Herbal Teat

Vermont Love Affair

2011-10-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

After an unwieldy and strange summer to find a new nest for my family and the Herbal Teat, we are happy to announce that... we are still looking for a new home. Herb farm, cafe, herb products line, apothecary? These are all possibilities as we explore beautiful and inspiring corners of Vermont to refine our vision and settle down.

East Craftsbury: A.k.a. Heaven on Earth

West Glover Glory

Anniversary Bike Tour with Jerri

In the mean time, I will begin posting about herbs, and Jerri and I will continue the journey. love, melissa

Hello Good Bye (for now) Party

2011-04-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Cyber Friends,

Due to strange and unforeseen circumstances that I can only hope will lead us to better and bigger things, I have had to send out the following email to community members in Richmond VT.

Hello Everyone,

I have met many wonderful neighbors and friends while living in Jackie Washburn's apartment on Pleasant St and collaborating with Dan Giangreco in the Richmond Commons. I quickly fell in love with this small, vibrant, and friendly town that truly started to feel like home. Unfortunately, NOFA VT is buying our apartment building, and Jackie is breaking our lease and kicking us out for May 31st at 6pm. And as many of you have heard, a different person is buying the the old corner market building and we are losing our space there as well (also for May 31st).

In addition to working with Dan at Film Buzz and Dan and the artists in the artist cooperative, I have been managing a small herb shop full of 150 organic herbs, teas, and spices at foolishly low prices (for example, only $0.35 an ounce for cinnamon powder). We also have lotions, soaps, bath salts, baskets, books, organic essential oils, and more that would make great gifts for moms or just about anyone. We had planned a Grand Opening Celebration for this weekend, but life started throwing some curve balls. We have decided to go through with it, only, we are now calling it a Hello Good Bye Party. Details below. Please join us. We just invested a lot of money in inventory and we are trying to recoup our losses.

Join us for a hello good bye party and enjoy the beginning of some fabulous herb sales. Remember, mamas love relaxing teas, bath salts, and more, all on sale at the Herbal Teat.

DJ Dance Party with Free Herbal Tea
In the old Corner Market Building at 10 East Main St
Saturday April 30th, 6pm-8pm

Hang out, drink some herb tea, and boogie with DJ Not Ted and Jerri Kohl.

For more details, check out:
www.herbalteat.com

With Gratitude,
Melissa Laurita Kohl (Stiebert)

Grand Opening Weekend

2011-04-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

After a couple of months in our space, we are finally feeling cozy and settled and would love to welcome the community in for a Grand Opening May Day Celebration! Including...

Grand Opening Weekend Sale
Saturday April 30th, 11am-8pm, and Sunday May 1st, 11am-6pm

10% off all non-bulk items, including soaps, lotions, massage oils, aromamists, books, salves, tinctures, tonics, and baskets.

Our bulk herbs, teas, and spices are already foolishly cheap. Check out our wonderful deals. Only 37cents an ounce for organic cinnamon!

DJ Dance Party with Free Herbal Tea

Saturday April 30th, 6pm-8pm

Hang out, drink some herb tea, and boogie with DJ Not Ted.

Free Herb Demos
Sunday May 1st.

11:30am Herbs for Kids

Learn how to make dream pillows, bath teas, herb pills, pastes, and beads!

1:30pm Herbal Spa

Enjoy the simple and sensuous pleasures of natural bodycare. Learn how to make herbal shampoos, cleansers, steams, face masks, toners, and more.

3:30pm How to Make Tinctures for Health and Wellbeing

Tinctures are herbal extracts that are easy and convenient to use and even easier to make! Store bought tinctures can be expensive, but making your own tinctures is fun and affordable.

May Madness Events!

2011-04-16T10:41:00.001-07:00

Herbal Teat at the Richmond Commons Grand Opening May Day Weekend Celebration. Saturday April 30th, 11am-8pm, and Sunday May 1st, 11am-6pm. 10% off all non-bulk items. DJ Dance Party Saturday 6pm-8pm with free herbal tea. Free Herb Demos Sunday incl. Herbs for Kids, Herbal Spa, and more. More info coming soon.

Mother's Day Sale at Herbal Teat at the Richmond Commons. Nourish and pamper your mama with high quality health and beauty products at discount prices. Saturday April 30th through Mother's Day, Sunday May 8th. More info coming soon.

Herbal Teat at the Richmond Commons International Herb Day Celebration Saturday May 7 11am-6pm. Free Herb Demos and herbal tea samples. Last minute Mother's Day specials. More info coming soon.

Herb Babies

2011-04-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Herb Baby: Melissa

I like to think that I was an herb baby.

Herb baby facts:

Born in early spring.
Raised on windowsills. (My small, jaundiced body demanded sunlight, and so I travelled from windowsill to windowsill, following patches of fickle spring light.)
Lived on chamomile tea. (I had colic and like any good Italian mother, my mama alternated breastmilk with bottles of chamomile tea.)
Named for a plant, Melissa officinalis or lemon balm. (Of course, my mother thought she was naming after an Alman Brothers song, but that's another story.)
My grandfather was a Poppy (Not a Grandpa).

