“Nursing” Medicinal Herbs to Health

Chris Himmel and Henriette den Ouden found themselves farming and business partners in the non-traditional way.  Chris and Henriette met as graduate students attending Tai Sophia in Laurel, MD – a school offering master’s degrees in a variety of alternative medicine approaches to health and wellness.  Chris studied applied healing arts and Henriette became a medicinal herbalist.

Mid-life they decided to work together to harness the healing power of nature and share that with others.  For quality control, they decided to grow the herbs they would use in the practice.  Despite the challenges they faced, they now have a healing and wellness practice complete with an herbal “pharmacy” of which they grow in their backyard in Tyaskin, MD.

In December 2005, they moved to the former Dolby Farm near Whitehaven and incorporated their new herb farm enterprise, Habenera Farm LLC, by midyear 2006.

Much of their time is used discovering what will grow and thrive in the area, instead of forcing herbs that are not suited for the climate and soil.  Currently, they grow 30 varieties of medicinal plants and have a retreat center and an antioxidant orchard.

The two women make herbal tea, take their crops to farmers market and overall enjoy “nursing” medicinal herbs to health and growth potential.