COMMUNITY HERBALISM: A PERSONAL VIEWPOINT

When I decided to open Purple Shutter Herbs, I chose to do so in Burlington, Vermont. Not only did I live here, but I felt that this "urban" center needed a reliable and well stocked herb shop. For those of you familiar with Burlington, you may guffaw about linking the word urban with it, but by Vermont standards we are as big as it gets! My mission was to provide a comprehensive herbal center, a place where people could gather to delight in the beauty and practice of herbs.

Like other places we had health food stores that carried what I refer to as "the gray generic herbs", low quality and top price. Also, like many other herbalists, I was constantly having to order supplies from out west, so it seemed my community needed me! Almost three years ago I opened my herb shop on Main Street, right in the middle of downtown Burlington - a space with lots of windows, yellow walls and purple floors. I had always intended to provide classes, but had planned to wait for the store to be open a few months first. However, life doesn't go as you plan . . .the first five folks who came through my door asked if we had classes; I told them that they would start in January (it was mid-August). "Oh no, we need them now!" So, I called some herbalist friends of mine and asked if they'd like to teach here (I couldn't imagine developing classes, while I was just starting the store and working full-time 7 days a week!). They were excited, said yes and our first class happened in early October. We have continued with classes since -the first session (Oct-Dec '95) had only 5 classes, the latest session (April-June '98) had 20 offerings taught by 11 different teachers.

That was my first response as a community herbalist. My community needed and still does need education. In April '96 with the help of an intern from the University of Vermont we offered a series of lectures, free to the public, which we entitled "Holistic Health Demystified". The idea came to me when talking to customers who were asking for herbal recommendations and after listening to them felt they might be better served under the guidance of another modality. When I recommended that someone might consider seeing an acupuncturist the common reaction would be one of two things: I never thought of calling my acupuncturist or no one is going to stick needles in me! These folks clearly didn't understand acupuncture and had never seen the needles they use. So, we invited 16 local holistic practitioners (reiki, rolfers, aromatherapy, midwifery, osteopathy, to name just a few) to come talk about their modalities. Each week one practitioner would make a presentation focusing on the historical and philosophical background of their modality, their educational and experiential training, and how they practice. This was a wonderfully received program connecting and educating my community. We are hoping to do another series this fall.

I also go into the community and teach about herbalism. I have taught at local elementary schools, colleges and university (students, faculty and staff), civic groups, medical and nursing students, as well as in-service for the VNA and Fletcher Allen Medical Center. There isn't a week that goes by that I am asked to be interviewed for a paper or two. There seems to be an insatiable thirst for herbal information. Also, I continually teach on a daily basis at the store. We encourage folks to learn to grow and make their own medicines and products. A regular customer once asked why I am always trying to get people to make their own medicines and such - won't that put you out of business? I have always thought wouldn't that be wonderful if my community knew how to take care of themselves and each other and didn't need me any more?

I have been privileged to participate, in an advisory capacity, with our US Congressman in planning a holistic conference, work on legislative policy and help explain the complexities of complementary healing needs for both practitioners and constituents. I have helped to organize a statewide organization of holistic health care practitioners (CHAV), so we can network, support each other, and educate our communities and ourselves. We recently published the 2nd edition of the Vermont Holistic Health Directory.

But my crowning achievement is having established an herbal display garden right on Main Street in downtown Burlington! We have a small courtyard next to the store, where for the last 2 1/2 years we have been hauling in soil, adding compost and planting. Our plants range from burdock to passionflower (which bloomed on 13 June). We have marked the plants and put in a wonderful spiraling brick walkway. It is such a delight to look out the window and see whole families walking through the garden - touching, smelling and sometimes tasting the plants. Sometimes they come in and ask questions or we'll be inside talking about a tincture and take folks outside to meet their healer. Either way it's great to have the plants just outside our door. I know for many of you with shops in the country that your gardens came first and then you added a little retail outlet, but we are completely surrounded by buildings, sidewalks and a main road, so we feel very blessed. Last year I called in some St Johnswort, since we didn't have any in the garden and within a week it arrived. I had visions of it with its little cartoon legs and shoes waiting for the light to change to cross Main Street to reach our garden.

I have learned so much from my community. It has broadened my knowledge base and secured my belief in the healing of the plants. I like to think that they feel my shop, the staff and I are an asset here and hope that we all peacefully co-exist for a long time to come.

Sadly in October '99 we were forced to remove our garden, however it now resides in many places in Vermont & parts of Canada!

Joyfully in 2003, PSH was honored by the Women's Coalition of Burlington with their 'Healing Our Community' Award during Women's History month.

- Laura S. Brown - Proprietor & Herbalist, Purple Shutter Herbs