How Meaghan Moore Fine-Tuned Her Herbal Business and Became a Full-Time Herbalist

Meaghan Moore is the herbal business owner and herbalist behind Blooming Mountains Botanical Sanctuary, an herb farm and plant oasis growing around 80 varieties of herbs, both native and from around the world. Together with her husband, they offer live plant sales, bulk herbs, herbal education, and craft botanical products from gardens, meadows, and forests. She is a graduate of the Herbal Academy’s Business Herbal Course.

Meaghan shares her story: 

Until beginning the Herbal Business Course, I hadn’t taken any formal business programs, and everything was learned through apprenticeships and hands-on trial and error. This course is helping me fine-tune my business skills and work more efficiently doing what I love to do.

I began my in-depth study of herbs in 2015 in the Sky House Herb School apprenticeship program. During that time, I lived and worked on an herb farm, Sacred Roots Herbal Sanctuary, and worked at an herbal apothecary, Tonic Herb Shop, both located in Shepherdstown, WV. Prior to this, I considered myself a naturalist who loved learning about plants and their different historical and modern uses. I completed the clinical program at Sky House and went on to more clinical studies with Teresa Boardwine of Green Comfort School of Herbal Medicine. 

I became more interested in seeking out my ancestral heritage in my early twenties. At this time, I began using herbs and found the traditional customs surrounding different plants very interesting. In this way, I began to learn more about the plants and cultures that are associated with the parts of the world where I originate from. The areas I know the most about are Scotland and Romania. I’m still learning more and more as I get older and connecting in deeper ways. This world is a melting pot, and we all share experiences and traditions with each other, but it is very important to be respectful of the cultures whose customs and plants we may work with, especially when they are not our own. In North America, so many of the wild plants we come into contact with are European natives, many of which are considered “invasives.” I love working with these plants as I am of European lineage, but I also love and respect the native plants that are a part of the Indigenous cultures of North America. 

On our farm, we grow herbs from all over the world, and I love to learn about the traditional uses of all the plants we grow. When you work with plants that are a part of your ancestry, there is a special connection because your ancestors also worked with these plants. I love thinking about how at some point in time, all of us have ancestors who knew and worked with the plants because it was common knowledge to all humans at some point. When I work with hawthorn, I know that my ancestors also had a relationship with hawthorn on a physical and spiritual level. When we call upon the plants of our ancestors, we are tapping into an ancient knowledge that is imprinted in our DNA and flows through the blood in our veins. 

I believe the best first step for anyone wanting to start an herbal business is to spend time with and learn as much as possible from the plants themselves. Take walks in the wild places where you have access to plants and see what inspiration comes to your mind. Try making some of your own herbal preparations and see how that feels. Talk with your friends and family about things you are learning and answer any questions they may have. Try growing herbs, either in your garden or a pot on a windowsill, and see how it feels to have your hands in the dirt. The plants are our best teachers, and when we spend time with them, the guidance and inspiration we need will follow. 

By spending time with plants in different ways, we can get an idea of where our exact passion lies and can then begin to craft a business that aligns with our inner calling. This is how we end up with a business that brings us joy and is more likely to be successful. Once the initial concept is there, it is helpful to then seek out help and inspiration in the form of a mentor, apprenticeship, classes, etc., that will hone skills in that specific area. When you start your own business, you are likely to be wearing all of the hats, so to speak. So taking some kind of business course can be extremely helpful. This is how I came to study with the Herbal Academy and take their Business Herbal Course. It really helped to hone my business skills and give me direction and guidance in the areas of logistics that I was lacking. This is very important as I went a few years without any type of training in business, and it would have been helpful to have some of that training from the start.

In 2017, I started making and selling herbal products at various events throughout the year and teaching about herbalism. In 2019, I moved to Capon Bridge, West Virginia, and started my own fresh herb CSA that provided a monthly fresh herb pickup along with teas, products, and herbal monographs, 7 months out of the year. 

The following year, my now-husband and I teamed up and expanded to doing live plant sales and vending at local farmers’ markets. In 2021, we changed the name of the business to Blooming Mountains Botanical Sanctuary and became an LLC. 

My greatest success as an herbalist is that I have been able to make a career out of it! I love that I wake up every day and work with plants and that I am able to grow the plants and get them into the hands of people and educate them on how to use them. And to make it even more special, I get to do it with my family. It feels like such an accomplishment for me that my daughters are able to grow up immersed in the herbal community and have been intimately connected with the plants and the natural world from the time they were in the womb. I have led plant walks with a big belly full of a baby, and I’ve taught classes with an infant strapped to my back. My daughters are there at plant sales helping customers, and they also help on the farm. As they get older, they help make products and label them. My three-year-old can identify more herbs and edible plants than a lot of adults, and that to me, feels like an accomplishment. My husband loves plants and was already a great farmer when we met, and we were able to join forces and grow herbs together. He is now becoming an herbalist in his own right, and witnessing his journey has been so special. Making a living doing what I love and having my family be an integral part of my passion is the greatest reward. 

