Herbal Pharmacy & the Magic of Plant Medicine | Betzy Bancroft

In this episode of The Herbalist Hour, I sit down with herbalist, teacher, and long-time community mentor Betzy Bancroft to explore the heart, craft, and deep science behind her new book Herbal Pharmacy: The Science and Magic of Preparing and Administering Plant Medicine. Betzy has been teaching herbal medicine making for more than three decades. She co-founded the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, mentors clinical interns, presents at the Vermont NOFA Winter Conference, and serves on the advisory board of United Plant Savers. She also teaches and leads plant walks at the legendary Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary, where she lives just down the road. This conversation dives into the practical, the philosophical, and the magical sides of making plant medicine — from water and oils, to home apothecaries, to the evolving spiral of students becoming teachers. What We Talk About 🌿 Tips for leading an inspiring, grounded plant walk 🌿 Advice for herbalists writing their own informational books 🌿 A rich discussion of the water chapter and her reverence for water 🌿 Why oils and fats are both essential and misunderstood in herbalism 🌿 How she chooses fresh vs. dried plant material for tinctures 🌿 How to make homemade vinegar 🌿 Practical tips for building or expanding your home apothecary 🌿 And whole lot more! WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE LINKS & RESOURCES BOOK: Herbal Pharmacy | BUY THE BOOK Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism | VTHerbCenter.org Sage Mountain | SageMountain.com United Plant Savers | UnitedPlantSavers.org If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with a fellow plant person. 🌿Grab FREE Herbal Resources Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and get instant access to a 91-page Botanical Anthology sampler—plus a bundle of herbal freebies. 👉 Get the freebies | HerbalFreebies.com Want to join us live for future interviews?  Become a HerbRally Schoolhouse member: HerbRally Schoolhouse | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Use coupon code SCHOOLHOUSE30 for your first 30 days free! ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

This episode is brought to you by FOOD GENIUS A year-long mentorship from Asia Dorsey + Justin Robinson for folks craving a deeper relationship with food, ancestry, and embodied wellbeing. LEARN MORE & REGISTER In this clip from The Herbalist Hour episode 59, Asia Dorsey shares the story behind the West African dish Red Red — a vibrant meal made with red palm oil, black-eyed peas, peppers, and plantains. Asia reflects on her time living in Ghana, learning directly from local food traditions, and how that experience reshaped her relationship with ancestral foods. She also speaks about the deep nutritional and cultural importance of red palm oil and why preserving traditional foodways matters. The conversation touches on diaspora cooking, sourcing ingredients with integrity, and reconnecting with the culinary wisdom of our ancestors. Watch the full episode of The Herbalist Hour to hear more of this conversation with Asia Dorsey and Karina DesRoses. If you'd like to learn more from Asia, be sure to check out her Food Genius mentorship program. Enrolling now! LEARN MORE & REGISTER DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

This episode is brought to you by FOOD GENIUS A year-long mentorship from Asia Dorsey + Justin Robinson for folks craving a deeper relationship with food, ancestry, and embodied wellbeing. LEARN MORE & REGISTER In this episode of the HerbRally Podcast we're joined by herbalist Asia Dorsey. She answers 10 questions, as the title suggests.  You'll learn: How she balances traditional herbal knowledge with modern science Her thoughts on the regulation of herbalists When she felt qualified to call herself an herbalist How to know how potent your herbal concoctions are How to keep joints healthy as we age And a whole lot more! There are so many takeaways in this one. Big thanks to Asia for taking the time to answer all of these questions! If you'd like to learn more from Asia, be sure to check out her Food Genius mentorship program. Enrolling now! LEARN MORE & REGISTER DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

