A local family of herbalists has teamed up with Clary Gardens in Coshocton, Ohio to create an herb school, The Green Path Academy. 

Brandon Scott and Jenni Parsons are the founders of Woodland Herbal, a Warsaw-based online apothecary offering all-natural remedies and herbal teas. The duo will teach classes twice a month on subjects like natural beauty, family herbal first aid, and cooking with herbs for the holidays. Also offered is The Green Path certificate track, a hands-on practical course made up of 12 classes, teaching the whole process from seed to harvest to medicine, for people interested in becoming family and community herbalists.

Scott and Parsons take a down-to-earth approach, employing methods and techniques of Western herbalism with their Scottish heritage and Appalachian roots and drawing on the wisdom of the generations of herbalists in their family.

“All of our ancestors understood and used plant medicine, not just mine. There is good reason these recipes have stood the test of time for thousands of years. This knowledge belongs to us all, and it is important to learn and share with our community. This wisdom is our inheritance, and it is yours too,” Parsons said.

The ultimate goal of The Green Path Academy is to return the power of self-healing, wellness, and plant knowledge back to the people. Everyone is welcome to participate from beginner to elder, who want to share time with people who are passionate about plants. In these classes, you can expect to learn cultivation to preparation, recipe making, how herbs affect the systems of the body, and how to invite plants into your life to keep your body in balance.

“Herbalism is a vast subject to study, and almost impossible to learn alone from a book or online course. We are lucky to have generations of herbalists in our family and are excited to share some of what we have learned from them. Thanks to Clary Gardens, we have the perfect place to come together and learn with the plants themselves,” Scott said.

Welcome to the World of Plants, an introduction to the series of classes ahead, with hands-on experience, tastings, herb walk, and stories will begin at 3 p.m. on July 7.

The full class schedule, sign-up, and more information can be found at greenpathacademy.org.