By Nadia Birkitt, ASD's Marketing and Communications VISTA

I'm a coffee drinker through and through, however, I have always been drawn to the magic and ritual of making tea. I grew up with my parents making a mix of tea in their well-loved white ceramic teapot every morning. When I visit my mom today, seeing the stained white teapot with a fruit bowl on top (the lid broke), it immediately brings me back to the beauty of my childhood in my parents’ farmhouse. So when it was suggested that I interview Lori Briscoe, herbalist, writer, educator, creator, and owner of Appalachian Teas & Botanicals and HerbLAB, I jumped at the opportunity.

When I got to Lori’s, I was taken back to my days exploring the woods behind my house. Her property has an 1800s farmhouse that she and her partner are restoring. Immediately my eye spotted her workshop. With one look at the beautiful building, I could tell that was where the magic happens. 

Lori graciously gave me a property tour, followed by her adorable senior dog, Hank. She warmly invited me into her workshop and I immediately wished I could live there. It didn’t even matter that the shop didn’t have a bed. I would have gladly slept on the floor to be able to soak in the harmonious and vibrant atmosphere she created. 

There were shelves lined with herbs and roots of all kinds, many that I had never even heard of like Goldenrod, Burdock Root, Great Blue Lobelia, and more. Judging by her workshop alone, I could tell she was a master at her craft, and her experience backs this up tenfold. Lori has a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.A. in Appalachian Studies and Sustainable Development, is a certified herbalist from the Appalachian School of Natural Health, and has 20 years of experience in educating and inspiring people of all ages to value and conserve Appalachia's biological diversity and rich cultural heritage.

Lori started her business six years ago. She grew up in the area and is from a traditional farm family that had tobacco, hay and Charolais cattle. The past year and a half brought a lot of change for Lori with a move and renovation. This has made her reflect on how she wants to grow her business while going with the flow and being open to opportunities.

She hopes to see Appalachian Teas & Botanicals be the go-to brand for teas and plant medicine that highlight the region. She would love to expand her business to work with others. Currently, her teas are featured and sold at Hickory Fine Dining at Nicewonder Farm and Vineyards, Wolf Hills Coffee, and Abingdon Olive Oil Company in downtown Abingdon.



After a wonderful tour, (click my POV to see for yourself) it was time to buy my mom some gifts. And I was in luck! Lori had so many different blends to choose from. I ended up with Blue Ridge Breakfast blend, Appalachian forest-farmed Ginseng, the Appalachian Immunitea blend that contained Appalachian-grown Lemon Balm, Echinacea Purpurea, and Rosehips, and the Queen of Hearts blend with Honeybush, Rose Petals, and Marshmallow. Not surprisingly, my mom absolutely loved it!

It was such an honor to talk to Lori and explore her workshop. She's an expert, but never made me feel dumb for the hundreds of questions I asked. She helped me realize that there is this whole world of herbology out there! 

Click the link to Lori's website below to learn more, and sign up to receive her newsletter called Field Notes. This will give you special access to the new things she is creating. ASD is proud to support herb growers like Lori, whose mission is to empower others to create a sustainable future for the region. We are also happy to sell her products at some of our workshops. But don’t wait for her tea to come to you, go and get some to try some for yourself! You won’t regret it.

Food Boxes Are Back

We restart our Appalachian Harvest Food Box program tomorrow! This restart is thanks to state and private funds, since the federal funds that typically reimburse this program still have not been fully released. So this is a HUGE thank you to The Rapha Foundation, First Bank & Trust Company, and Barb and Jim Street, who all stepped up to make a difference.

Because we still have limited funding, the program is tentatively scheduled to last only through November.

We are working every day to try and ensure a more permanent solution and we will keep you updated as things change.



Thank you for all the support during this difficult time. We will continue working hard to support farmers and fight food insecurity in our region! To stay up to date on food box distributions in Duffield, plus the latest news about the program, follow us on Facebook

You won't want to miss our next Farm to Table on Monday, May 19! Less than 30 seats remain, so be sure to save your seat now. You'll enjoy a 4-course, locally sourced meal served family style by Chef Sarah Soto and perfectly paired with Tumbling Creek Ciders. 

In addition to dinner pairings, cider is available for purchase. Complimentary coffee from Haiku Brew coffee will also be served. There will also be a silent auction from artisan, Amanda Sprinkle. 

All proceeds benefit ASD's programs supporting agriculture education, food access, workforce development, economic development, and resource management. 

We have some amazing classes for our Grow Your Own program coming up. All of our workshops will be offered virtually, unless otherwise noted. So, even if you are not one of the approximately 50 people who applied and were selected as official GYO participants, you can still attend any virtual workshop!

The 2025 Agroforestry Farm Tour Series schedule has been announced! You won't want to miss these tours that showcase the ways that producers have successfully integrated woody plant materials into their lives and farming operations.

Our Spring 2025 season of the popular Ask an Agroforester webinar series has launched – check out the speaker lineup! All sessions are totally free, and provide great opportunities to do deep dives with top industry experts.

Finally, you won't want to miss our Late Bloomers Greenhouse Plant Sale!