Women's center, nutrition center presenting program on herbs

LEWISTON — The Center for Wisdom’s Women and the Lots to Gardens program of St. Mary’s Nutrition Center will host herbalist Deb Soule on Saturday, March 4.

She will offer two programs to support the garden and social enterprise project at the women’s center, while also encouraging growing healing herbs in urban settings. The first program is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the nutrition center off Bates Street between Pine and Ash streets. The second is from noon to 1 p.m. at the women’s center at Bates and Walnut streets.

Soule practices as an herbalist, educator biodynamic gardener and is the author of “How To Move Like a Gardener: Planting and Preparing Medicines from Plants” and “A Woman’s Book of Herbs.”

In 1985, she founded the herbal apothecary Avena Botanicals Apothecary, 219 Mill St., Rockland, where she and her staff produce by hand over 200 herbal remedies.

Soule helped the women’s center start its first garden by supplying herb and calendula seedlings. Since then, the women’s center has cultivated herbs to make salted herbs, and lots of calendula which it processes into a healing salve and calendula tea. This is the beginning of a small social enterprise that will be called “Herban Works of Wisdom.”

In honor of that effort, Soule’s presentation at the nutrition center will focus on women’s health.

At noon at The Center for Wisdom’s Women will host a light, healthy lunch and conversation with Soule.

All genders are welcome to attend although the talk will be focused mostly on women’s health.

Parking at each site is limited, but is available either on the street or a few blocks away in the Park Street garage. Reservations for the lunch are requested by calling 207-513-3922. There is $10 suggested donation for the day which will go to support The Center for Wisdom’s Women.

The Center for Wisdom’s Women is a weekday drop-in center for women. It provides a safe and sacred space for the support and empowerment of women. Any woman is welcomed and programs are offered daily at no charge.

The nutrition center promotes community health through organizing, advocacy and education. It is home to a food pantry, cooking and nutrition education programs, job training for teens, year-round farmers’ markets, and the Lots to Gardens program.

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