9 Month Herbalism Program 2025 @ Kern Family Farm

9 Month Herbalism Program 2025 @ Kern Family Farm

$1,480.00

Join us for our “Mountain Medicine Herbalism Program” here at Kern Family Farm. This course is a 9 month botanical medicine program that meets one weekend per month from March through November. Saturdays are our “Therapeutic Herbalism” topic, and Sundays are our “Herbal Medicine Making” topic. We will integrate medicinal herb cultivation into each weekend as well. Please see the detailed descriptions below for each of these.

Therapeutic Herbalism (Saturdays) dives deeply into the different organs systems of the body and therapeutic herbalism to support these different organ systems. This course spans the spring, summer, and fall seasons and will integrate organic herbs growing on the Kern Family Farm. At the end of this course, students can expect to have a thorough understanding of the different organ systems, anatomy and physiology for herbalists, therapeutic herbalism for the organ systems, energetic qualities of imbalances and herbs covered in this course, seasonal influences on our health, and Materia Medica.

Tuition includes participation in our in-person class on our beautiful farm in the Sierra Nevadas, all handouts and course materials used in class, as well as fresh herbs that students are invited to harvest monthly from our certified organic fields for additional practice making herbal medicines at home.

Class Dates:

March 8/9; April 5/6; May 3/4; June 7/8; July 5/6; August 2/3; September 6/7; October 4/5; November 1/2

Please note: In the event of unexpected smoke or weather events that are unsafe for gathering outdoors, we may need to reschedule class days. Students will receive emails prior to any changes.

This registration does not include weekend lodging or meals. Students can camp on the farm during weather-permitting months, and we have potluck lunch every class day.

Quantity:
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Outline of Topics Covered in our Program

Saturday class meets from 9:00am-4pm, Sunday class meets from 9:00-3:30. We have a 1 hour potluck lunch both days.

Class will be limited to 20 participants, early registration will confirm your spot.

  • March 2nd Therapeutic Herbalism: Introducing people and plants

    • Overview of course, introductions

    • Herbal Actions

    • Energetic qualities in herbal medicine

    • Seasonality of herbalism 

    • Overview of the body systems covered throughout the series

    • The different types of body tissues, herbal actions on the tissues

    • Tour of the farm, classroom, and herbal processing facilities

    • Herbalism for the seasons: Early Spring

  • March 3rd Herbal Medicine Making: The Tastes

    • Overview of the tastes in herbal medicine making

      • Demonstration of using our tastes to guide our herbal medicine making process

      • Herbal Tea Making for early spring

    • Medicinal Herb Cultivation 101: Mint propagation

  • April 6th Therapeutic Herbalism: Digestive system

    • Overview of the digestive system, anatomy and physiology

    • Herbal actions for the digestive system

    • Materia Medica for digestive system: Dandelion, Burdock, Mint

    • Herbalists view of the liver & role of bitters

    • Herb walk to see botanicals highlighted in class

    • Herbalism for the seasons: Mid-late spring

  • April 7th Herbal Medicine Making: Aqueous extracts

    • Botanical constituents soluble in water

    • Types of aqueous extracts

    • Advantages and disadvantages of aqueous extracts

    • Exploration of water as an element in medicine making

    • Herbal Tea Making Workshop

    • Medicinal Herb Cultivation 101: Seeding

  • May 4th Therapeutic Herbalism: Integumentary System

    • Overview of the integumentary system: anatomy and physiology

    • Herbal Actions for the integumentary system

    • Materia Medica for the Integumentary System: burdock, calendula, chickweed

    • Herb Walk to see botanicals highlighted in class

    • Herbalism for the seasons: late spring

  • May 5th Herbal Medicine Making: Lipid Extracts

    • Constituents soluble in lipids

    • Herbal infused oil demonstration

    • Advantages and disadvantages of making infused oils and salves

    • Salve making workshop

    • Medicinal Herb Cultivation 101: Guilds and Polyculture

  • June 1st Therapeutic Herbalism: Nervous System

    • Overview of the nervous system: anatomy and physiology

    • Herbal Actions for the nervous system

    • Materia Medica for nervous system: chamomile, tulsi, catnip, lavender, lemon balm, milky oat

    • Herb Walk to see botanicals highlighted in class

    • Herbalism for the seasons: early summer

  • June 2nd Herbal Medicine Making: Ethanol extracts (tinctures)

    • Botanical constituents soluble in alcohol

    • Types of ethanol extracts

    • Advantages and disadvantages of ethanol extracts

    • Exploration of alcohol as an element in medicine making

    • Tincture making workshop using fresh herbs from the farm!

