Herb Camp
A native butterfly sips on Elecampane nectar.
“You’re never too old for camp,” a friend declared after hearing about Herb Camp 2022, hosted by Oshala Farm in Oregon’s picturesque Applegate Valley. Founded in 2013 by Jeff and Elise Higley, the farm is certified organic and produces over 85 medicinal and culinary herbs using regenerative, sustainable cultivation practices. From small beginnings it has grown to 290 acres under cultivation and become the fourth largest supplier of organic herbs in the USA.
I’d met Jeff and Elise in 2018 at a Breitenbush Hot Springs “reunion” herbal retreat, almost two decades after I closed my beloved Silver Bay Herb Farm. Though I still grow herbs and use them daily, my focus had shifted. The “reunion” retreat offered a chance to reconnect with colleagues from my herb farm days and meet new herb lovers. Herbs called me back.
Elise and Jeff sold their products at the retreat’s herbal marketplace. The excellent quality of their dried herbs impressed me, as did their passion for organic farming and the size of their operation. When they said, “Come visit us,” a seed was planted. I signed up for their newsletter, “Dirt on the Farm,” and added Oshala Farm to my list of someday destinations.
One April day in 2022, an invitation to Herb Camp arrived in my inbox. Elise and Jeff offered a chance to “come hang out with us and the plants on the farm and have fun with other plant lovers while taking inspirational classes throughout the weekend.” Covid restrictions had eased. Once again, herbs called to me. I signed up.
Herb Camp started off with a warm welcome to about 40 “campers,” most of them decades younger than I, followed by Jeff’s orientation tour that included information about the farm, layout of buildings, camping areas, outdoor “rooms” where meals were served and workshops held (“Walnut Lounge,” “Plaza,” “Hops House,” “Big Oak,”and “Elder ”), and jaw-dropping views of lush acres of medicinal herbs growing row upon long row. Later, over a delicious catered dinner featuring local organic foods, I chatted with three women in their late 20’s and 30’s. By evening the intense June heat diminished and I breathed in crisp, clean air as I settled down in my tent. Yips and howls woke me in the wee hours. After the coyote chorus ended, I gazed out at incredibly star-spangled skies, transported by a sense of expansion, vastness, and peace.
The next two days were organized into morning and afternoon sessions of 3.5 hour workshops, interspersed with meals and free time. Optional activities included early morning yoga, an informal marketplace and a talent show, plus socializing and revelry. Each session of workshops offered five choices; a total of twenty intriguing options made it hard to choose. Among the first day’s workshops: Herbal First Aid, Discerning Nervines, Seaweed for Human Health, Meet Your Inner Healer, and more. The second day’s offerings included Make Your Own Vinegar, The Glory of Glycerites, The Circle of Light Goddess Oshun River Ritual, Flowers of the Face, and Emotional Herbalism Embodied.
From my herb farm background I knew how an interest can grow into a passion, then a business, but I wondered how Jeff and Elise took their farm from a dream to a major player in the herb trade. In Herb Farming 101, Jeff told us their story. Back when they were teachers with no farming experience, he dreamed of farming and Elise, who enjoyed creating herbal teas, dreamed of herbalism. They cashed out their 401K plans, bought the original farm for $65,000, and lived off beans and squash they grew. Their business developed gradually, a process that took hard work, creativity, persistence, and reliability. I’m sure smarts and risk tolerance played a large part too. “Eventually things grew bigger than us,” he said. The farm now supports 22 families year round, with good pay and benefits including medical insurance.
The information Jeff shared only scratched the surface of his knowledge. In the propagation area, he discussed botany, herb propagation, and seed saving. 90% of the seed they use is grown on the farm, ensuring locally adapted plants with high concentrations of medicinal constituents. For example, they developed their multi-petaled, high resin content strain of calendula from an Egyptian variety. We learned about field growing, crop rotation, and harvesting among large swaths of herbs like peppermint, spilanthes, skullcap, and rue. In the huge drying shed, financed by contract drying a million pounds of marijuana during the post-legalization boom, he talked about drying, cleaning, and storage, and also shared mind-boggling details of marketing, FDA regulations and inspections. He encouraged would-be herb farmers to find their own niche in the ever-expanding herbal marketplace, and advised, “Fail early, fail often, fail small scale.”
The temperature rose to over 100 degrees, making the “river” in the Circle of Light Goddess Oshun River Ritual workshop irresistible, though I had no idea what to expect. Teacher Jaguar Womban (“Jag”) led an all-woman group in call and response chants based on Caribbean traditions, then bathing in the cool Applegate River. The water was barely waist deep but spillway swift, and I unexpectedly found it carrying me toward rocky rapids. I couldn’t right myself or change direction, but before I could call out or panic, a strong hand gripped my arm and a voice said, “I’m not going to let you go.” Two hands hooked under my armpits and pulled me to shore. I later learned that Dawn, my rescuer, had been a river rafting guide for eight years. What are the chances? After I’d rested a bit, Jag turned to me and asked, “How are you doing, Mary?” My response: “I’ve finally cooled off, thank God.” The experience was akin to that fall-and-let-others-catch-you exercise, only for real with no assurance of rescue. During those moments of utter helplessness, I gave myself up to destiny—and help arrived. My gratitude is profound.
The rest of Herb Camp passed quickly, with more interesting workshops, including the unexpectedly powerful “Emotional Herbalism Embodied.” As herbalist Sam Roberts reminded us, “Plants are not things. They are beings with their own energy and spirit.” Under her guidance, we ingested “spirit doses” of four herbs. The resulting emotional journey left me wanting to learn more about this fascinating branch of herbalism. Over the weekend I also enjoyed many satisfying meals, refreshing dips in a clear irrigation stream, and coyote serenades at night. Sweet connections with other campers developed, especially the three lovely women I met during the very first meal. The ways they sought me out and befriended me made me feel accepted and valued. The marketplace, a free 2-hour opportunity to sell, barter, or trade their wares, gave campers a chance to recoup some expenses while extending personal connections. Among the products on display were alcohol-free herbal tinctures, tie dyed clothing, herbal teas, a children’s nature book, organic popcorn, beauty products, and my little spread of sachets, herb plants, and my first published herb book, “Growing Herbs.”
During the closing circle I looked around at medicine makers, healers, dreamers, down to earth growers, plant lovers, and seaweed experts. A passion for herbs and respect for Planet Earth united our healthy mix of skin colors, genders, and ages. “These are my people,” I thought. “This is my tribe.” Oshala Farm’s invitation delivered on fun, interesting people and learning. I had a chance to see multiple varieties of medicinal herbs grown organically on a massive commercial scale. I experienced real danger, helplessness, and rescue. I learned more about these amazing plant allies, made new friends, and renewed my passion for herbs. Camp can indeed provide renewal and memorable experiences at any age. Herbs called me, and I’m glad I answered their call.
