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This festival is organized with social justice and health justice principles in mind. We strive to make the space safe, comfortable, and accessible for everyone who is interested in learning about herbalism. We request that all teachers and participants treat each other with respect regardless of gender, class, race/culture, religion, immigration status, political views, age, mental ability, and appearance.
FEATURED SPEAKER
7pm Evening Festivities
Tarshire Battle, Roots 2 Empower, she/her
Tarshire is a self-taught artist who has used creativity as a catalyst for change with people experiencing homelessness, addiction, domestic abuse, PTSD and other forms of trauma. She worked for five years as a Department of Corrections Mental Health Discharge Planner, and is the founder of Roots 2Empower (formerly Restoration Urban Farm of New England). This social enterprise seeks to break the cycle of recidivism by providing business and agriculture training to formerly incarcerated adults and at-risk youth.
Tasha holds an MA in Public Administration from Northeastern University, and an MA in Mental Health Counseling from Boston University. She is also an herbalist and Master Gardner.
FEATURED SPEAKER
7pm Evening Festivities
Kate Lacouture, Garden Time, she/her
Kate Lacouture, Co-founder, Executive Director & Educator. Kate is a landscape architect and garden activist in Providence, RI. Her firm,
, specializes in community gardens, school gardens and prison gardens. She also works with URI Cooperative Extension training Master Gardeners to work in school gardens. She lives in Providence with her husband, three sons, and too many backyard chickens.
DAYTIME SPEAKERS
Dinalyn Spears-she/hers, RI
Director of Community Planning/Natural Resources at Narragansett Indian Tribe and Owner of East Winds Native Arts & Crafts. Dinalyn is also a Master Gardener, Herbalist, Artist, Educator and Grant Writer.
Mary Blue, Farmacy Herbs & Herbal Foundations Online-she/hers, RI
Mary Blue is a community herbalist in Providence, RI and has run Farmacy Herbs store, farm and education center for the last 15 years. Mary developed the Herbal Foundations Certificate Program and the Farmacy Internship Programs. Mary’s healing philosophy and business model revolves around community, activism, education, and social justice. Mary is a guest teacher at Brown University, Mass College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, RISD and more.
Andraly Horn, Bodyworker, Farmer, and Herbalist- he/him, RI
Andraly Horn is a herb farmer and bodyworker. His healing skills involve biodynamic craniosacral therapy balancing the physical and emotions of his clients. His bodywork and herbal gardens create immense spaces for healing.
Andraly will be teaching on Saturday morning, sharing his experiences and wisdom from his herbal gardens.
Sequoria “Coco” Dickerson, Farmacy Herbalist, Director of Prophetic Resistance-she/hers , MA
Sequoria Dickerson has been to over 30 countries studying, working, and praying with her feet. She is the Interim Director of Prophetic Resistance Boston, a nondenominational, nonpartisan, faith-based nonprofit that uses the development of leadership skills to empower citizens to organize their communities and find solutions to the problems they face. She believes sustainable movement building is contingent upon healthy social justice workers. For that reason, she is deeply committed to integrating plant-based cooking classes, herbalism, somatics, and self-care retreats into her work. Her favorite work of all is making yummy food with her sous-chef, Tres, who just so happens to be her 2-year-old son
Erin Soule, Farmacy Herbs, she/her
Erin is a passionate advocate in the healing power of herbs and empowering people to take a more active role in their healing journey. She hopes to uplift folks to explore modalities of health and healing that exist outside of the for-profit paradigm of conventional allopathic medicine.
She found her way to herbalism through working as a veterinary technician at a clinic that practiced both eastern and western plant medicine. After being introduced to alternative healing modalities, Erin felt a strong pull to immerse herself in herbalism. She has been studying plants for many years now, including having taken classes at Farmacy Herbs.
Iesha Martinez- Herbalist, (she/ her)
Iesha-(iy-Y-SHaa)Boston based Herbalist and personal trainer at Equinox. Mother of two boys, one teenager and a toddler. Owner and founder of Optimum Wellness, a small holistic business focused providing health education through herbal products like sea moss, yoni steams and herbal teas. Iesha is a natural food advocate, and advocates for individual healing for clients and her community. Through personal experience in the healthcare system and a serious medical scare, Iesha prioritized natural healing and lifestyle changes and now shares that with her community.
