Sophomore Spotlight: Faith LaBeaume

This month’s sophomore spotlight is shining on Faith LaBeaume. Faith’s sophomore project is building up EarthDance’s herb garden, with a particular focus on medicinal herbs. As someone who suffers allergies to many pharmaceutical remedies, the education of herbs as medicine has a personal appeal for Faith. EarthDance has a few herbs planted already: Chamomile, Cilantro, Dill/Fennel, Feverfew, Lavendar, Lemon Balm, Parsley, Marjoram, Tansy, Nigella, and Thyme. In addition to tending these growing herbs, Faith has plans to add Echinacea, Borage, Calendula, Lemon Grass, Peppermint, Rosemary, Vervain, and New Jersey Tea.

As the year progresses, Faith will be learning about how to make tinctures, essential oils, ointments, and tea blends from the leaves, flowers, seeds, roots, and/or stems of these amazing healing plants. She has plans to come up with a headache tea and maybe work with some natural bug repellents -lemon grass, for example- for use on the farm. Faith would also like to tackle some simple common cold remedies, something everyone can appreciate in the winter months! Faith says, “I would like to come up with a use for every herb we’re growing.”

At the end of her time as a sophomore apprentice, Faith will pull together all of her work from the season into a permanent informational and instructional booklet on all the medicinal herbs in EarthDance’s permanent growing bed, leaving her healing legacy for future farmers at EarthDance.