Phoenix Books Burlington recently hosted the book launch celebration for The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer with Melanie and Jeff Carpenter. Special guest Rosemary Gladstar, often called the godmother of modern herbalism, attended.
Both a business guide and a farming manual, The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer teaches readers how to successfully grow and market organic medicinal herbs—from cultivation to creating value-added products. Using their Zack Woods Herb Farm in Vermont as a backdrop, the Carpenters cover all the basic practical information farmers need to know to get an organic herb farm up and running. The authors also provide fifty detailed plant profiles, going deeper into the herbs every farmer should consider growing. In an easy-to-understand, practical, and comprehensive manner, readers will learn how to focus on quality over quantity, and keep costs down by innovating with existing equipment, rather than expensive technology. Market farmers who have never before considered growing medicinal herbs will learn why it’s more important to produce these herbs domestically. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer makes a convincing case that producing organic medicinal herbs can be a viable, profitable, farming enterprise. The Carpenters also make the case for incorporating medicinal herbs into existing operations, as it can help increase revenue in the form of value-added products, not to mention improve the ecological health of farmland by encouraging biodiversity as a path toward greater soil health.
“Jeff and Melanie Carpenter give me hope for the future of herb farming. In this book, they generously share very useful experience-based information and lessons learned, which will help young prospective herb farmers to avoid pitfalls and plan for an economically viable and appropriately scaled operation for sustainable production. Read this book before you start up!”
—Josef Brinckmann, Vice President of Sustainability, Traditional Medicinals
“The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer serves as a training manual to support U.S. domestic production of high-quality medicinal herbs. A dirt-smudged copy should be within easy reach of every home gardener or farmer who grows – or wants to grow – medicinal plants.”
—Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)
Jeff and Melanie Carpenter own and operate Zack Woods Herb Farm in Hyde Park, Vermont. Descended from generations of Vermont farmers, Jeff deepened his love and understanding of plants through an apprenticeship with Rosemary Gladstar and as the co- owner of Sage Mountain Herb Products. Since those early days, Jeff’s work as a farmer, agricultural consultant, educator, and researcher has focused on the cultivation and marketing of medicinal herbs. Jeff also partners with Rosemary Gladstar in hosting the International Herb Symposium. Melanie grew up at Sage Mountain under the loving tutelage of herbalist Rosemary Gladstar. Over the last twenty years, she has worked as a farmer, mother, community herbalist, and educator. In addition to her work as a farmer, Melanie serves on the board of directors of United Plant Savers and assists her family in directing the International Herb Symposium and NE Women’s Herb Conference.
This event was cosponsored by City Market, Urban Moonshine, Zack Woods Herb Farm, and Phoenix Books. City Market, Onion River Co-op is a community-owned grocery store with over 10,500 Members, selling wholesome food and other products while building a vibrant, empowered community and a healthier world, all in a sustainable manner. Urban Moonshine - located on the beautiful shores of Lake Champlain in Burlington, VT - started as a small family business at local farmers’ markets, and has grown into a thriving, nationally distributed herbal company. Zack Woods Herb Farm is a 30-acre certified organic medicinal herb farm and botanical sanctuary located in the heart of the green mountains of northern Vermont.