Of course, when I began writing this post I was thinking of actual green leafy, often fragrant herb babies that grow out of the dirt, but now that I think about it, human herb babies are a good topic, too.

Herb Babies: Oregano

We are, as humans, invariably shaped by the world around us. More and more, studies show that what happens while we are en-wombed, and then babies, has a strong and lasting impression. While I have yet to test this out on my own herb babies (they are, as of yet, unborn), I can say that I have seen this play out in my own life. For example, until a few years ago, I was constitutionally unable to sit in a house during daylight without literally following it around the house like a cat. Now, many people enjoy sitting in a patch of sunlight. I mean, it is so warm and very nice and that's why our hedonist feline friends can so often be found in it. But with me, sitting anywhere else literally didn't feel right. I almost couldn't do it. I had no idea why until I learned that yes, that is the way I spent my first few weeks of life. I also spent my teenage years listening almost exclusively to classic rock (much to my friends' chagrin) and had an uncanny experience as a 16 year old while drinking chamomile tea (but that is for another post - one centered on the many wonders of the gentle but potent chamomile). And of course, I am an herbalist.

Will all herb babies grow up to be herbalists? I hope so. But at the very least, I expect they shall have a dear soft spot in their hearts for Mother Earth. They will know how to care for themselves in simple and non-destructive ways, and they will feel safe in a world where all they could ever need is literally growing right beneath their feet (or on the side of the road or in between side walk cracks dependent upon where they live).

And now, because this post was supposed to be dedicated to the herb babies I have been spending the most time with, I will present them with their own moment to shine, here, in cyber space, where we cannot smell their exsquisite aromas or fully appreciate the momentary beauty of evening sunlight on leaves. But still, some piece of us that holds the solemn memory of an herb that once made us happy or hungry or relieved some ailment, may come alive and say, ah, that is a nice picture, and ah, maybe I should buy some herbs at the Herbal Teat. We soon hope to sell some live herb starts from Nama Farm and Arcana and in the mean time we are peddling over 100 dried varieties of organic herbs, teas, and spices.

Herb Babies: Lavender

Herb Babies: Catnip

Herb Babies: Sage

Herb Babies: Thyme

Herb Babies: Mostly Parsley

Herb Babies: Valerian

Herb Babies: Yarrow

Herb Babies: Mostly Yarrow

Featured Herb Babies lovingly grown at Arcana Gardens & Greenhouses in Jericho, VT.

Herb Toddler: Basil

Spring Flowers

2011-04-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in Burlington, a flurry of snow arrived, proving once again that winter is not quite done with us. And yet, spring keeps announcing itself in small and sometimes dramatic ways. Right now it is evening, but the sun is still bright, the sky a beautiful and cloudless blue, birds too cold and frightened to sing before now are brightly chirping outside my window. And at Arcana today, it was finally warm enough to skin the greenhouses and start relocating some perennials. My body says yes, this was truly a day of farm work. A mild sunburn, aching muscles, and a beautiful and peaceful relaxation brought about by physical labor and fresh air.

But really, today was all about the flowers.

These delicious golden primroses smell as delightful as they look!

The farm opens to the public on Saturday April 23rd. I will be in NYC, celebrating Easter with my family to honor the passing of my beloved cousin, Louie Laurita, but you should join us here at the farm where life abounds in a riot of colors and scents.

Pulsatilla

For years I have focused on the medicinal, edible, and practical uses of plants. I ignored reading about, buying, or spending time with flowers for flowers sake. Being in a greenhouse filled with a glorious variety of blooming and budding flowers, I am reminded of the incredible power of beauty - color, form, scent. Like a smiling infant or an irrepressible puppy, flowers, especially early spring flowers, seem to burst with an inner joy and preciousness that heals and soothes our winter-worn souls. At the end of long and snowy winter, there is no greater gift. Share the joy, and join us up at the farm.

Pulsatilla

Dr. Mercola Goes Herbal

2011-04-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

Oregano

Or so my husband informed me. Jerri sent me a wonderful article Dr. Mercola posted on his site about the amazing healing value of culinary herbs and spices.The title is "Boost Your Metabolism, Curb Cancer, and Slash Cancer with this Easy Culinary Trick".

Sounds like a tall order. Culinary herbs taste so good it's easy to imagine they were added to our food for flavor alone. But in fact, they were added to preserve food and improve our health. The most amazing new fact I learned from the article was:

"The Cork Cancer Research Centre's test results show that turmeric can kill gullet cancer cells in 24 hours!"

Wowser. You can find some Turmeric Recipes from Rodale here.

I will be learning a lot more about culinary herbs this summer as Arcana's Herb Grower. In fact, I'll be heading up to the farm tomorrow where I will be surrounded by rosemary plants bursting with a profusion of delicate (and tasty!) purple flowers and little herb babies like thyme, basil, and oregano. I can't wait!

