Community Supported Herbalism…from the people, for the people.
Herban Farmacy is Asheville's first herbal CSA- Community Supported Apothecary. Co- founded by Jamie Sparks and Keri Evjy, Herban Farmacy was initially an experiment to see how well an herbal education backed by hand-crafted medicines would actually do in Asheville. Herban Farmacy recognized the needs of the community to take health back into their own hands, and to gain a better understanding of the precious herbal medicines within these mountains. The knowledge and excitement express by shareholders, made it clear, that Herban Farmacy was well needed. Growing into a bigger herbal endeavor of medicines and education, Jamie Sparks is now the owner and director. Her desires of empowering others to take their health into their own hands and learn from their bodies and natural world, keeps her inspired and motivated. Jamie and Herban Farmacy are inspired to share the healing abilities of our green allies with our greater community.
Jamie has a strong love for the earth and a love for our human community. She is committed to helping her community celebrate and understand more deeply our interdependence with the earth and to promote the recognition of how deeply connected we are. Passionate about a livelihood that is both environmentally and socially conscious, as well as herbally focused Jamie strives to weave holistic integration of health for people and planet.
Jamie first awoke to our interconnectedness and the gifts and wisdom of plants when exploring an ethnobotany course in 1995. She holds a Bachelor's of Science in Plant Biology, and a minor in Environmental Studies. Her love for plants and healing continues through constant study of herbalism with a variety of esteemed teachers.
She has apprenticed with Juliet Blankespoor and attended the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. Jamie has apprenticed and learned clinical skills under Sevensong, the Director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine and the herbalist at the Ithaca Free Clinic, located in Ithaca, New York. She furthers her herbal knowledge by annually attending herbal conferences, such as Medicines from the Earth and the Women's Herb Conference, while increasing her clinical skills and giving to her community through time working as a clinical herbalist at the Ithaca Free Clinic and at a variety of gatherings and festivals.
Jamie also teaches children's herbal first aid at a variety of schools and home school programs in the Asheville area. She is a born teacher and teaches herbalism, environmental education, yoga, waltzing, felting and much more. She runs a successful massage practice, where her clients experience handmade oils, personalized massage and yoga stretches to take home with them. For more on her massage practice and oils, please see Jamie Sparks-massage.
She is happy to live, learn, walk, harvest and commune in the Asheville area.