The Co-op Q&A: Herbalist and Herb Farmer Elisabeth Weaver

By Pam Turczyn

Elisabeth Weaver and Casey Spacht of Lancaster Farmacy with their son, Quehanna.

Intrigued by the flavors, functional properties and the sheer vibrancy of the tea blends, I spoke with Elisabeth about the work she and her partner, Casey Spacht, do.

Pam: Our food co-op sources most of its produce from the Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-operative, including your beautiful tea blends. Could you tell me how you work cooperatively with L.F.F.C.?

Elisabeth: Lancaster Farmacy is one of about 200 farmers in the co-op. L.F.F.C. is an organization that supplies everything you can imagine: produce, bread, eggs, flours, meat and dairy. Lancaster Farmacy is unique in doing the medicinal herb part and offering the products that go along with that. So we’re not only growing fresh herbs but preparing them into natural remedies. We offer a C.S.M. (Community Sponsored Medicine) share that features the seasonal products that we make. That’s where we started making our tea blends, to connect people with what is growing during the season but have it be shelf-stable. We also do tonics, tinctures, salves and other natural products. We just launched doing these teas as a wholesale option so we are really happy to know that your co-op is carrying them.

Pam: Your website states, ”Lancaster Farmacy empowers others to reclaim their health through the ancient knowledge of natural healing traditions of whole foods and herbs.” How can integrating the use of herbs into our daily lives benefit our health?

Elisabeth: We used to be way more connected to using herbs in our daily lives but, over time, people have lost touch with that traditional knowledge. I’d like to remind people that much of modern day medicine derives from these plants. We’re excited about connecting people back with nature. The medicine we put in our bodies should make us feel more connected and alive. Hippocrates was writing for then and now when he said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” We also appreciate modern day advancements in medicine and are happy to see a move toward integrative medicine so we can utilize the benefits both offer.

Eating and using herbs seasonally increases awareness of what’s going on around us. When things are available is the best time to take them. For example, stinging nettles, that comes up in the spring, is such a nutrient-rich, mineral-rich tonic herb that I wish everyone had access to. It is such a great cleansing herb that helps our bodies adjust into springtime because it helps detox the stagnation that builds up during the winter months. These herbs are growing at the perfect time for us to utilize them.

There’s much more to this interview! Click here to read the entire interview with Elisabeth Weaver of Lancaster Farmacy and the healing powers of plants.