Sweet Birch Herbals

11/08/2026

Hi, I am Hannah. It’s been a while since I’ve introduced myself to my new followers and friends here in the digital world.

I am a full time herbalist in the small town of Ashfield, Massachusetts on Nipmuc and Pocomtuc territory. I grow herbs for my products on a few acres with the help of an incredible team of women.

My birthplace is only several miles south in Florence, MA where my family still resides so I get to spend time with them regularly. My heritage is Ashkanazi Jew and English. I thread my ancestors into my work daily and feel their support on the back of my heart.

I’ve felt a calling to the plants my entire life of nearly 40 years. It began in my mother’s small garden and wandering the rivers with my father as he fished. Nature always felt like home to me as a kid. Still does.

I discovered herbalism or it made its way into my life during college when I turned to herbal support for a few ailments and saw tremendous results. It fascinated me that plants growing all around us could assist our bodies in healing.

In 2010 I embarked on a 7 year program with a local herbalist and started my own practice called Sweet Birch Herbals in 2014. It’s not always been easy to pave my own path rooted in herbs, but I definitely feel something larger than myself is sustaining my passion and curiosity. A gentle and sometimes hard tug pulls me toward a deeper understanding of how humans can coexist with our environment in balance and union with all beings.

My hope is to leave this earth with more green gardens and pollinator swaths so the bees and people feel sustained by all the earth offers so generously.

My greatest teachers are: my parents, my herbal mentors Chris Marano and Bonnie Bloom, Darryl Slim, Nini Melvin, Rose Khalsa, Lynn Bernander, John Ge**er, my husband, my sister and all my students.

I believe community and caring for our earth is the path toward freedom. Love is my guiding light. Trusting in the divine orchestration keeps me going when everything else feels impossible. A more beautiful world is coming. Every seed we sow is part of that transformation to a holistic way of being.

Thanks for being here.

Photo credit: Emma Emma K. Rothenberg-Ware

11/05/2026

When the heat kicks on and the air gets dry, I turn to this tea blend for my 🫁 lungs.

Here’s what in my blend of immune/respiratory tea:

anise hyssop, tulsi, mullein leaf, marshmallow leaf and root, elderflower, echinacea, elecampane root, mint, licorice, ginger

Scoop, steep and strain after 10-15 minutes.

Make your own blend or find mine in the online shop! If you’re local my farm store is always stocked with it.

This blend is warming and moves out mucous without drying us up. It moistens the tissues of the lungs and digestive system making this the perfect autumn blend for most body types. Plus it tastes sweet, earthy and little spicy.

11/04/2026

11/03/2026

The moment I fire up the wood stove my lungs call for these herbs:

anise hyssop, tulsi, mullein leaf, marshmallow leaf and root, elderflower, echinacea, elecampane root, mint, licorice, ginger 🫚

Cool dry air means it’s time for this tea recipe. Plus, it also soothes a tummy ache. Bonus!

Blend your own or find mine in the shop. It’s sweet and moistens irritated tissues internally. Love your lungs this autumn.
🍂 🫁

It’s also great if you’re a smoker and trying to repair your lungs. Or if you’re a firefighter and around smoke often.

I hope this short clip demonstrates how easy it is to make loose leaf tea part of your daily routine. I prefer loose leaf because you get a stronger more effective action.

The leaves and flowers can expand and release more medicinal compounds into the hot water. Tea bags are convenient and I still use them often but when I’m home I brew loose leaf.

11/03/2026

As soon as the heat kicks on or we fire up the wood stove, my lungs call for this tea blend.

What’s in it?
anise hyssop, tulsi, mullein leaf, marshmallow leaf and root, elderflower, echinacea, elecampane root, mint, licorice, ginger

It’s both moistening to mucus membranes and tissues while also boosting immunity.

The taste is sweet and earthy.

Try mine or blend your own for the most cozy cup of tea this autumn. 🍂

11/02/2026

Celebrating the last day of class with the apprentices 🍾

Concord Grape Wild Fermented Soda
🍇🍇🍇🍇🍇
It’s a simple recipe we make in class each year and open the bottle on the last day. This one was very explosive. I purposefully want them to burst like this as an offering to the earth. We get half and share the other half with the land.

These groups of humans bring me such joy. Year after year. 🥰🥰

10/31/2026

Purchased more storage space in the cloud due to my obsession with plant photography.

What’s your camera roll like?

I grew up with a father who was a photographer so he taught me how to develop film. We had a dark room in the house where he spent most days watching paper transform into moments in time.

I miss the slowness of film. The mystery of what will come through the lens. Adjusting the focus and aperture. But mostly I miss that time with him.

Sometimes I wonder about the instant gratification of digital cameras always in our pockets. Does it take away from the present moment? Or does it enhance and celebrate the moment. Both, I believe.

Nature sure does make it easy to find beauty. For that, I am grateful.

❤️

10/29/2026

Skincare begins in March when we plant the calendula seeds in the greenhouse. We harvest dozens of pounds each week through the summer so by autumn we have an abundance to make oils for our creams.

When the air becomes dry and my skin feels it, I turn to calendula oil and balm.

Find them on my website if your skin could use some moisture this autumn.

They’re made in small batches with real organic plants, jojoba oil, and love.

From seed to skin,
Hannah

🌼🌼🌼🌼
🧴🧴🧴🧴

10/29/2026

I harvest calendula in the summer for winter skincare. This flower is moisturizing, cooling, hydrating, soothing to irritated tissues, and naturally antimicrobial.

My skincare planning starts in March when I plant the seeds. By July I am harvesting dozens of pounds each week. By September I have gallons of calendula oil infusing. I wait for six weeks until it’s ready to strain and be added to my Healing Balm, Lavender and Rose Cream.

It’s a long process but definitely worth it in my opinion!

From seed to skin,
Hannah

🌼🌼🌼🌼

10/24/2026

Our Autumn CSA Box is all about lemon verbena and we have one box left. Snag it if you love lemon verbena!

Our CSA is a year long subscription full of herbal items from our apothecary. Each box highlights a plant and comes with a zine about the benefits of the plant, seasonal wellness and recipes. We grow the herbs for the products and ship them to you for free! Or pick up if you’re local.

CSA stands for community supported apothecary. Your commitment to this little herb farm makes us so grateful year after year! 🥰

10% off with code: SAVE10CSA
Link in bio for two options: either pay in full for the year or monthly for a box (every ten weeks so 5 total).

Autumn 🍂 Garden Love,
The Sweet Birch Team