An Herbal Community Blooms in the Desert



Posted: Saturday, February 02, 2008

by
Center of Holistic Health

If you asked an herbalist where would be the worst place in the United States to live, someone would undoubtedly answer, “Las Vegas". They would not be far off base in thinking that there are no herbalists here.

When I came here 15 years ago, I was not concerned with that, but within a couple of years my life would turn to the direction of herbal medicine. After several years of studying at home to be an herbalist I began to seek out other professionals willing to collaborate. Eventually I realized that there was simply no community of herbalists and little organization for locals to seek them out.

Feeling defeated and limited, this became my goal. I began to build an herbal community. I started by offering community based herbal medicines classes at my local university. I had just finished graduate school and had some friends in the university willing to hear my ideas. The response was good and grew steadily over the next 5 years. In my 3rd year of teaching I started a local herbal newsletter, trying to encourage people to stay connected, keep busy with herbs. Still, there was not a community of people working together other than meeting ay my classes.

I then opened my regular purchases up to students eventually creating the Las Vegas Herb Co-Operative. It is a great network of over 40 people who have a genuine interest in herbs. Some of them are just learning and some are quite experienced but all of them love having an “herbal group" to belong to.

We have learned how to work together to obtain excellent quality products at good prices while also working to reach out more to the public by organizing educational classes, events and eventually conferences. This was put into action in a big way with our local Herb Day event, hosted by the co-op. This was the first herbal event in Las Vegas.

I began planning for the event 10 months ahead of time and yet was still met by resistance and lack of support by the few local vendors in town. Still, we felt the response was outstanding with over 150 people in attendance. We offered free classes on growing herbs in the desert, the importance of organics, making simple infusions, tinctures and taught people about the useful things that they may already have in their yards.

The co-op offered information on the companies we work with as well as information about the work of United Plant Savers. It was instrumental in letting the public know herbalists are here as well as the co-op. Herbal and supplement shops abound in southern Nevada but practicing herbalists and herbal educators are very limited.

Las Vegas may appear to be a town known for is gambling and nightlife but there is a great number of people in this city of 2 million that desire a “green" community in which to take part. This will be an ongoing goal for me as long as I live here and I hope that others will join in my efforts to help build our herbal community.

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