Louise holding mints, basils, parsley, lemon balm, and sage she cultivated.
Plant Study
All of my work with the Earth has been driven by a passion for plants and to understand the natural world and nurture our deep relationship. I have been working with plants for a decade. I started with whatever space I had to grow whatever I could. My passion took me into books and, eventually, farming and medicine making.
I practice seed saving, container gardening, foraging, and using plants for food and medicine. These herbs were harvested from one of my earlier gardens.
Louise in garlic beds she planted with colleagues.
Food Access Work
I am excited to have been a part of a diverse team in 2023 that worked to make food accessible for everyone at the Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-Being. Their creativity, respect for the community, and their actions to cultivate well-being through food systems made me proud to be a part of that team. While at the campus, you could catch me outside laying irrigation, sharing and receiving plant knowledge, seeding, transplanting, and harvesting beds of veggies, working our weekly farm stand, or weeding the therapy garden with colleagues and community members.
Louise harvesting collard greens in an aquaponics greenhouse.
Greenhouse and Perennial Care
For two seasons I worked in traditional and aquaponics greenhouses taking care of annuals and perennials for sale for farms and gardens. I take an IPM approach to pest management, keep a log, and, and have experience with drip tray, overhead watering, and zero waste systems.
Louise holding a jar of wound healing salve oil she infused.
Herbal Medicine
For half a decade I have been working with plants to make medicine. My experience farming and working in greenhouses to cultivate of food and medicine educated me on the power of herbs in community well-being and healing. My decade-long study researching plants, their properties, and their chemistry through literature and medical research has given me confidence in creating remedies that help people. Going to the plants for medicine was also the way of my ancestors. I continue to grow my skills in herbal remedies to connect deeply with people, land, and place.
Louise and her first personal greenhouse.
Starting From the Seed
After seven years of working with plant life, I manifested my dream of growing a garden from seed in my own greenhouse. It has been very rewarding to apply my knowledge in greenhouse management and plant production to growing my own garden space. I was able to plant a fully producing herb, flower, and vegetable garden from seeds I planted months before. It completely opened up new doors to how I learn from and engage with growing food and perennials.