The 2026 Foundations Program ay Bluestem Botanicals Herb Farm is opening February 1, 2026 for signups! 

Located in Doylestown, PA, convenient to Philadelphia, New York, and the tri-state area, we are 1/2 mile from the Septa train line's Delaware Valley University exit. 

This course might be for you if:

• You feel that humans need to repair their relationship with the natural world
• You want to understand more about plants -how to identify, grow, harvest and use them for food and medicine?
• You yearn to confidently support your health and the health of your family with natural preparations that you can make yourself

Join Linda and guest teachers for a full day each month learning about identifying, growing, processing and using plants! Hands-on activities such as plant and plant family ID, propagation, harvesting, seed saving, and product making as well as some book learning about human physiology and herbal constituents help to provide a framework for future study that you will not find in online herbal programs.

This is a hybrid program, meaning there are both in-person and online components. 

Each monthly, in person daily class structure includes the following:
1. An Herb Walk
2. A Botany Lesson on a Plant Family
3. Growing, Cultivating and Wild Harvesting 
4. Harvesting and Medicine Making
5. Applications for Use of Herbs

The course includes one year of membership (Value $300) in our ONLINE platform Medicine Maker's Garden.  Inside the Medicine Maker's Garden there are modules totaling over 50 hours of content with instruction in Anatomy and Physiology, Herbal Energetic Principles (such as Warming, Cooling, Moistening, Drying), Herbal Actions and Herbal Indications.  Weekly live sessions offered include: Materia Medica Study (deep dive into one herb), Herb Propagation, Cultivation and Harvest, and Medicine Making Q & A. 

Tuition: $825 plus $140 for materials fee ($20.00 per class).   You can choose a payment plan option at checkout.

Upon signup, you receive a coupon code for 25% student discount that can be applied to most of our products!

Classes take place at our farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. We have had students from as far as 3 hours away as well as students who have loved it so much that they have taken the class as many as three times. 

Materials fee includes all alcohol, oils, vinegar, honey, hydrosols, essential oils, jars and bottles used in class each month. Herbs are included with the cost of tuition.

Classes will be offered in your choice of three cohorts: Sundays or Mondays.  Classes run IN PERSON once monthly April through October from 11 am to 4:30 pm each day, rain or shine. 

Our 2026 session details:

Monthly Online Physiology and Medicine Making Lectures (Recorded).  These will be offered through our membership platform and will be recorded with live weekly topic discussions and Q+A sessions offered at varying times, also recorded.

Monthly On Farm Practical Experience

The 2026 Dates take place on your chosen day each month. These dates are subject to change, although this is unlikely.

Monday A Group On-farm Dates

4/13, 5/11, 6/15, 7/13, 8/17, 9/21, 10/19

Sunday A Group On-farm Dates

4/19, 5/17, 6/14, 7/19, 8/23, 9/27, 10/25

Monday B Group On-farm Dates

4/20, 5/18, 6/22,7/20, 8/24, 9/28, 10/26

Sunday B Group On-farm Dates

4/26, 5/31, 6/28, 7/26, 8/30, 9/20, 10/18

Students may arrange to switch groups in cases of travel or sickness to another day if needed. We also have an extensive online portion in which students have access to recoded lectures and materials if unable to make a particular month due to illness or travel. 

Frequently Asked Questions

I don't know much about herbs. Is this class for me? Yes! Linda teaches for both beginner herbalists and experienced herbalists who want more exposure to working with plants where they grow. When she started studying plant medicine, Linda learned by studying the plants where they grow with experienced herbalists in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. How to identify them, what kind of environment that they like, what kinds of plants grow together. She does her best to impart this knowledge unto her students because she believes that it is a missing piece of many herb programs.

The cost seems high. Do you offer payment plans? We understand that it is hard to part with every hard-earned dollar! Even with inflation, we have only increased the course price by $25 to cover the credit card fees that we incur and have otherwise kept our prices the same for years.  Be reassured in knowing that this is an investment in your future self, leading to a more independent, connected, and confident approach to herbs and self-care. We keep the classes small (12 students per group) and so while that does increase the cost per person, it also increases the value in that you have more intimate and attentive experience. The products that we make during each class offsets the investment as you build your home apothecary, as do the gleaning opportunities that you will have to harvest after class each month. And yes, you can choose a payment plan option at checkout.

What if I have vacation during my class time? You are welcome to switch your class day to another class, if necessary, with advance notice. Otherwise, we have recordings of most of the instruction that Linda provides so that you can catch up before the next class!

What if there is bad weather forecasted? This class is rain or shine. In 10 years, we have only cancelled class once. We will move the class to an indoor location in the case of rain when possible and will cancel only in the case of severe weather.

Is there homework? While outside reading is encouraged, we do not require that you complete assignments between classes. However, as with anything, you will get more out of the class if you put more in.

Do I need to buy lots of herbal supplies? No! All of the supplies that you need for every recipe made in class, including herbs, liquids, waxes and jars are all included in the course materials fee.