The following is an article written for my portfolio, on April 10th 2022.
What appears to be the province’s first ever medicinal herb farm has arrived. Awaken Herbs, found 40 minutes northeast of Winnipeg, will be offering a large variety of high-quality herbs through weekly U-Picks, a CSA program, and bulk dried herb sales.
U-pick guests book their harvest time in advance on the Awaken Herbs website. Upon arriving at the farm, they’ll get a tour of the plants, then harvest their choice of herbs into their own containers. While at the farm, customers are welcome to explore; Awaken Herbs has a labyrinth, picnic areas, and of course the herb gardens, set on 80 acres of land.
Those who want a more ready-to-go option, and sign up for a CSA membership, will receive six shares of four or five different herbs throughout the season. When asked about the benefits of a CSA for both the buyers and farmers, Awaken Herbs founder Kris Antonius says that joining a CSA is kind of like “dating your farmer”. “You enter into a relationship, and to be honest you take on some of the risk with your partner. Our commitment as the farmers is to grow fresh, local, medicinal herbs for our members. The members commit to paying for their share up front, which helps farmers with the often top-heavy costs of seasonal start-up.”
Antonius has been interested in plants since childhood, helping her grandmother and mother in their backyard gardens. That enthusiasm extended into motherhood. “Since our now teen kids were toddlers, I spent a lot of time with them learning about the plants right outside our doorstep, and how to use them respectfully. When we moved to the country and started Cityfolk Farm, the herb farm was a natural extension of our lifestyle, and also tied in nicely with the DIY Homesteader Festival that we run.” Since opening, the response from the public has been “overwhelmingly positive”, says Antonius. “It’s a very sensory experience, because of all of the wonderful aromas, and the beauty of the plants. One customer said that when they were driving up to the farm they felt as though they were coming home.”
When asked about the most prominent roadblock(s) in the business, Antonius says that the biggest one for them is that there isn’t a large local herb movement. “There’s been a big movement for local food over the past decade or two, and we’re seeing beginnings of a local fibre movement—it will take work to educate people on local medicine as well.”
Antonius says that connecting with the plants in a reciprocal manner rather than an extractive one is important, and that the benefits of herbs start well before any harvest. “Folks are welcome to come out to the farm simply to take in the aroma and beauty, and listen and learn from the wisdom of the plants. We all have some of kind of herbal heritage and I encourage people to dig into that.” However, she says using herbs in teas or fresh in salads and other recipes are great ways to get started. “We encourage customers to harvest small amounts, to get to know herbs they are unfamiliar with. Always look up any contraindications with medications and try out small amounts incase of allergies,” cautions Antonius.
To sign up for a CSA share or book a U-Pick harvest head to the awakenherbs.ca, or @awakenherbs on Instagram.
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