In this “Tea Talks Roundtable,” Jiling discusses the work of the Stonefruit Community Herbalists with the Stonefruit Herbal Collective: Michelle Soto, Jocelyn Kirkwood, and Vilde Chaya Fenster-Ehrlich.

Roundtable Topics

• Their individual journeys into herbalism
• How the Stonefruit Collective came to be
• How herbs may be shared freely
• Building a free and sliding scale clinic
• The relationship between the Wild Cherries Herbal Studies Program and Cutting Root Farm
• A simple tip for how herbalists can begin cultivating welcoming spaces for transgender, gender-queer, and non-binary folks
• The importance of humility and deep listening

About the Herbalists

🌿 MICHELLE SOTO (she/ they) is a fashion forward herbalist, educator, gardener, dog lover, and community organizer. She runs Cutting Root Farm and is part of the Stonefruit Community Herbalists in western PA. Visit Michelle at CuttingRoot.com

🌿 JOCELYN KIRKWOOD (she/ they) is a Community Herbalist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner residing in Pittsburgh, PA. They are part of the Stonefruit Community Herbalists, teaching at the Wild Cherries Herbal Studies Program, and an herbalist at the Three Rivers Free Clinic for the People. Jocelyn co-founded the Lake Effect Free Alternative Health Clinic, and has been an herbalist there for nine years in Cleveland, OH.

🌿 VILDE CHAYA FENSTER-EHRLICH (she/ her) is a lover of play, games and mischief, to bend the world and grow connections within and between us. She is an herbalist, teacher, and consummate hostess living in Western Massachusetts, who loves crafting sweet and magical spaces of feelings and resistance for her communities of gender weirdos.

🌿JILING LIN is a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac) and herbalist in Ventura, CA. A clinician and teacher, Jiling is also a passionate traveler, artist, and adventurer. Visit Jiling at JilingLin.com, Instagram @LinJiling, and Facebook @JilingLAc. Get her free Nourishing Life (養生) template, Five Phases (五行) outline, or sign up for her newsletter here.

Resources

• Learn more about the Stonefruit Herbal Collective and Wild Cherries Herbal Studies Program at WildCherries.org
• Competent Care for Transgender, GenderQueer and Non-Binary Folks, a resource for herbalists and other practitioners, curated by clinical herbalists Vilde Chaya Fenster-Ehrlich and Larken Bunce
• Wild Current Herbalism Advanced Clinical Herbal Skills program