Welcome
From our farm to your hands we ship all across the country!
We are a certified organic herb farm, plant nursery, and apothecary located in Dexter, MI. As Land and community stewards we are weaving together organic farming with community herbalism. We strive to provide the highest quality fresh and dried herbs, nursery plants, trusted farm to bottle products, and community care through on farm classes, as well as our community care camper- a free mobile herb clinic.
Honoring Land Relationships
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
About Us
We are a USDA certified organic herb farm through Oregon Tilth. We provide fresh and dried herbs, hard to find plant nursery plants, apothecary, and education. We are dedicated to conserving agricultural biodiversity, and positive regeneration of agricultural ecospheres. Our little family is currently growing a variety of herbs and vegetables on 30 acres in Dexter, Michigan- traditional land of Anishinabewaki people. Since we are a working herb farm, we are only open to the public on scheduled class days. But we do have a self serve farm stand loaded with our organic nursery plants starting in the spring. We are hoping to open an herb shop/education center on the farm in the future. Your support helps us get there!
Our Beliefs
We believe in land connection, herbalism as activism with the Community Care Camper, and being the best stewards to the land that we are privileged to tend too. We go above and beyond organic agricultural practices, never using any chemicals on our property. We strongly believe in the conservation and rehabilitation of the environment and soil. We are always reintroducing native, at risk, and endangered plants, along with transitioning formerly conventional agricultural land into the diverse ecosystem it once was, and can be for us and our pollinators. We uphold good soil health practices making sure the land is being worked regenerativly. Thank you for joining us in this mission. We must also thank the plants and people long before us who tended these lands, especially indigenous people, whose land we walk upon and knowledge we use.
Our Goals
Plant eco-systems are having a tough time surviving due to development, land loss, and deforestation. Cultivating high demand herbs lightens our natural plant habitats load from people needing/wanting to wildcraft, and depleting these plants further. Our goals are to give back to these eco-systems, but also to the plant community by sustainably farming high quality herbs. When doing so, we bring our education with us. Bens training and years of experience in organic farming, and Alex’s training in herbal medicine has bridged to form Black Locust Gardens. With our knowledge we know when to harvest plants at their peak potency, proper drying temperatures to keep the plants vibrancy and integrity, soil testing, proper crop rotation, and mineral building. The difference between buying from us and bulk suppliers is a world apart. But also understand that with keeping our farm small to maintain quality we may not be as fast as communicating and shipping as larger farms are.
Yesterday I picked up fresh Skullcap, Milky Oats, and Tulsi from Black Locust Farm and spent a happy day making medicine. Such excellent quality plants! My house was full of the lovely, heady scent of Tulsi. Can’t wait for my next order!
Everything you could want from a herb wildcrafter and grower, and totally awesome people on top of it all.
Fast shipping, great quality product! I am very happy with my milky oats and cannot wait to get more! Thank you!
I’m so glad this place exists! Ordering fresh milky oats and tulsi was a breeze and communication was easy. I will continue supporting & recommending Black Locust Farms for years to come!!
Dig Deeper
check out our other offerings that go beyond farming.
Plant Ramblings
Explore our blog that contains topics like herbs for pelvic floor disorders, first aid, and pregnancy loss.
Book A Health Consultation
Alex offers one to one herbal education for your individual concerns, or we can chat about my full spectrum doula services.
Explore Virtual and On Farm Classes
Take your herbal education deeper, and meet the plants in person with our on farm and hands on classes. Due to covid, we are also offering virtual classes. More classes to be announced for 2021.
Featured Products
The Man born into Farming
The grower of trees, the gardener, the man born to farming,
whose hands reach into the ground and sprout,
to him the soil is a divine drug. He enters into death
yearly, and comes back rejoicing. He has seen the light lie down
in the dung heap, and rise again in corn.
His thought passes along the row ends like a mole.
What a miraculous seed has he swallowed
that the unending sentence of his love flows out of his mouth
like a vine clinging in the sunlight, and like water
descending in the dark?
– Wendell Berry