WHOLE LIVING: A COMPREHENSIVE COURSE ON HERBALISM & GARDENING

Wellness Simplified! This is a hands-on course in herbalism, gardening, seasonal eating, and food as medicine at a working farm.

On this journey, you will learn by growing, harvesting, nourishing and healing with the herbs and vegetables as you learn to make them part of your everyday life.

Over a period of 13 classes, we will lay the groundwork for healthy living by exploring and learning how to live in rhythm with the natural world. Mother Nature has so much to offer us and we must learn to be still, observe, connect, build awareness and relationships to explore all the bounty that is available. We then move forward in developing our knowledge base to work with herbs safely and instill confidence to use them to nourish and heal yourself, your family and your friends.

This is a hands-on course in both gardening and herbal medicine skills. You will work on deepening your knowledge and connection with the plants over a growing season. Through the use of this knowledge, you will learn how to make quality medicine from the plants. The herbs in combination with whole foods will provide you with a foundation for healthier living and fulfillment of a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Course Topics

Learn 125 Herbs!
76 hours of in class learning throughout a growing season on a working farm.
Wildcrafting: ethics & safety of wild plants.
Harvesting Medicinals: learn the right parts to harvest, when to harvest, and drying effectively.
Medicine Chest: herbs for first aid, colds & flu and everyday ailments.
Medicine Making: teas, tinctures, glycerites, elixirs, syrups, oxymels, oils, vinegars, infused honey, flower essences, salves, liniments, poultices, shrubs, herbal candy/gummies, smudging and aromatherapy.
Herbal Body Care
Herbs and Food as Medicine: delightful culinary dishes, everyday food as medicine, seasonings and seasonal eating to support the body systems.
Body Systems Overview
Foundational Herbalism: Individualized Constitutions, Plant Energetics, Tissue States, Herb Tastings, Diagnosis and Formulations.
Cordials, Meads, Water Kefir and Kombucha/Fermented Drinks
Navigating the Food Systems: learn about cooking with herbs and healthy foods as well as the preparations for obtaining optimal nutrition from your food.
Fermented Foods: hands-on experience making kefir, yogurt, sodas, kombucha, and vegetables.
Preserving Herbs & Vegetables: dehydrating, pickling and fermenting.
Gardening From Seed: ordering, starting, storing, transplanting, saving seeds and greenhouse growing.
Soil: amending & creating biologically active soil.
Fertilization: organic materials, natural amendments and understanding soil samples.
Vermicomposting: make your own worm bin to take home.
Preparing Beds: layering/ no till, when to rototill, raised beds and containers.
Companion Planting: the science and enhancement of growing complementary plants.
Crop Rotation, Cover Crops & Natural Mulches
Herb Growing: planting & tending.
Vegetable Growing: planting, tending, protecting, harvesting and preserving.
Insects: beneficial insects & pest control.
General Garden Care for Success

Modern Sustainable Living

Whole Living Class focus is primarily based on herbs that can be grown in Central Virginia.You learn to identify and connect with the culinary and medicinal herbs that are grown at Forrest Green Farm and you make medicine from them. During Whole Living, we build relationships with our herbal allies and begin to see how they help us maintain daily wellness. This gives you a connection with the plants and the medicine you make from them.

Krista & Rob have been farming and gardening at Forrest Green Farm for 29 years. They use their practical experience from their own success and failures to help mentor you, in a realistic way, on how to incorporate Whole Living principles into your own life.

Join us for our 13th year of Whole Living class at the farm for a growing season of observing and learning the beauty, harvest, food/nutrition and medicine from the plants that we grow.

FAQ about Whole Living Class

This is a hands-on class!

You will take home something from every class. You will take home 70 projects! This is a learning opportunity as well as a chance to produce and immediately start using your new skills to enhance your lifestyle with the projects that you make in class.

Cost: For thirteen 6 hour classes, it is $2,000 includes 70 projects, a course manual, gardening textbook, and seasonal eating cookbook that you will take home. Space is limited!

Classes will meet on Sundays from 10am-4pm.

Class Dates: 2021

March 6 (Saturday Seeding class)
April 18
May 16, 23
June 13, 27
July 11, 25
Aug 15, 29
Sept 12, 26
Oct 10

To receive a certification of completion you must do extra course readings, watch assigned movies, attend at least 11 classes and do herbal ally work/project. This is not required but an option for those who have the time and want a certification for the course.

Please complete this registration form and then you will be directed to pay your deposit or to pay in full, please complete all of these steps to be considered registered in Whole Living class.

Online Payments

ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED. When making your payments online there will be a 3% credit card processing fee.

Whole Living Class Pictures

Testimonials

"I have always struggled with plants, except for herbs since they seem to like my neglect. When I saw Whole Living 1’s class description, I thought maybe I’d learn what to do with herbs and maybe get some pointers on other things. Boy was I unprepared for the amount of amazing things I learned! It was a spectacular experience that has changed the way I interact with my land and food in general. I now feel very confident not only in my yard, but in my kitchen. I can’t thank Krista enough for everything she’s taught me!"

Jennifer Mason

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"After trying to get some herbal education on-line, it just wasn't working. I just didn't get it. I heard about Forrest Green Farm's Whole Living Classes and knew immediately it was what I needed. I had to travel 3 hours each way to attend class, but it was worth the journey. I only missed one! Special Place, Special Classes, Special People! The Herbs speak to you there, and I learned so much about Natural Living also. I already signed up for the Whole Living 2 class. I can't wait!"

Jean Howard, Mathews County, VA

, C.A.& J Farm
"I have taken both Whole Living 1 and 2 as well as the Herbarium Class, the Mushroom Log Class, and have had several other reasons to visit wonderful Forrest Green Farm. As a health care professional (NP-C), this experience has been eye-opening and life changing, for others in my family as well as for me. As an instructor of community health nursing, many of my students have even visited the farm with me to learn about the activities and offerings there.
With Krista's considerable wisdom and guidance, I now have my own medicinal and culinary herb garden to enjoy and to produce many of the good medicines and other crafts discovered through her classes. There is so much more to learn, and I am anticipating Whole Living 3 with excitement and joy!"

Patricia L. Higgins, Gordonsville, VA

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"It's very easy to get wrapped up in the fast paced life around us, and not pay any attention to our health. I came to Forrest Green and the Whole Living class after visiting several doctors about severe health issues. The doctors had no diagnosis but were happy prescribe plenty of meds. Knowing there must be another way, I took the Whole Living class to diagnose and treat myself, through natural remedies. I gained twice as much knowledge and know-how than I expected and walked away with lifelong resources and friends. One year after starting the class I have found more day to day energy, less symptoms, and more inner peace than I have had for several years - and am on track to be fully healed!"

Jeff Dion

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