Susanna Raeven, Herbalist and Owner of Raven Crest Botanicals
Name: Susanna Raeven
Occupation: Susanna is an herbalist and medicinal herb grower, and owner of Raven Crest Botanicals, a small-scale organic herb farm nestled in the hills in upstate NY.
Place of Residence: Berne, New York
Background and Personal History:
Susanna first glimpsed into the realm of medicinal plants during a trip to the Peruvian Amazon and has not looked back since. Her herb farm has grown with her plant knowledge and she continuously expands her green horizon together with the size of her growing space and number of herbs cultivated. In addition to traditional Western herbalism, she is currently studying the concepts of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and is diving deeper into the world of healing master plants from the Amazon. She creates a variety of herbal products from her harvests, offers herbal CSA shares and consultations, leads plant walks and teaches classes in Western herbalism.
About Raven Crest Botanicals:
Raven Crest Botanicals is an apothecary of hand-crafted herbal tinctures and extracts, artisan skin products and organically grown herbal tea blends. Our small-scale farm grows over 100 medicinal and culinary herbs with organic, permaculture, and biodynamic methods without the use of artificial fertilizer and pesticides. The herbs are watered with a solar-operated, pond-fed irrigation system and the medicine seedlings mature in our beautiful earth-sheltered greenhouse, which is also used as a drying house for our herb harvests later in the summer.
In addition to the herbal goodness listed above, Raven Crest also offers monthly green medicine and herbal tea CSA packages that are mailed to the shareholders.
Current Projects on the Farm:
We are currently constructing a small straw-bale building tucked away in our woods including a rocket stove and composting toilet. It will give our WWOOFer (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) an opportunity to “practice” off-grid living during the winter months and enjoy the benefits of living in a natural building.
Other Fun Facts:
Susanna is a passionate didgeridoo player and ceremonial musician and always enjoys jamming with other players. She cultivates a deep connection with the plant world through the studies of Earth Centered spiritual practices and cultures.
Places to Find Me on the Web:
