When I met my husband I had no concept of whole health or herbal medicine.  I secretly questioned what had been presented to me as absolute truths… in medicine, politics, religion, etc…but never had the courage to explore other possibilities.  We began conversing and I realized that not only did he have similar thoughts, he was not afraid to let them define him.  As we grew our love the smoky veil of false truths was lifted and I began to wholly exist.  My mind was finally free.  He said I was like a figment of his imagination…and so “Fig” was born.

And as our love story began, so began our profound love of plants and plant medicine. He shared with me a copy of the Tierra/Lust Natural Remedy Bible and I was fascinated.  On one hand, I had taken many camping and fishing trips with my mother and had great respect for nature.  On the other hand, as an RN she had raised me entirely in allopathic medicine.  This book was my very first exposure to what I call the true medicine and I was instantly hooked.

Our path led us to Great Cape Herbs Medicinal Herb Farm where we apprenticed for three growing seasons, hands-on learning cultivation, harvesting, preparation and application of over 200 plant species from our teachers Stephan Brown, Eliza Travisano and Karena Stroh.  During our time there we lived in a tent, experimented with a more sustainable way of life and attended several invaluable conferences such as IHS, NOFA and Bioneers.  For the past four years we have been hands-on learning the art of pregnancy, home birth and child rearing.  Our desire to be close to family during this time has brought us back to the Midwest, where the whole living way of life is still a fairly new concept.  It has been challenging, to say the least, but being a pioneer does have its advantages… I will be one of very few herbalists available and it is already clear that I will have many clients.

I used to say “I wish there was a school that applied aspects of all types of herbalism, from all cultures…that I could afford…and do from home.” Lo and behold, it does exist!  What an amazing gift the Tierras and their colleagues have given us!  I began the East West Professional Herbalist Course in February and it has greatly invigorated my love affair with plants.  Upon completion, I hope to obtain certification and begin giving consultations.  Our ultimate goal is to have a small, cozy herb shop where we make preparations of herbs we have grown available to the public.  As we both have extensive experience in food service and are deeply passionate about healing with whole foods, it is likely a small cafe will be included.  We will also offer classes on the basics of herbal medicine at little or no cost.

I love to sing, dance, garden, make art, play with my kids, hear live music, cook, and spend time with friends and family.  When I am not mothering or studying, you will find me at Theater Upon A Star Dance Swan; “a collection of fantastic characters scampering out of imagination…dramatic in spirit… dance their way into a storytellers theater.”  My mentor Lorrie Keller is the matriarch of this band of merry artists.  We use our training in modern dance, theater, music, and visual art to create a magical world for children of all ages (as we are all children at heart) to discover their inner creativity.  I believe what we do is another very important aspect of healing.

At age 16, if you had grabbed me by the shoulders, looked me in the eye and said, “K.C., you will be a healer!”, I would have never believed you…