Shining Mountain Farm Sponsors Class in Herbal Medicine Making

RIDGWAY – The “Garden of Herbal Delights” weekend is being held at the Shining Mountain Herb Farm, south of Ridgway, on Sept. 6-7. Hosted and taught by Sheila Finch-Manzagol and Pam Hyde-Nakai, the weekend will include a tour of the garden, plant tastings, medicine-making, and a wild plant walk.

Saturday, Sept. 6, students will spend the morning touring the two acres of medicinal herbs. A lunch from the garden will be provided, and a workshop on tea, tincture and salve preparation will follow in the afternoon. Participants will be able to take their products home.

On Sunday afternoon, the wild plant walk will focus on identification of wild medicinal and edible plants. Participants will meet at Shining Mountain Herbs to carpool to Ouray.

Hyde-Nakai is a clinical herbalist and founder of the Sonoran Herbal Institute in Tucson, Ariz. She lives on the Uncompahgre Plateau in the summers and has taught herbal classes, workshops and plant walks in the Ridgway area since 1999. She studied with Michael Moore at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in 1988. She has led plant walks at the Southwest Botanical Medicine Conferences in Arizona and continues to teach herbal classes in Tucson in the winters.

Finch-Manzagol is the co-owner and herbalist at Shining Mountain Herbs. She is a clinical herbalist, having studied with Michael and Leslie Tierra of the East West Herbal Institute. Finch-Manzagol started Shining Mountain Herbs with husband Tim in 1998 and began growing and experimenting with growing a variety of herbs at high altitude, some of which are from other regions on the planet. She has developed a line of medicinal formulas, salves, oils, and single-plant tinctures, primarily using herbs grown on the farm.

The cost for both classes is $85 with pre-registration; payment is required by Sept. 2. The Saturday-only class is $60 and includes lunch and supplies. Sunday’s plant walk is $35. Sign up early, as space is limited.

For more information and to register, call Hyde-Nakai at 970/596-3257 or Finch-Manzagol at 970/626-2212.