The new Herbal Alliance was created to unite the local herbal community, provide an opportunity for practitioners and care providers to support one another and make it easier to combine resources to make herbal and natural care more available and accessible to all that need it. The four founders are herbalist Katy Rugg, owner of Petal Palate, an edible flower and herb-based food business; Nycol Chapman, the herbalist behind Windblown Sister/Newday Herbals; Nikiya Ellis Chavis, a midwife in training at The Diverse Birth/Birth in Color RVA; and Patrick Dodson of Humblebee Gardens, a biodynamic farm in Chesterfield. 

The Herbal Alliance has started to build a directory and will host a series of upcoming workshops on DIY kitchen medicine, including making bone broth and fire cider. Comprised of herbalists, body workers, doulas, midwives, natural practitioners, farmers, street medics, harm reduction specialists and other practitioners united in the intention of providing holistic, practical community care that is inclusive, affordable and accessible, the Herbal Alliance has already helped to make low-cost or free herbal medicine available for the BIPOC community.  

Sign up here: Tinyurl.com/RichmondHerbalAlliance.