February Blues

2011-02-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

February blues getting you down? Indulge in a traditional remedy for melancholy: Melissa officinalis, or lemon balm. Deliciously fragrant and mildly flavored, this herb is a treat to our senses and makes a wonderful tea. It is challenging to capture the volatile oils, responsible for its scent, during the drying process. At the Herbal Teat, we stock the highest quality lemon balm from a local farm. One sniff and you'll know it's true!

The Herbal Teat is Open for Business!

2011-02-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

And stocking over 100 herbs, teas, and spices, baskets, books, and local and cosmetic products. Come by on Saturday or Sunday from 11am to 6pm to see the herbalist, Melissa Laurita Kohl. Or enjoy our convenient weekday hours.

Our First Customer!

2011-02-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Ali Savitt, for being our first customer on opening day! Ali bought a delicious hand cream from Flaming Maple Herb Company http://www.flamingmaple.com/ and a delicious soap from good friend, Marita, and her company, With Seeds of Intention http://www.withseedsofintention.blogspot.com/

Cinnamon Milk

2011-02-13T16:10:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon, honey, and warm milk make a yummy winter treat. Organic cinnamon is only $0.37 at the Herbal Teat. Treat yourself! Note: Photo courtesy of Michelle Meiklejohn, http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=901

Organic Alfalfa from the U.S.

2011-02-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

Organic Alfalfa from the U.S. is in! Get it while you can. Only $0.60 an ounce at the Herbal Teat, opening Saturday 2/12 at 9am for it's first day of business. Alfalfa is the most vibrant and green plant I have in. Sad to think that in the not too distant future we may not have access to GMO free organic alfalfa. It is a superfood par excellence. Perfect for nutrient deprived winter bodies!

Opening Day Feb. 12th! 2011

2011-02-03T18:57:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

We'll be opening our herbie doors at 9am on Saturday Feb. 12th. We're part of the Richmond Commons, which is having a Grand Opening that day from 2-5pm, showcasing local artwork and fine crafts. See you then!

Love, Grief, and Herbs

2010-12-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last few days painting the Richmond Commons. The apothecary nook is green and rich brown. Tomorrow is the last of the painting (hopefully!) and sealing the floors. It's been nice to get in there and begin working toward opening day again (slated for mid-January - exact date TBA). Due to the unexpected death of my beloved cousin and friend, Lou Laurita, these last three weeks have been filled with grief. My new friend Lisa described grief as feeling like you were in another plane of existence from everyone else, as if there were a wall between you and other people. It was such a relief to hear someone describe exactly how I was feeling.

The herb shop is all about people, plants, intimacy, connection. To be laid bare by grief, to be richly vulnerable, and to be in this strange sad place that feels so distant from others, where even my mental faculties have slowed down almost to a stand still, makes it hard for me to reach out and push out that exuberance, energy, and passion that drives a successful new project. I am still deeply grief ridden to have lost such a beloved cousin and friend so unexpectedly, but I am quietly starting to reach up toward the light again like a spring seedling. Many years ago, my cousin Louie, who died at age 51, wanted me to open a radical art gallery and community space with him in the Bowery of NYC. But I moved to VT and fell in love here and he knew this was the place for me. So I began walking a path that took me into the heart of a very different way of life than the one I knew in NYC. It has lead me to marry a beautiful and strange man and to open the Herbal Teat. Still, it's strange to sit here five years after that offer to work with the most inspirational, creative, kind, and witty human being I have ever known. How different to have worked with him so closely. How different to live a life pursuing art, wildness, and deep experience in NYC. If I knew then that in only five short years Louie would be dead I have to admit - I would have stayed in NYC. It always feels like there will be more time. And then there isn't.

While this loss makes me reconsider some choices I made, I know that I am following the path of my dreams. I know that I am following the call of this wildness, this spirit of nature, that carried me through a childhood full of concrete and loss. Louie died with a legacy of incredible artwork, countless lives touched by his grace, and a life fully lived. It inspires me to live more boldly, more creatively, and more kindly.

And so the Teat lives on. Opening the second or third week in January, in a small snowy town that both embraces and rejects the new. I hope to know you soon, in person at the store, or through this online world.

Cheers and Green Blessings,
Melissa Laurita Kohl

Opening Day

2010-11-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

The Herbal Teat is part of the Richmond Commons, an arts and agricultural commons in the heart of the Richmond Village. Located in a historic building on the corner of Route 2 and Bridge St, the Richmond Commons has several wings - Film Buzz, a creemee stand that will sell all local gourmet creemees, Back Country Pizza, an Artist Cooperative, and Herbal Teat. The Herbal Teat is an apothecary (herb shop) that would one day like to grow into a cafe, too. We'll be opening on Thursday Dec.2nd and hope to have a grand opening on Saturday Dec. 4th. Keep a look out for updates! OPENING DATE POSTPONED DUE TO A DEATH IN THE FAMILY. New opening TBA.