This episode is brought to you by FOOD GENIUS A year-long mentorship from Asia Dorsey + Justin Robinson for folks craving a deeper relationship with food, ancestry, and embodied wellbeing. LEARN MORE & REGISTER Herbalist and author Patricia Kyritsi Howell joins Mason and co-host Rosalee de la Forêt to talk about the brand-new second edition of Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians.  Patricia shares how decades of walking the mountains have deepened her relationships with plants like bloodroot, sarsaparilla, and sassafras, weaving folk history with practical clinical insight. We also touch on her decision to self-publish, the creative freedom it allowed, and why preserving authentic herbal voices matters now more than ever. If you love Appalachian plants, plant stories, and thoughtful herbal conversations, this episode is for you. RESOURCES & LINKS Website | PatriciaKyritsiHowell.com BOOK | Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians Wild Crete Trip | LEARN MORE & REGISTER Rosalee's Website | HerbsWithRosalee.com WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with a fellow plant person. 🌿Grab FREE Herbal Resources Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and get instant access to a 91-page Botanical Anthology sampler—plus a bundle of herbal freebies. 👉 Get the freebies | HerbalFreebies.com Want to join us live for future interviews?  Become a HerbRally Schoolhouse member: HerbRally Schoolhouse | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Use coupon code SCHOOLHOUSE30 for your first 30 days free! ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

If you love hot sauce as much as I do, and you love learning about herbalism through food... this class is a good'n 🔥 HOT SAUCE | Ancestral Communication Through Food as Medicine Food geniuses Asia Dorsey and Justin Robinson break down the ethnobotany of hot sauce, why so many cultures use heat as medicine, how fermentation boosts flavor, and the many health benefits woven into this fiery tradition. It's fun, practical, and super informative — all about one of my most beloved condiments. This 90-minute pre-recorded class also includes: a "Living Habanero Hot Sauce" fermented recipe card a lengthy Q&A where Asia and Justin answer some of your burning questions (pun intended) And here's the best part… HerbRally folks get it FREE (normally $25) Use coupon code HERBRALLY at checkout Valid through February 28, 2026 LEARN MORE & REGISTER You're gonna love it — enjoy! ~Mason

Today on the Herbalist Hour I'm joined by author, illustrator, and Appalachian folk magic practitioner Rebecca Beyer, along with my special co-host Rosalee de la Forêt. We dive deep into Rebecca's newest book, The Complete Folk Herbal, exploring everything from ethical wildcrafting to plant history, folk medicine-making, and the lived stories that shape her work. Rebecca shares her thoughts on learning from many teachers, cultivating authentic plant relationships, avoiding "guru-ism," and keeping humility at the center of herbal practice. We talk about sustainable foraging, the realities of plant lust, and how she hand-illustrated every page of this beautiful book. This episode is full of history, heart, humor, and grounded wisdom — a rich conversation for anyone who loves herbalism. RESOURCES & LINKS BOOK: The Complete Folk Herbal | BUY THE BOOK Rebecca's Website | BloodAndSpicebush.com Rebecca's Substack | BloodAndSpicebush.Substack.com Rebecca on Instagram | @bloodandspicebush Rosalee's Website | HerbsWithRosalee.com WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with a fellow plant person. 🌿Grab FREE Herbal Resources Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and get instant access to a 91-page Botanical Anthology sampler—plus a bundle of herbal freebies. 👉 Get the freebies | HerbalFreebies.com Want to join us live for future interviews?  Become a HerbRally Schoolhouse member: HerbRally Schoolhouse | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Use coupon code SCHOOLHOUSE30 for your first 30 days free! ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

In this clip from Herbalists After Hours, jim mcdonald shares one virtue he believes is essential for herbalists: kindness. Drawing on Octavia Butler's line, "Kindness eases change," jim reflects on how change — whether personal, cultural, or relational — is rarely easy. But kindness can soften the process. We talk about kindness toward others, kindness toward ourselves, and the deeper roots of the word "kind" — connected to kin and nature — reminding us that we are not separate from each other or the living world. In a culture where unkindness is often normalized, this is a gentle but powerful reminder: kindness matters. Rosalee and I are sharing clips from this conversation across our channels — but the full, in-person interview is where the whole story unfolds. FULL INTERVIEW | Watch on YouTube Folk Methodology is a collaboration between Mason Hutchison and Rosalee de la Forêt, dedicated to celebrating the living culture of herbalism. Get full episodes, behind-the-scenes updates, and future projects delivered straight to your inbox | FolkMethodology.com  

