open to and happy to have volunteers that want to help out around the farm, who may also want to get an idea of what it takes day to day to make it all work.  If interested, we encourage you to reach out to us directly.

Our herb shop continues to be open Wednesday through Saturday from 9am until 5pm.  We understand it is not always possible to reach us via phone, but someone is always present and available in person during those hours to help with your herbal needs.  Our online shop and website are up-to-date and are updated as things change or there is new information to share, so be sure to check back often or for anything you may be curious we have to offer.  We strive to post pertinent info through our Instagram page @thenaturalhealthhut, and encourage following us to keep abreast of our happenings.

2022 has certainly kept us on our toes, and we continue to give gratitude and grace for that which has blessed, as well as taught us this year.  Thank you for following along, and we hope you enjoy the updates and photos we were able to capture of the action, blessings, and challenges that have filled our days and nights here on the farm this year.

Much love and extended peace,

Your Natural Health Hut team of herbalists