    • Medicinal Herb Cultivation 101: Harvesting Herbs

  • July 6th Therapeutic Herbalism: Muscular & Skeletal systems 

    • Overview of the muscular & skeletal system, anatomy and physiology for herbalists

    • Materia Medica for muscular & skeletal systems: skullcap, St. John’s wort, fennel

    • Herbal actions for the muscular & skeletal systems

    • Herb walk to see botanicals highlighted in class

    • Herbalism for the seasons: mid summer

  • July 7th Herbal Medicine Making: Distillation

    • Types of plants suitable for distillation into essential oil and hydrosol

    • Farm walk to harvest our plant for distillation

    • Anatomy of the still: parts of the still, how it works

    • Complete distillation demonstration from start to finish, including separation of essential oil from hydrosol, and bottling it up to take home!

    • Medicinal Herb Cultivation 101: Drying Herbs

  • August 3rd Therapeutic Herbalism: Cardiovascular system

    • Overview of the cardiovascular system: anatomy and physiology for herbalists

    • Materia Medica for the cardiovascular system: rose, motherwort, hawthorn

    • Herbal Actions for the cardiovascular system

    • Herb walk to see botanicals highlighted in class

    • Herbalism for the seasons: mid - late summer

  • August 4th Herbal Medicine Making: Glycerine Extracts (Glycerites)

    • Botanical constituents soluble in glycerine

    • Introduction to glycerine as an element in herbal medicine making

    • Harvest and processing of herbs for glycerites

    • Glycerite making workshop

    • Medicinal Herb Cultivation 101: Seed Saving

  • September 7th Therapeutic Herbalism: Respiratory System

    • Overview of respiratory system: anatomy and physiology for herbalists

    • Herbal actions for the respiratory system

    • Materia Medica for respiratory system: angelica, elecampane, ginger

    • Herb walk to see botanicals highlighted in class

    • Herbalism for the seasons: early fall

  • September 8th Herbal Medicine Making: Herbal Vinegars

    • Using vinegar as an element in herbal medicine making

    • Botanical Constituents soluble in vinegar

    • Harvest and processing of herbs for herbal vinegars

    • Herbal vinegars workshop, including our annual “fire cider”

    • Medicinal Herb Cultivation 101: Fall Seeding, root harvest

  • October 5th Therapeutic Herbalism: Immune System

    • Overview of the immune system: anatomy and physiology for herbalists

    • Materia Medica for the immune system: echinacea, yarrow, elder, cleavers, reishi, eleuthero

    • Herbal Actions for the immune system

    • Herb walk to see botanicals highlighted in class

    • Herbalism for the seasons: fall

  • October 6th Herbal Medicine Making: Ethanolic extracts (cordials)

    • Review of constituents soluble in alcohol

    • Appropriate herbs and formulating for herbal cordials

    • Herbal cordial making workshop

  • November 2nd Therapeutic Herbalism: Conclusion of our program

    • Review of all body systems covered in the program

    • Materia Medica review/ “collection” of our experiences 

    • Using honey as an element in herbal medicine making

    • Botanical constituents soluble in honey

    • Herbal infused honey workshop

    • Medicinal Herb Cultivation 101: What to do during the dormant season

  • November 3rd Friend & Family Event

    • Slideshow of our time together

    • Presentation of projects to friends and family

    • Certificate ceremony

    • Tour of farm for friends and family

    • Cordial tasting workshop

Getting Here/Camping Here

We are located 9 miles outside of North Fork, California on an off-grid certified organic farm in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains. Participants are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes prior to class times to settle in, walk the gardens, and be ready to begin. Students may camp over the weekend during appropriate months.

Payment Plan Options:

We offer a monthly payment plan option for those with financial hardship. Please contact program director Becca Kern at becca719@gmail.com if you are interested in the payment plan option.