The Apprenticeship Program
The Rebecca Willow Herbal Apprenticeship Program was established in 2008 to honor Deb Soule's first student, Rebecca Willow, who passed away in 2000 at age 34. The structured and several month-long apprenticeship program is designed for 2-4 apprentices to work alongside Deb in Avena's herb gardens during the growing season, gaining in-depth knowledge and skills that only a hands-on program can offer.
This training gives apprentices the unique opportunity to become intimately familiar and knowledgeable in identifying, growing, harvesting and using dozens of medicinal plants. Over 125 medicinal herbs, trees, vines and flowers are biodynamically and organically cultivated in Avena Botanicals' three-acre gardens. Working in the garden on a daily basis enables the apprentices to recognize the botanical characteristics of individual plants and plant families, observe the plants through their different growing stages, and learn the exact time that each herb is ready to be harvested.
Apprentices will gain skills to help create herb and food gardens for public places such as schools, community gardens and health care centers, as well as develop their confidence to grow, harvest, prepare and use numerous herbal remedies for themselves and their families and friends. An introduction to using the biodynamic planting calendar and the principles of biodynamics (founded by Rudolf Steiner) and permaculture (founded by Bill Mollison) is included along with the opportunity to meet and interact with the hundreds of visitors that frequent the garden during the growing months.
The Herbal Classroom
In order to provide the public access to classes about herbal medicine and organic and biodynamic gardening, Avena Botanicals is establishing a small, non-profit educational arm called The Herbal Classroom. Over the past decade Avena Botanicals has received hundreds of requests from herbal students and medical professionals seeking beginning and advanced medicinal herb classes along with ongoing requests from people desiring an intensive, hands-on herbal apprenticeship program. Currently in Maine there are no extended residential apprentice opportunities in the field of medicinal herbs that include day long herb classes and training in biodynamic and permaculture methods at a site that has such extensive medicinal herb gardens as Avena Botanicals.
Building the Classroom and Apprentice House
The Herbal Classroom is building a 1200 square-foot structure that will contain a community classroom,
kitchen, apprentice housing and guest room for visiting faculty. We are currently seeking tax-deductible donations for the construction of the community classroom and apprentice house. Your donations to the Herbal Classroom will allow hundreds of people the opportunity to participate in high quality herbal classes and workshops.
Tax-deductible dontations can be sent to:
The Bridgewell Corporation
C/O Dr. Miriam Devlin
PO Box 836 Bucksport, ME 04416
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The new Herbal Classroom |
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