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.
