Your life isn’t always a straight path to where you end up. Mine sure as hell wasn’t.
When I was a kid, I loved playing outside. I remember finding a little patch of deer moss in the woods and how I would sit there for long periods of time pretending that the moss was my bed, weaving little bracelets and things with grass and singing to myself. I played with my siblings outdoors for hours and hours in my free time. I was also forced to help my stepmother with her gardening, which (much as I hated it) taught me how the soil hung onto plant roots, how hard I needed to pull up some weeds or how deep to plant certain bulbs.
I went into Vocational Agriculture ion high school and because a star in the FFA for awhile. I went to state and national competitions for Animal Science. I still have all my medals and awards.
I was a good girl. An obedient girl. I liked doing things and listening to music that my parents didn’t like, but what kid doesn’t? I got through high school with an A-B average grade set, went to college and enjoyed ever minute of getting my degree in English even though it never really resulted in a career, and dated the wrong guy after the wrong guy until I married the wrong guy and had two kids.
School, then marriage, then children. That’s what I was SUPPOSED to do and that’s what I did.
I gave up on the chance to go teach English in Japan because I wanted to stay near my boyfriend. I never traveled because I always felt that I was too poor to go anywhere. I worked one unfulfilling job after another until I finally married and got pregnant. After I had my daughter, I stopped working a job outside the home and worked my ass off making our home. My first husband took advantage of that in every respect, but that’s not what this is about.
A year after my second child (my son) was born, my ex and I decided to get divorced. It was not easy. I knew I needed to get out of the house and away from him. I knew he couldn’t afford to pay for both of us to have separate lives. But I hadn’t worked a “real job” in at least five years. And I was struggling to find one. Eventually, I discovered Farm Apprenticeship and I started looking for a place to apprentice.
I was lucky to find where I ended up. The guy had a 10 acre organic farm and a studio apartment built over his garage that I could stay in. I’d be able to have my own space and my kids could come visit me there. So I signed up.
That first year as an apprentice was the hardest thing I ever did in my life. The first night away from my kids after being a stay-at-home-mother to them for over 4 years was torture. I cried and cried, even though I talked to them every night on video chat. I learned everything I could about farming while I worked 50-60 hours each week. I ended up in the best shape of my life at age 30.
I’m skipping over a lot of details here. This is a blog post, not a novel. But the point I’m trying to make is that working as a farm apprentice that season set me up with the knowledge and experience to get my next consecutive 6 job positions, all in either agriculture or greenhouses. I am what you would call “highly desirable experienced farm labor.” I even managed a small organic farm in Massachusetts in 2022. That was the last time I worked for someone other than myself.
In 2017, my second husband and I bought this house that I live in now. We divorced last year, but I built this farm from nothing. This was a suburban lot that had trash, junk, and old cars on it for years. It had an old neglected garden space and lots of wild bushes and weeds. We tore all the junk and bushes out and slowly, using mostly reclaimed fencing, wood, bricks, and anything we could get for free off Craigslist, we built the garden areas and coops we have today. He built the fencing, I did the rest.
I’m writing all this to remind you that it is possible. My dream was to have my own farm and I created one. My business is evolving now, but I still maintain my love of feeling my toes barefoot in the soil while planting potatoes or hoeing a garden bed.
Most farmers today either inherited the land (or their farm business) or worked in some corporate job for years, saving up lots of money and resources, before “giving it all up to farm.” I didn’t have any of that. I admit that I was lucky to get this place when I did, but I have worked DAMN HARD to get to where I am now.
When you ask me how I know so much about herbalism and healing, know that I started dabbling in herbalism as early as 2009. I got into healthy eating and started eating mostly Paleo in 2011. I started learning herbalism with classes and books in 2018. I’ve taken more courses in Herbalism than I have certificates for. I listen to herbalism podcasts and online audio courses. I read health or herb books regularly. I’m constantly learning and also experimenting with what I learn. I learn so I can help people.
I dealt with ungodly amounts of stress. Living in poverty most of my life, I now know how to take care of myself. I started learning how to forage because the wild food was free and I was poor. I started learning Herbalism because I could heal myself cheaply and I was poor.
But now? Because I spent so much time and effort learning how to do it RIGHT, I keep doing it.
Now I forage because I know the wild foods I eat are healing my body and it’s more nutritious than anything I buy at a store. Now I work with herbs and make herbal medicines because they’re so much higher quality than anything I can get from a doctor. Now I know how to grow my own food, raise and slaughter my own meat, and get exercise outdoors while doing what I love because it feeds my soul.
I started small and weak. I’m living now strong, confident in my capabilities, more knowledgeable than ever, and more resilient than I ever thought I could be.
My gut is happy and healthy. Because of that, I don’t suffer with anxiety, depression, skin problems, or autoimmune issues. Yes, I still have some physical pain, but I hike and work on the farm, and I’m getting older. A massage, some yoga, a Rolfing session, or some Birch oil fixes that right up.
When I was 38 I had a mental breakdown that (thankfully) resulted in me getting true mental health for the first time in my entire life. That’s the subject of my next book, by the way. But because I went through THAT, I know how to help you get through the toughest parts of YOUR life too.
I spent the last 20 years of my life learning how to do things the hard way: working my way from the bottom up. I’m not complaining! It made me who I am today. And because of all these experiences (that most people don’t get to have) I know how to solve the problems you are going through.
I started this journey to survive and get through each day, one day at a time.
I’m in it now to share what I have learned and change your life for the better. Mental and physical health are one HELL of a drug!
Would you like me to show you how to get here for yourself?
Book a Call to see how I can help you. No cost, no obligation, just see if we’re a good fit.
Or join my Gut Club and other coaching programs here: Herbal Remedies By Amelia