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First Kootenay Herb Conference coming to West Creston Hall

Over a dozen presenters will educate delegates to the conference, which has the theme “Herbs: The Medicine of the People”...
Darcy Williamson with sedge stems she'll later chop into a salad.
Katolen Yardley (left) and Darcy Williamson are featured presenters at the Kootenay Herb Conference.

With workshops, hands-on learning and more, the first Kootenay Herb Conference is set for July 11-14. Over a dozen presenters will educate delegates to the conference, which has the theme “Herbs: The Medicine of the People”, focusing on the centuries-old tradition of herbs in food and medicine.

The conference is the first of its kind in the Kootenays, and falls between similar conference held in northern Alberta and Vancouver Island in odd-numbered years. And coincidentally, an annual conference was just cancelled in Montana, sending delegates north to Creston.

Up to 90 are expected to attend the conference, which will be held at the West Creston Hall, a perfect location to get out and see herbs in their natural state, said Rachel Beck, one of the organizers.

“They can just go out and wander and look at things,” said Beck, who instructs the herbal practitioner program at the College of the Rockies.

And the delegates aren’t coming alone — many are bringing families, and some have planned to stay in the valley for several days.

“Not only are we seeing people coming to the conference, they’re coming as families,” Beck said. “They’re seeing the sights and shopping in the community.”

Attendees can take part in all or part of the conference, with workshops — covering wild crafting, growing herbs, aromatherapy and specific health concerns — group panel discussions with presenters and a one-day intensive workshop. Vendors and entertainment are also part of the conference, and a kid zone for ages four to 12 will engage children in herb-related activities and guided nature walks.

In addition to local presenters — including Beck, herbalist Maya Skalinska and Dr. Kim Masuch — experts will come from the U.K., U.S. and Canada, with Darcy Williamson and Katolen Yardley featured.

Williamson is a herbalist and wild food forager from McCall, Idaho, who has taught hands-on classes on locating, identifying and using herbs growing in the Rocky Mountains for 30 years. An award-winning author of more than 23 books, she runs an herbal business that specializes in apprentice training, seminars and educational programs and sells many wild plant-based products.

Yardley has a private practice in Vancouver and Port Moody. She has been in the holistic health field since 1993, and specializes in women’s health issues, skin dis-ease, digestive and nervous disorders. She teaches herbal medicine at Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine and has been published in numerous magazines and health journals.

In addition to education, delegates will also enjoy meals, which used as much locally sourced ingredients, including meat and eggs, as possible.

And while Beck is pleased to see so many from outside the Creston Valley registering for the conference, she knows that many locals will enjoy it, as well.

“Creston has become so open to nature — they want different things with their food and they want different options food-wise,” she said. “I want people to see what convinced me when I moved here 15 years ago that this is where I want to be.”

To register, call 1-866-740-2687 or email khccontact@gmail.com, and for more information, visit www.kootenayherbconference.com.