🌿 Enroll in Medical Botany: Foundations in Ancient Plant Medicine Enrollment is now open for April Punsalan's 13-week apprenticeship focused on wild plant medicine, plant evolution, botany, Ayurveda, and the 6 tastes. Enroll by Monday night and receive the Wild Apothecary medicine-making course FREE (tinctures, oils, salves, extractions with primarily wild plants). 👉 ENROLL HERE 🌲 Episode Description In this episode of the Wild Herbs Podcast, April dives deeply into the medicine, botany, and spirit of Pine — an ancient evergreen ally that shows up when we need resilience the most. Pine has survived ice ages, climate shifts, and mass extinctions, and in the heart of winter it continues to offer powerful medicine for the lungs, immune system, and spirit. In this episode, April weaves together botany, herbal medicine, Ayurveda, and intuitive plant wisdom to explore why Pine is such a profound teacher for 2026. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Pine is one of the most ancient and resilient trees on Earth How Pine's xylem and spiral water movement reflect rhythmic growth How to identify pines using needles, fascicles, sheaths, and cones Why Pine is especially important medicine in winter Pine's medicinal actions (expectorant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory) How Pine supports colds, mucus, immunity, and inflammation Why fresh Pine is preferred over dried The spiritual symbolism of Pine, spirals, and Fibonacci patterns What Pine teaches about receiving, presence, and sustainable growth Why building a relationship with plants comes before turning to books ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

Medical Botany | A 13-Week Journey Into the Living Language of Plants LEARN MORE & REGISTER If the free preview lit a spark… the full Medical Botany program is where that spark becomes a lifelong relationship with the plant world. This course isn't about memorizing what an herb "does." It's about learning to see like a botanist, feel like an herbalist, and move through the landscape with a deeper sense of belonging. Created by botanist and herbalist April Punsalan, with guest teachings from ethnobotanist Nishanth Gurav, Medical Botany is a complete 13-week training that blends ancestral wisdom, plant morphology, Ayurveda, and intuitive herbalism into one transformative path. What You'll Experience Inside Medical Botany Learn the visual language of leaves, roots, flowers, and plant patterns Recognize wild medicinal plants with confidence Understand your body and herbal actions through Ayurveda Explore ancient medicinal plant families and their shared energetics Make wild medicine from ethically harvested plants Build intuition, ecological awareness, and a deeper connection to the Earth Access April's private library, botanical diagrams, plant ranges, and study tools Receive personal guidance — a rare offering in modern herbal courses Medical Botany is designed to shift how you see the natural world forever. Students walk away more rooted, more confident, and more capable of caring for themselves, their families, and their communities. If you're ready to learn the true language of medicinal plants… Join the full Medical Botany program and step into a deeper relationship with the plant kingdom. Begins soon! LEARN MORE & REGISTER

🌿 $7.77 eBook Sale (Feb 1–7) — Don't Miss It KhadiYah Preciado is hosting her annual eBook sale in honor of Black History Month! Grab her featured books — including The Biblical Herbalist, Everyday Herbs, Recipes From the Earth, Good Smells, and Kiddie Kitchen Apothecary — all for $7.77 through February 7. GET THE BOOKS This episode is a replay of my wonderful conversation with herbalist and author KhadiYah Preciado, host of the beloved YouTube channel Her Healthy Home. We talk about: • Herbal gardening • African herbalism • Her evolving writing + books • The importance of rest • Involving children with herbs • And a whole lot more! Thanks for listening, ~Mason 🌿 Grab KhadiYah's $7.77 eBook Sale Before Feb 7 It's only available for one week, and it supports KhadiYah's incredible work. SHOP THE SALE