Wildcrafted Apothecary:
A Foraging and Herbal Product Development Apprenticeship 

120-Hour Certificate Program

Newly redesigned course!

Co-Taught by Community Herbalist & Product Developer Rebekah Sutter, and Community Herbalist and Forager Cate Nixon.

Guest Teacher appearances by Herbalist & Twin Star Director Lupo Passero. 

We are so very excited for the rebirth of this one-of-a-kind program, nearly ten years in the making. Join Community Herbalists, Foragers and Herbal Product Development Specialists Rebekah Sutter, Cate Nixon and Lupo Passero as they share their combined decades of knowledge and experience when it comes to harvesting local plants and making them into sustainable and efficacious herbal products to share with your community.

This course is designed for folks who want to learn how to design, create, formulate, label and market their own herbal products with herbs & mushrooms that have been foraged. By wildcrafting plants & fungi that grow locally, students will form a deep relationship with sustainably native, naturalized and invasive plants. Throughout the program we will use these herbs to prepare herbal teas, salves and tinctures and more. Students will learn and experience ethical foraging techniques along Western Connecticut, practice proper plant and fungi identification and harvest, prepare herbs according to medicine making or drying needs, all while co-formulating special herbal products and building the home apothecary.

Participants in the class will formulate and co-create one Community Apothecary Share (CSA), featuring six to eight different herbal remedies with the herbs they have locally wildcrafted. Students learn how to properly formulate, label and market their CSA shares and receive one share to take home after they are complete. 

In 2022, the class was made up of a collective of female identifying people who were brought together at the time of the overturn of Roe v Wade. Each year our Wildcrafted Apothecary class has the opportunity to make locally foraged, professionally made herbal remedies to provide back to our to the community. Our 2022 students took the horrific injustice of the overturn of Roe v Wade as an invitation to stand strong in our collective strength and create an offering to bring empowerment to all. The Womb Warriors kit was handcrafted to help support those in need, to remain steady in our center, as we are, as unique and important individuals whose voices will not be silenced. Check out the group’s intentions and creation by checking out their digital zine HERE. Interested in supporting the cause? We still have a few kits left! CLICK HERE to get yours or gift one today!

MEET YOUR TEACHERS

Rebekah Sutter is a community herbalist & artist residing in the rolling hills of Northwest Connecticut. Bekah's passion lies in combining the healing physical, energetic & plant spirit magic of the herbal world with the creation of beautiful hand-crafted artwork and herbal remedies. Rebekah leads and guides the group in formulation, design, medicine making, marketing and more!

Cate is a lifelong organic practices gardener, viticulturist, and community herbalist whose passion is sharing the wonders of our plant friends with others. Cate uses her connection with nature and the energies around us in her practice as a green witch and loves connecting others to the magic she has found there. Cate guides the group in foraging and harvesting medicinal herbs and fungi around the CT & NY area.

Class Schedule:

This course meets in-person on the last Monday of each month April through November (2nd Monday) from 9:30 am to 5 pm. All classes will be led and supervised by Community Herbalists Rebekah Sutter & Cate Nixon of Twin Star Herbal Education, and will meet in or around New Milford, with special location destinations in CT including Roxbury, Litchfield, New Preston, Hammonasset beach, and Dover, NY. Carpooling together to locations will be encouraged.

2023 Dates:

Full Days, In-Person 9:30 am to 5 pm: April 24, May 22, June 26, July 31, August 28, September 25, October 23, November 6. Graduation on Saturday, November 11.

Topics Covered:

• Work with over 50 local medicinal herbs
• Sustainable Harvesting + Wildcrafting Techniques
• Monthly Giving Back Ceremonies
• Plant Rescue and Native Planting
• Herb Justice Practices & Protocols
• Properly drying, processing, and storing herbs 
• Advanced Medicine Making and Formulation
• Teas, Tonics, Tincture and Topical
• Plant Rescues + Native Planting
• Tea blending + Bagging
• Proper Labeling + Packaging
• Batch Numbers, Standard Operating Procedures + DSHEA Guidelines 
• Wholesale, Retail and Online Sales
• Designing and Marketing Your Products
• Learn to take your medicine to market
• Designing & Handcraft a Community Supported Apothecary Share (6+ bangin’ products to take home)
• Experience working herbal farmers market and herb festivals (TBD & optional)

Prerequisite:

Foundations of Herbalism, and/or Foundations of Herbalism: Home Study, and/or Science & Art of Herbalism. Basic knowledge of common medicinal herbs and herbal medicine making is required.

Investment:

Tuition for this program is $2,250. You can reserve your spot by making a deposit. All deposits made are non-refundable and non-transferrable. Monthly payment plan is available after deposit.

Please fill out this enrollment form upon registration.

What Students Are Saying

“The Wildcrafting Apothecary course was a life-changing experience for me. Working alongside a great group of herbalists, foraging wild plants, processing herbs, formulating products, and marketing the final herbal kit–I learned so many valuable life skills throughout this journey, and I had such an amazing time. Thank you Twin Star team! “ - Xan 2022 WCA Student

“Wild Crafting Apothecary was one of my favorite courses I’ve taken with Twjn Star, every month I looked forward to our outdoor foraging adventures! It felt like a vacation, and a much needed break from life’s mundane routines. The entire course was extremely wholesome, educational, & exciting! It was fun & empowering to work as a team to create an amazing offering for the community & to give back to such an important cause. As an aspiring entrepreneur, it answered all my questions about how to create & formulate products up to legal standards as well as the in’s & outs of marketing!” Marisa 2022 WCA Student

"This course was great. I learned how to harvest tree bark and roots for medicine, identified and harvested mushrooms, went on plant rescues, and made dozens of tinctures, oils and tea blends. I learned the entire growing process from planting a seed, to harvesting the mature plant. The Farmers markets were a great way to meet the public, and share my herbal knowledge. Both Lupo and Ben are great instructors, with decades of herbal training". - Lori A. 2015 Seed to Market Graduate

"Definitely life changing!! Getting in touch with Mother Earth's gifts has been an amazing and enlightening journey. Lupo lives what she teaches!"
Chris H. Level 3 2014 Graduate