While the supply chain has been disrupted in many ways, people like our local herbalists continue to farm, tend, wild-harvest, and collect healing botanicals grown right here in Pennsylvania. Learn more about the individuals in our community making plant medicine, and explore their elixirs, vinegars, teas, tonics, and tinctures. We have cultivated a batch of locally grown and produced herbal products designed to support a resilient nervous system and a happy heart. 

We asked a handful of local herbal experts to share the ingredients and intentions behind their mood-boosting products.

Find Courage with Furnace Creek Farm

Furnace Creek Farm is a medicinal and culinary herb farm located in Oley, Pennsylvania. Grace Galanti is the herbalist behind the brand; her love of plants began as a child during botany walks through a local apple orchard.

Elixir No. 3 – Courage is a honey and vinegar extract with borage flowering tops, lemon balm, and chocolate mint. The flavor is light and refreshing. Enjoy 1 tablespoon in hot water to make tea or in sparkling water for an herbal soda.

Grace explains the process behind Elixir No.3. “This elixir is my favorite “pick-me-up” – it lifts your spirits and promotes joy.  Its primary ingredient, borage, provides energy from the adrenals and relaxes the heart. In the 1500’s borage was used for melancholy.

Lemon balm is a nervine that has traditionally been used as a heart tonic for vigor and well-being.  It improves mood, eases restlessness and irritability. Studies are showing that lemon balm may be effective as an anti-viral. Courage is ‘to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart’.” 

Also try Furnace Creek Farm’s Immunity Tincture, made using ashwagandha and elecampane, and Elixir #2 – Breathe, made with elecampane and white pine needle. (Elecampane is an herb used for lung health.)

Re-Fresh Your Brain and Seek Calm with Natural Hope Herbals

Natural Hope Herbals was founded with the goal of combining rich herbal traditions of the past with current scientific knowledge, to create quality herbal products. Ben Stoltzfus oversees their organic herb farm in Klingerstown, PA and processing facility in Millersburg, PA.

Kimberton Whole Foods is pleased to increase our selection of Natural Hope products with the additions of loose leaf herbal teas. One of our favorites is Brain ReFresh, which Ben shares might help “clear the fog”, as it’s a “blend of traditional brain tonics that support healthy blood circulation to the brain.” It contains gotu kola, peppermint, holy basil, lemon balm, lemon grass, ginkgo, rosemary, orange peel, ginger, cinnamon, and stevia.

Need some mellowing? He suggests reaching for Calm/Nerve, a tincture that combines nine herbs used to nourish and support a healthy nervous system during times of stress, including milky oat seed, skullcap, wild lettuce, passionflower, and lemon balm.

Other new teas from Natural Hope Herbals include: Mommy 2B, Milk Plus, Respiratory, Happy Days, Be Well, and Throat Soothe. Also look for Immune Stim and their Tasty Calm and Tasty Immune products, formulated just for children. 

Support Your Emotional Energy with Mother Hylde

Ruthie Hayes of Mother Hylde’s Herbal practices the art of herbalism from her home in the wooded hills of southeastern Pennsylvania, in a cabin located on her family’s farm in Harmonyville. 

She says, “I see a lot of talk online about what herbs to take for immune support. What gets left out of the conversation a lot is how to support the nervous system and a healthy stress response, which is closely tied in to immune function. Someone whose nervous system is constantly running from the bear is going to have compromised immune responses because their body is focused on just staying alive for the next 30 seconds. Sometimes I run in circles during the day, not knowing what to put my energy into first… Am I caught up on housework? What needs to be done in the garden? Are there any bills due today? What medicines am I out of? Oh no, have I forgotten to sign my son in to online school again??? It’s easy to feel like you’re stretched thin right now.

There are also herbal allies that are beautifully suited to support us through times when our nerves feel crispy and our emotional and energy stores are tapped out. Oats + Roses was specifically formulated for times like this.” Ruthie’s Oats + Roses Adaptogen Elixir contains milky oats, rose, holy basil and ashwagandha and is formulated to support our ability to nourish the nervous system, process emotions, and feel calm and grounded.

Also look for Mother Hylde’s Fuego Cider (her version of the classic fire cider), EverBerry syrup (her well-loved elderberry syrup), and Dream Weaver tincture (her herbal sleep aid). 

Uplift Your Mood with Tooth of the Lion Farm

Tooth of the Lion Farm is a farm-based apothecary located in Schuylkill County, PA. Farmer and herbalist, Katelyn, is committed to building an accessible, local medicine movement, and grows her herbs using sustainable and regenerative practices.

Katelyn shares, “The Cloudy Day Tonic is soothing, anti-inflammatory, supportive for digestion, packed with minerals to nourish the nervous system, and generally uplifting for your cloudy day mood. When you need a reminder that it’s okay to not be okay – the Cloudy Day Tonic meets you where you are at and offers the gentle support of plant medicine. Chamomile, milky oats and lemon verbena combine for a sweet and nourishing alcohol-free herbal tonic: excellent as a daily nervous system support or simply as needed for a pick-me-up. I like to add 1-2 teaspoons to a small cup of water – you can also mix it up and add a dash to tonic water, kombucha, juice, tea, smoothies, or even your favorite cocktail!”

Also try Tooth of the Lion Farm’s Ginger Turmeric Tonic, their top-seller.

Restore Your Inner Strength with Lancaster Farmacy

Lancaster Farmacy was founded in 2009 by Elisabeth (Eli) Weaver and Casey Spacht, in Lancaster County. “My partner, Casey, and I started Lancaster Farmacy because we were eager to share natural healing traditions and empower people to learn to use herbs and experience their benefits.” They specialize in certified organic medicinal herbs, flowers, and produce. We’re excited to offer new teas from Lancaster Farmacy, arriving in all stores soon. They don’t get fresher than this! Nettles for their Nourishmint Tea grow in early April, and are freshly harvested, dried, and packaged to enjoy. The tea also contains alfalfa, oatstraw, red raspberry leaf, and mint. 

We asked Eli to tell us a little more about the benefits of nettles: “Nettle Leaf is a staple herb we use in our products because it has a long list of medicinal properties. It is referred to as “nature’s pharmacy plant” and is packed full of vitamins and minerals. It is a wonderful restorative herb. It has a laundry list of benefits and is most popular for its high amounts of iron, calcium, vitamin C and potassium. It is considered a tonic herb enhancing natural immunity and something you can never get enough of. It is a natural diuretic, which helps to flush toxins in the body and relieve any water tension.”

Also look out for Lancaster Farmacy’s Tranquilitea (coming soon to all Kimberton Whole Foods stores) which features milky oats, holy basil, chamomile, lemon balm, skullcap, and California poppy.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.