On-farm herb walks – Advance reservations required email here for an appointment.
The Chinese medicinal Herb Farm is situated in the beautiful coastal hills just west of Petaluma, with light traffic, one hour north of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge.
We have several hundred varieties of Asian botanicals in our living collection. Tours are educational; various aspects of the herbs including growing them domestically in the farm and garden, taxonomy, conservation as well as the Chinese herbal industry and the issues that affect herb quality and efficacious medicine will be covered while we stroll in the demonstration gardens and medicinal orchard. Practitioners and students of Asian herbal medicine, farmers and nursery workers as well as serious gardeners will find the Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm an interesting venue. Tours are not suitable for young children.
Seasonal tours are from March – October, Tuesday through Saturday. Rain or shine!
To reserve your most convenient time book in advance as popular dates are booked out.
Tours are 1 to 1.5 hours and start at 10 am.
Cost: $75 for up to 5 people
$125 for 6 to 15 people
Please note a 50% non-refundable deposit is required with the balance due at time of the tour.
To reserve a tour please email several dates for availability. Payment for the tour will hold the time slot.
Cancellation policy: If you cancel your reservation outside 7 days prior to your date, your payment, less a $25 administration fee, will be refunded. If you need to change your reservation, you may do so one time, up to 7 days prior to the scheduled tour, at no charge. No refunds will be given with less than 7 days’ notice.
Directions will be provided but you are responsible for negotiating your way here in time for the tour. All travel, including managing the Bay Area commute traffic, should be well organized and planned for accordingly.
Educational programs and events
Peg Schafer is available to present educational programs on or off farm, at universities, agricultural or Oriental medicine conferences as well as radio venues and community events. Frequent topics addressed are herb quality, ecological cultivation practices, traditional and contemporary Chinese herb production, future access of Chinese botanicals, conservation of medicinal plants, the herbal medicine industry and other issues affecting Chinese herbs. Video or voice recording needs to be arranged in advance. For all inquiries please email Peg here.
Consultations
I would be happy to assist you in your endeavor to farm Asian medicinal herbs Advice is available for medicinal plant farming, nursery herb production or herb gardening as well as marketing applications by email, or in person on or off site.
Growing your opportunities!
- Find the best site-specific mix of Asian herbs for your operation. Selected queries: sun exposure, Water needs, detailed germination, cultivation and harvest requirements, etc.
- Botanical and marketing recommendations to diversify an existing operation
- Imported and domestic medicinal plant assistance and quality control support for herb companies, growers, and industry stakeholders.
Just have a few questions? 15 minutes for $35, 30 minutes for $65.
Project based work billed at an hourly fee of $125.
Email a concise description of what you are seeking to Peg here to get the answers you need for a more successful endeavor.
Peg Schafer specializes in the cultivation and marketing of Chinese medicinal herbs. With a nursery management background and almost 20 years of farming Asian botanicals she is the author of The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm: A Cultivator’s Guide to Small-Scale Organic Herb Production book, published by Chelsea Green Publishing.