Over the years, I have continued to teach and see herbal clients while also expanding to vending at larger plant sale events and herbal gatherings. At this time, we do not offer the fresh herb CSA, but 3 years ago, I started the Herbal Ally Program, which runs for the entire year. This program ships a monthly herb box to the student that contains all they need to work with one plant/herbal ally for the month. The concept is to learn about plants through a plant diet and working with them one at a time. In each box is dried herb for infusions, a couple of herbal products such as tinctures, oils, hydrosols, vinegars, etc., an herbal zine, and a botanical art card. 

We now operate out of our home on 168 acres in the West Virginia mountains of Hampshire County. We are a member of the United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary Network and grow native botanicals. Our mission now that we are settling into our home is to offer more on-site events that focus on herbal education, regenerative agriculture, biodynamics, forest farming, natural building methods, land ecology, and how to live in reciprocity and be stewards of the land.

Some of my greatest challenges in being an herbalist have been the work and home life balance. As full-time herbalists, we are required to wear a lot of hats, and at times, it can be overwhelming. Being self-employed means there is always something to do, and at the end of the day, it all falls down on you. It is up to you to be successful, and if you fail, there is no one else to blame or fall back on. This can lead to some really long work days and no time off. There are plenty of days when I just want to play with my daughters, but if I don’t do the work that needs to be done, no one will.

I also love what I do, so setting work boundaries with myself can be hard, but it is extremely important. Finding a better workflow and balance between home and work is something I am always trying to improve, especially now that I am a mother. It can also be extremely heartbreaking to love the plants and the Earth so much and witness such devastating destruction and outright disregard for nature that happens on this planet. As herbalists, I believe we all share a love for people and the planet and have a very empathic connection to our environment. Witnessing the destruction that people cause to themselves, to each other, and to nature can be heartbreaking and cause some really heavy-hearted days. 

If I could do anything as an herbalist, what would I do, and what would my ideal career be? Hmm, this is a hard one to answer! I feel like I already do most things as an herbalist. But perhaps not having to do so many things would be nice. I would say I feel the most at peace when I am working with the plants themselves. Everything from starting seeds in February to working in the garden, fields, and forests with the plants, down to the final harvest. The times when I am just with the plants with my hands in the dirt are my favorite. I suppose if my business could exist from just growing plants and selling bulk herbs, I would love that. But I am also the kind of person who loves doing a lot of different things. I am looking to replace some of my product-making with plant-based art, and that is something I aspire to do down the road. I have been doing a lot of eco-printing and botanical dyeing, and that has felt like a breath of fresh air. 

Another goal is to have our sanctuary be more accessible to the public and to create a haven for humans, plants, and animals to connect. Growing plants and having a teaching garden where people can come to learn, enjoy our land, and connect with nature are things that make my heart full. We are also in the beginning phases of establishing a tea room in our local town of Capon Bridge that we will grow the herbs for. It will house a small apothecary and library where folks can gather around a cup of herbal tea. Creating a community gathering space that is centered around the plants feels like an honor and a blessing to be able to bring to our local community. So stay tuned for that exciting next chapter!

For someone just getting started in herbalism, I would suggest that you spend as much time with the plants as possible. The plants are our greatest teachers! But while you are spending as much time as you can with the plants, read books, take classes, go to in-person herbal conferences, and if you can, find a knowledgeable herbal mentor to apprentice with. There is absolutely no substitute for hands-on learning with the plants directly. 

My greatest source of inspiration is the plants themselves! It truly is amazing what intelligent and sentient beings plants are. I am inspired by all the amazing herbalists I work with and learn from every year at herbal conferences. I finally met Rosemary Gladstar for the first time in person in 2024, and the absolute love and light that emits from her is amazing! The first herbal book I ever owned was one of Rosemary’s, so she has long been an inspiration. I’ve learned from a lot of great teachers; one of them that I hold dearest and also call a friend is Teresa Boardwine of Green Comfort. I also admire Susan Leopold, the current Executive Director of United Plant Savers. She is so fun and has done an amazing job carrying on a great legacy and bringing awareness to at-risk plants. Perhaps she has my “dream job” as an herbalist!  

The UpS Sanctuary in Ohio is certainly a true inspiration for what we are doing here on the land we steward. The everyday people whom the plants connect me with are also a huge source of inspiration. There are days when it feels too hard and I want to quit but then I meet a random stranger and we have such a great connection and conversation because of the plants, or they come to the farmer’s market and say how much the plant they got from us and put in their garden brings them joy, or that client whose life has been changed by the formula you made for them with love and intention. These people are such a source of inspiration for me, and they don’t even know it, and for them, I am so very grateful.

One of my greatest joys is when we have repeat customers year after year who buy plants from us and tell us how well their plants from the previous year did or are doing. We grow all of our plants from seed onsite and put so much time and care into nurturing them before they go on to new homes to grace the lives of others. A second joy would be anytime a client or customer reports back that a specific plant that I suggested is working well for them. Matching plants to people is a great passion of mine!

In Conclusion,

We asked Meaghan what her greatest milestone has been in her journey, and she replied,

Being able to be a full-time herbalist! It is always important to hone your craft and skills. If you want to run an herbal business of any kind, the [Business Herbal Course] can help guide you along the way and help you perfect your business model.