Mira Silverman, RN- she/hers, RI
Mira Silverman ( she/hers )is a nurse-herbalist building her nest in Rhode Island. She has been in this lifetime a child in Brooklyn, an anthropologist in the Hudson Valley, an artisan in Mexico, and a plant-loving earth-wanderer. Mira received her formal training in herbal medicine at the California School of Herbal Studies before returning to school to become a registered nurse. She has a deep passion for accessible, integrative healthcare and she believes in the power of plants to help us reclaim the vitality and resilience of our bodies, our environment, and our communities.
Quatia “Q” OsorioCCHW, CLC, CPE-she/hers, RI
Founder of The Urban Perinatal Education Center, Doula, Mama Blue Diaper Service, Our Journ3i, & Quaintly FarmQ is a Bryant University graduate, certified (perinatal) community health worker, certified lactation counselor, certified community birth and postpartum doula, certified perinatal educator and attending classes to become a Midwife. Q is an active community advocate with Our Journ3i, for infant and maternal health disparities and equity. Q spends her time with her husband and five children. She owns a small “Quaintly” Farm in her community to help support local urban community farm stands.
Sakinah Abdur- Rasheed, WEHEAL, Sakinahs Herbs-she/hers, RI
Sakinah is a lifelong herbalist. Her 2 sons are now full-grown and were raised as “herbal kids”. She has been teaching herbalism and working as a practicing herbalist since the 1970s. She is also a dedicated community activist and works to stand up for women and the environment. She runs Sakinah’s Herbs and WEHEAL. She is trained in Sufi healing and utilizes spiritual healing and local herbs in her practice.
Mimi Budnick, Wellspring Apothecary-she/hers, RI
Mimi Budnick is a queer yoga teacher and community herbalist based in Providence, RI that draws from many years as a Community Organizer and Adult Educator to ground her offerings in an anti-oppression framework. Mimi is certified as an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant through the American Institute of Vedic studies and has gleaned her knowledge about plant-based medicine through years of self-study and exploration, and more recently with 7Song at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine, Mary Blue, and Maria Noel Groves of Wintergreen Botanicals. Mimi offers remedies, classes, workshops, and retreats that explicitly support people to tap into their own wisdom and resiliency, and that help promote collective and community healing. More information about her offerings can be found at mimibudnick.com
Peter Glantz, Howls Tincture, he/him, RI
Peter Glantz is the founder of Howl’s Tincture, the most popular cannabis tincture in New England since 2012. He began making cannabis tincture for himself to relieve symptoms of chronic pain and anxiety after a failed eye surgery. He then joined a patient coop in Rhode Island where he started providing it to other patients. After hearing the stories of the patients who began to rely on it for their health and well being, he founded Howl’s with the mission to make this valuable plant medicine available to everyone who can benefit from it. Peter lives in Providence with his wife, artist Meredith Stern, and their son Fox.
Carissa Wills-Demello, Town Farm Tonics-she/hers, MA
Carissa founded and runs Town Farm Tonics in Westport, MA. She currently practices as a clinical herbalist at the Sage Healing Collaborative with Dr. John McGonigle. She has completed 4 years of study at Farmacy Herbs. Carissa founded Bilo Herbs with a mission to feed the mind, body, & soul with herbal medicine.
Edmund Burr, Bay Road Botanical-he/him, MA
Poet, Artist, Herbalist, and sometimes Landscaper, Ed has no money or formal education but has an extensive understanding of the natural world. Forty-nine plus years of wandering in the woods and rolling in the grass have given Ed the opportunity to witness the network of life as it vibrates from season to season.
