Health Justice

Radherb is a network of herbalists in the US who are working to incorporate health justice principles into herbalism. The Radherb network was started by a group of Northeast herbalists who wanted to see social justice and health justice incorporated into herbal conferences and culture. Radherb's annual convergence was founded in 2006 at 7 Arrows Farm and was run collectively through 2009. The collective grew and changed over the years, with a committed collective of some of the original members, and other Northeast herbalists committed to social justice within herbalism. The collective ran annual convergences in Massachusetts for 3 years.
In 2010 The Radherb organizers created a training focused on HEALTH JUSTICE.
Presently, the Convergence, & Health Justice trainings are held annually in RI.

October 8, 2015

Teach-ins 2015

Pittsburg, PA
Ola's Herb Shop and Botanica, Upstairs at 5824 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh PA

October 10th, Time: 4-8 PM
Contact: Stonefruit Community Herbalists, contact@wildcherries.org

May 28, 2015

Northeast Radherb Announcement!!

Happy National Herb Week!!
As you know every year since 2006, we hold our annual convergence…

In order to build a stronger Radherb network, we are changing our structure to a bi annual convergence and adding bi-annual regional “teach ins” on alternating years.

Our hope is that these teach ins can happen all over the country on the same day! Northeast Radherb is seeking support for the bi-annual teach in’s all over the country, but specifically  in Providence, Boston, Portland (ME), Hudson (NY), NYC, Albany (NY), Western Massachusetts, Montpelier (VT), and Worcester (MA).

How can I help this happen in my community??
Become a regional organizer!!

Organizer Responsibilities:
→ Determine and secure a location for the RadHerb convergence in your specific region for October 10, 2015
→ Promote local convergence event through flyering, social media, and developing relationships on behalf of Radherb
→ Act as facilitator for local convergence
→ Invite other facilitators for discussions regarding some or all of the following topics:  Mental Health, Medical Racism, Cultural Appropriation, Trans Health, Classism within Healthcare, and Cultural Appropriation (any any health justice issues in your community).
→ Report back to Radherb on discussions, best practices, and finding during your local event, and we will post on the blog.

Goals of Regional RadHerb Teach in:
  • Encourage a dialogue about Community Health Care and explore issues of Oppression and Accessibility with students, teachers, community organizers and practitioners of herbalism/ holistic health.
  • Focus on Cultural Competency, which is defined simply as the ability to understand, communicate with, and provide effective and appropriate care to people with diverse values, experiences, and backgrounds.
  • Create a base of Radherb Educators who can begin to teach and inspire health care providers, clinics, schools, teachers and students throughout the Northeast
  • Create leaders in the field of Health Justice who will then use their skills to collaborate with healthcare providers, clinics, schools, teachers and students throughout the Northeast

What's provided:

Although individual discussions will differ based on attendees and local convergences, we at RadHerb will support you. We will be designing flyers for you to distribute, developing a discussion question toolbox/facilitation guide and maintaining a blog as the central hub contact.

Interested in helping? Questions? Please contact us! radherb@gmail.com












January 16, 2014

2014 RADHERB Convergence

2014 RADHERB Convergence
Sorry the 2014 Convergence is full! 
Please email us at radherb@gmail.com to get on our waiting list. 
 
WHEN?
October 11, 12, 2014
 WHERE?
At Farmacy Herb's farm in West Greenwich, RI, 02817
 WHAT? 
*Herb Classes with:
7 Song, Larken Bunce, Lauren Giambrone, Traci Picard, Angel Putney, Mary Blue, Cea Wiley 
*Health Justice Discussions*
*Barter Fair* 
*Clothing Swap*
*Pot Luck*
*Herbal Jeopardy*
HOW?
$25-$150 Sliding Scale
$15 food fee

All Proceeds go to the HERBAL AIDE GRANT FUND
 
**This is a registration only event! **
We only have space for about 70 people on the farm




 SCHEDULE
 SATURDAY      
9:00-9:30    Opening Introductions      
9:30-10:30    
*7Song:
Notes from the free clinic.

7Song will discuss how herbalists can work within a conventional mixed modality free clinic. He will focus on the practical and theoretical aspects of practicing as clinical herbalist in this type of health care model.          
10:45-12pm    
*Traci Picard:
A niche within a niche.
Traci will share with us her business philosophy on creating a
niche business within a niche industry.     
*Larken Bunce:
 Herbalists as organizers and educators.
 Larken will share her experience as a community organizer and practitioner in Vermont. In partnership with a diverse team of herbalists, she has collaboratively built a successful herb school and teaching clinic that is committed to radical accessibility. She will talk about the skills, tools and experience that are useful when starting to organize and share your knowledge with your community--starting with workshops and temporary clinics all the way through developing long-term, collaborative ventures. Bring your questions and experiences to share with the group and gather suggestions and insights into solutions and next steps. Depending on the interests and needs of participants, the discussion might include logistics of organizing, tending relationships (within projects and with your community), stepping into teacher/practitioner while continuing to learn, and much more.
*Angel Putney:
Herbal Accessibility

This group will explore effective ways for making herbalism and herbal education within
communities. Work Trade, Sliding Scale, Free Clinics and other models will be explored
by the group.
12pm-1pm    Lunch
1pm-2pm  
*Cea Wiley:
 Trans Health

