“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.

Do What You Want and Start Farming Now

Confucius said “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” It seems as if more and more people are living by this maxim, and turning their lifetime dreams of operating a small farm operation into a reality, and so can you!

What you choose to do has most likely been a hobby up to this point. And whether you’re interested in horses, alpacas, growing and selling vegetables, or even a small wine operation, it’s time to realize you too, can turn these interests into a small business!

So, think about it – do you want to make a profit, or simply break even and offset operational costs? You should decide this and then begin writing your business plan. Not only will your banker want to see this, but it will be your business blue print and tracking device for your successes and areas of improvement.

It is no doubt that a business plan is a lot of necessary work. The good thing is that there are tons of resources available to help you get started such as this template from the Small Business Administration, our young, beginning, small and minority farmer section on our website, or even your local cooperative extension service. By using these resources, you will be able to customize your plan to specifically fit the mission and goals of your operation.

After all, if you believe Confucius’ maxim about work, you must also believe his feelings on preparation, as he said “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And we think turning your hobby farm into a small business, is a step that’s well worth taking.

So, do what you want and start farming now! (And don’t forget to comment and let us know what you decide)

West Virginia set to host ag events

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is preparing for two agricultural and farming events in the coming weeks, according to a press release.

The Agritourism Workshop is scheduled for February 29 and the West Virginia University's Extension Service's Small Farms Conference is slated for March 1 through 3. Both events are slated to be at the Waterfront Hotel in Morgantown and require separate registrations.

"Agritourism is a growing niche market that can help farm owners add another income stream to their farm operations," said Gus R. Douglass, commissioner of agriculture. "Besides being an income opportunity, agritourism helps connect the public with the source of their food, which creates a greater awareness of the good work done by farmers everywhere."

The Agritourism Workshop features two speakers, Hugh McPherson of Maize Quest and Donna Alt of Brookdale Farms. McPherson has franchised Maize Quest to more than 70 farms in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. Brookdale Farms features a corn maze, interaction with animals and a farm in operation.

Douglass and Tourism Commissioner Betty Carver are scheduled to present 2012 West Virginia Agritourism Awards after lunch at the Agritourism Workshop.