Ed can be found teaching at Moose Hill Audubon Sanctuary and owns and operates Bay Road Botanical, a six-acre farm and sanctuary focusing on endangered and at-risk medicinal plants, fungi, and the lich(en). www.bayroadbotanical.com
Jennifer Phillips of Jenza’s Garden -she/hers, RI
Jennifer has an Herbal Teaching Garden in NW RI. For several years she has held herbal classes there and others in Southern New England locations. In her herbal garden, she grows both Medicinal and Magical Herbs. Living a seasonal life in the Autumn she gives workshops helping people craft their own brooms. Jennifer, a previous self-described Failed Meditator discovered the Labyrinth at her first New England Women’s Herbal Conference. There she found the benefits of a Walking Meditation. Now she is a Veriditas Trained Labyrinth Facilitator. www.jenzasgarden.com
Elizabeth Leibovitz, Youngken Garden, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island-she/hers, RI
Elizabeth Leibovitz is the Medicinal Garden Coordinator at the Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden and Adjunct Instructor at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy where she tends 300 different species of medicinal plants and shares her passion for the plant world. Previously she spent 10 years growing organic produce on New England vegetable farms. She also runs a small market garden, Herb & Forage.
Tina Lidano, she/ hers
Tina has worked as a naturalist and educator for 7 years and in that time has received Wilderness First Responder and EMT training. She has been a student at Farmacy for 3 years and has completed the herbal foundations courses. She also incorporates herbal medicine as a street medic.
Narcissa Segura, Farmacy Herbs, she/her
Narcissa Segura started working at Farmacy Herbs in 2009.
She is now works as Farmacy’s medicine maker, kitchen and staff manager and business partner.
Narcissa was formally trained and graduated from the Farmacy Herbs certificate program in 2010. She then trained under beloved southwest herbalist JoAnn Sanchez for five years, making herbal medicine, tending to the herbal medicine gardens and helping to run Sanchez’s herbal diploma program at The Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe, Arizona. Narcissa found her way back to Farmacy Herbs in 2017 (Just couldn’t stay away!) and has been an integral part of the team ever since.
Narcissa’s fierce love for nature, phytochemistry and plant science has led her to become a sorceress in the art of herbal formulation. She can most often be found in the production room at Farmacy Herbs, making silly jokes and calculating solvency formulations.
Jody Noe , she/her
Dr. Jody E. Noé obtained her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. Previous to this, she was awarded her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science degrees from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Noé served as adjunct faculty to the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Connecticut College of Naturopathic Physicians, Bastyr University, the New England Women’s Herbal Conference, Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NIAOM) and several community colleges and private organizations.
Angel Putney Noe, she/her
Angel is registered nurse, herbalist & teacher. She is currently working at Natural Family Health & Integrative Medicine in North Stonington as an office manager, medicine maker & community health educator. She is also now offering CranioSacral Therapy & Reiki. Her journey as an herbalist started many years ago as she travelled around the country. She learned about using common plants for first aid and acute care needs. She worked with friends & family as they needed formulating blends and teaching others how to make their own medicine. Years later she attended the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine as an apprentice in 2003 to further her education. Directly following this amazing program she enrolled in a nursing program to go on and earn her BSN at the University of Southern Maine and becoming a Registered Nurse. She is currently in school to become a Nurse Practitioner, and runs her herbal school, “Reclaiming Our Roots” in CT.
Salina Ting, she/her
Salina joined Farmacy Herbs at the height of the pandemic, where she felt it was her saving grace connecting with the herbs and community on Mary’s farm and shop! You’ll also find she enjoys taking on various roles. She has worked with families as a lactation counselor and community health worker. She currently attends school for business. Salina enjoys being involved in art related projects with her daughter. You can find Salina at the shop, the market, and social media. Salina has completed all levels of herbalist training offered at Farmacy.
Maggie Hatzpanian, Maggies Healing Path, she/her
Maggie Hatzpanian is an Herbalist and Yoga Instructor with a background in Nursing. She brings all these a plus her own wellness practices together in helping others maintain Health, Wellness & Happiness through her newly formed Maggie’s Healing Path. In addition to working directly with clients she grows & formulates a full line of Herbal products as well.
Priscilla Vargas, Farmacy Herbs, she/her
Pricilla is an entrepreneur, artist/creator, gardener and herbalist. Born and raised in Providence, RI. She spent her first 9 years living in the Dominican Republic. She has a passion for uplifting her community through holistic healthcare and supporting local businesses & artists. She currently works as a fine gardener for a woman owned company. She also runs a small business, @GoodsByBlckRose, in which she makes handmade felt items, herbal infused skincare & curated tea blends. She works to share the knowledge she has learned on her personal journey of decolonization & reclaiming ancestral practices.
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