Transgender Healthcare is rarely discussed within herbalism. This group will explore in-
creasing access to comprehensive, effective, and affirming healthcare services for trans* and gender-variant communities. Language, care and obstacles to care and support of the transgender herbal client will be explored by the group.    
*Cultural Borrowing Discussion
This group discussion will allow Radherb participants to explore cultural
borrowing within the current practice of holistic health care and herbalism. Without judgement, participants will work together to unravel this complicated and sometimes volatile subject.           *Lauren Giambrone: 
Medical-isms
Racism, Sexism, Ageism...there are so many isms and areas of oppression/ inequality within the health care system. This group will explore their own histories within the healthcare system to highlight disparities/ inequalities. This discussion will inspire dialogue on how to support ourselves and clients in commanding appropriate health care resources, whether it be allopathic or holistic.
2pm-5pm    Barter Fair      
2pm-3pm   
 *Medicinal Tree Walk with Traci Picard 
 *Lauren Giambrone: 
Herbal CSA  
Lauren runs her own herbal CSA year round. She will give you tips and tricks for creating a viable herbal CSA.    
*Mary Blue: 
The many paths of an herbalist.
Pro’s and con’s of the herbal farmer, practitioner, educator and product maker. Mary runs a small herbal company that addresses many aspects of herbal work: clinic work, classes, farming and product making. She will talk about her experiences over the last 8 years in growing her business.. what has worked and what hasn't.
3pm-4pm     
*Plant Walk with 7 Song 
*Plant Walk with Larken Bunce    
4pm-5pm    Clothing Swap/ Barter Fair  
5pm-7pm    Potluck dinner & dessert      
7pm    Regional Herbal Jeopardy. This game will team up herbalists regionally to answer herbal related questions, Jeopardy style!     

 SUNDAY    
7:30-8:30    Breakfast
9am-12pm     
*7 Song: First Aid for the Herbalist
This class will explore how herbal medicines can be used in a variety of first aid situations. We will cover some diagnosis and treatment for common conditions such as infections, animal bites and pain.  It will also cover scope of practice for the herbalist in a first aid situation, and when to consider conventional (non-herbal) treatments. This class will also help students design their own first aid kits.
12pm-1pm Clean up
1pm     Lunch

October 16, 2013

The 2013 Radherb Convergence was a great success!
Thanks to all participants for helping make the event run super smooth!

Special thanks to Naomi, Jessica, Keith and Glen 
for going above and beyond in planning the 2013 Convergence. 


All proceeds from the convergence went to the Herbal Aide Grant:

Herbal Aide Grant Winners. Lauren, August and Kelly

Early Morning Plant Walk

Morning Panel with Northeast Herbalists

Morning Panel with Northeast Herbalists

Leah Wolfe Class

Ilana facilitating Health Justice Intro

Health Justice Discussion



Larken Bunce Plant Walk



Makeshift Clinic Class with Leah Wolfe

April 9, 2013

RADHERB REVIVAL

After a 3 year break, the Northeast Grassroots Community Herbal Convergence is back! 

The 2013 Convergence is full! 
Please email us to get on the waiting list. 
radherb@gmail.com

WHEN?
October 12, 13, 2013

WHERE?
At the Farmacy Herbs Farm in West Greenwich, RI, 02817

WHAT? 
*Rad Herbalist Project Presentations from:

 Good Fight Herb Company, Underground Alchemy,
Vermont Center for Integrative Medicine,
Stone Cabin Wellness Collective, Just Herbals
Lancaster Farmacy, Farmacy Herbs RI,  
Fellow Workers Farm, Trillium Center
*Health Justice Discussions*
*Barter Fair*
*Clothing Swap*
*Pot Luck*
*Variety Show*
*A training on setting up a make shift disaster relief clinic by Leah Wolfe*
*Kids Activities*

HOW?
$25-$150 Sliding Scale
All Proceeds go to the HERBAL AIDE GRANT FUND
 
**This is a registration only event! **
We only have space for about 60 people on the farm
Sign up early to save a space 

Food not included: Pot Luck Saturday evening

 Bring some extra veggies/ food for the communal kitchen! 


March 5, 2012

Scattered Like Seeds

We are scattered like seeds all over the Northeast. We are community healthcare providers, family herbalists, medicine makers, healthcare educators, gardeners, wildcrafters, organizers, writers, practitioners, midwives, caregivers, nurses, medics, advocates and more. We have built free clinics that challenge the class divide. We have created forums for discussion and deliberation around issues of oppression within healthcare. Many of us are involved in autonomous healthcare collectives, working to support one another through collective knowledge and trust. Some of us are just learning about these kinds of things, just beginning to scratch the surface of our interest in healthcare and social justice. Some of us have become well versed in one area or another, writing and teaching about what we know. Most of us are somewhere in between, following our interests in healthcare as they carry us deeper.
We are diverse, we are growing, and we are everywhere!

Health Justice



In 2010 The Radherb organizers created a training focused on HEALTH JUSTICE. 
The goals of the training are to:
*Encourage a dialogue about Community Health Care and explore issues of Oppression and Accessibility with students, teachers, community organizers and practitioners of herbalism/ holisticl health.

*Focus on Cultural Competency, which is defined simply as the ability to understand, communicate with, and provide effective and appropriate care to people with diverse values, experiences, and backgrounds.

*Create a base of Radherb Educators who can begin to teach and inspire health care providers, clinics, schools, teachers and students throughout the Northeast.
*Create leaders in the field of Health Justice who will then use their skills to collaborate with healthcare providers, clinics, schools, teachers and students throughout the Northeast. 

The focus is on the following topics:

Mental Health
Medical Racism
Trans Health
Classism within Healthcare
Organizing Accessible Healthcare
Cultural Appropriation

Within each subject we explore:  History, Definitions and Terminology of each subject; Health Related Topics, Herbal Remedies (if applicable); Resources and more!