Dear Herb Hub Community,
After 5 years of distributing free herbal medicine to Black folks in Philly (November 2020 – April 2025), the Herb Hub is composting to make way for new growth. That means we (Des and Kelly) will not be coordinating herbs for distribution anymore. We will be adding a few more things to our Resource Library over the next few months.
Why We’re Choosing to Compost
The Hub has always been more than a distribution project—it’s been an ecosystem of relationships between farmers, plants, and people. We always envisioned the Herb Hub as a place for relationships and connections to grow, and we know there are so many of you who are supported by and enthusiastic about herbal medicine and anticapitalist ways of healing.
Now, we feel the energy of the project is asking to be more dispersed. Like a plant releasing nutrients back to the soil, we’re releasing the blueprint of what we’ve built so similar efforts can sprout organically where they’re needed most.
We still have A LOT of herbs to distro, so we’re working with Blackbird Rising to make the process as accessible, and respectful of their space as possible. We’ll be giving away larger quantities, specifically of the following herbs:
- Tulsi
- Lemon Verbena
- Anise Hyssop
- Lemon Balm
- Rose Geranium
If you want bulk quantities of herbs, send us an email and we’ll see if we can arrange a Germantown pick up with you.
Sunday, March 23 and Sunday April 27 Des will be at BlackBird, hanging out, for herb pick ups and questions. Probably around 2-4pm
Passing the Baton to You
The Hub has always been a passion project—an ecosystem of relationships between farmers, plants, and people. We feel that rather than forcing it to continue or passing it to new stewards with undue pressure, the energy of the Hub should be dispersed, freely. Instead of restructuring it, we want the values and principles of the Hub to live on in other ways, in new and organic forms. The project has always had a life of its own, and it feels right to let it integrate into the broader consciousness of mutual aid, community herbalism, and Black healing spaces.
In these times especially, we believe it’s time for each of us to trust our inner knowing and our relationship with plants to show up for our communities. So, we are passing the baton onto you: what skills and resources do you want to share?
One of our core goals was to strengthen Black herbalism—both among clinical practitioners and community herbalists. We envisioned an online network of Black herbal teachers and working herbalists that people could turn to for one-on-one care. The legacy of Black American herbalism is rich, rooted in resilience, and continues to thrive.
As we step back, we hope that more spaces emerge to uplift Black herbalists, reconnect people with land-based healing, and foster sustainable mutual aid networks.
We’re deeply grateful to everyone who made the Hub possible—the farmers, volunteers, medicine makers, and community members who showed up, shared their skills, and participated in this vision. While the Herb Hub is coming to a close, we know that the spirit of this work will continue to grow and take new forms.
Ways to Stay Connected
In the process of composting the Herb Hub, there are a few ways you might want to stay connected:
- Contribute to our online growing Resource Library. If you’re interested in that, send us an email and we’ll be in touch.
- Contribute bulk herbal medicine to the free community herbal cabinet at Black Bird Rising. If you’re interested in that, you can send an email to them at blackbirdrisinghealing@gmail.com
- Come to the closing celebration and herbalist connection time on Sunday, April 13, 2-4pm. Plus–Desiree is turning 40 so, you know, turn up. This will also be an opportunity to bring medicine, share medicine, and take home more Herb Hub medicine (while quantities last).
Looking Forward
While the Hub is closing in its current form, our brick-and-mortar home in Germantown, Blackbird Rising, will continue providing access to herbs through its botanica and apothecary. While this model won’t be free, it operates on a sliding scale and prioritizes Black queer folks.
The legacy of Black American herbalism is rich, rooted in resilience, and continues to thrive. By stepping back, we hope to create space for more voices, more approaches, and more community-centered healing work to emerge.
Thank you, thank you for being part of this network. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who made the Hub possible—the farmers who shared their harvests, the volunteers who filled orders, and each community member who participated in this vision.
We’re living in a cultural moment where access to supplies and resources may become increasingly limited. In these times, it’s up to us to continue holding and carrying each other through.
With gratitude and hope for what comes next,
Take care, Kelly and Des The Philly Herb Hub
