Celebrating the people, partnerships, and stories that help our herbal community grow. Explore member features, media spotlights, educational contributions, and notable moments from across the RVA Herbalist Alliance.
Rae Bellows of Wild Origins
Co-founder, RVA Herbalist Alliance
Rae Bellows was recently featured by The Herbal Academy, sharing her journey from discovering herbalism abroad to cultivating Wild Origins, a seed-to-bottle botanical business in Virginia. The interview explores sustainable growing practices, botanical skincare, distillation, and lifelong learning, while highlighting the importance of fostering community through plants.
Those same values are at the heart of RVA Herbalist Alliance's mission: a commitment to education, collaboration, and building a strong herbal community throughout the Richmond region. Whether you're interested in sustainable growing, botanical formulation, or preserving traditional plant knowledge, the interview offers a closer look at the work, philosophy, and community that continue to inspire both Wild Origins and the RVA Herbalist Alliance.
→ Read the full interview with The Herbal Academy
Photos by Cody Fraser Photography.
August 1st & 2nd
Seek out the Herbalists' Encampment and wander the paths of the old apothecary. The Richmond Virginia Herbalist Alliance invites travelers of every age to explore the fascinating world of medicinal plants through stories, demonstrations, handcrafted botanical goods, and conversations with local herbalists. From the herbs that once filled medieval physic gardens to the plants we still rely on today, discover how ancient wisdom continues to bloom in the modern world.
Set against the stunning backdrop of Agecroft Hall & Gardens on August 1st and 2nd, Virago Alley's Warriors in Bloomis a Renaissance faire–style event celebrating the bold figures throughout history who dared to defy convention, leaving a lasting mark on the world.
In addition to the RVA Herbalist Alliance's recreation of a traditional Herbalists' Guild, this immersive event features historical figures brought to life through performances, storytelling, hands-on crafting activities, and an open-air artisan market. Explore more than 60 local vendors, witness historic combat, embark on interactive quests, participate in guild workshops and demonstrations, and enjoy a wide variety of family-friendly activities in a setting where history and imagination beautifully intertwine.
April 18th & 19th
Come meet the members of the RVA Herbalist Alliance at our debut event, where we will be offering hands-on herbal medicine making demonstrations to include: teas, infusions, tinctures, oxymels, hydrosols, and essential oils.
We will also be participating in guided plant walks, sensory tastings, and explorations of ancestral medicine traditions and holistic plant profiles, with space for one-on-one guidance, meaningful conversation, and the sharing of deep botanical wisdom. There we will have herbal products available for purchase.
Demonstration times (both days)
11:30AM - Petal Palate and True Grit Life: Teas and Infusions
1:00PM - Wild Origins and Petal Palate: Distillation / Hydrosols and Essential Oils
3:00PM - Windblown Sister Botanicals and Vivify Gardens: Oxymels and Tinctures
Upcoming Herbal Alliance events will be listed here as our seasonal schedule develops.
