Shea Smith has been a lifetime student of herbalism, health and plant studies while traveling internationally for over 25 years.
Her first teachers were the forests of her childhood then Native American elders of the Zuni, Isleta and Navajo People of New Mexico. After studying at the University of NM, completing EMT training and beginning her in-depth studies with herbal luminaries, she spent a spring/summer with the Farm to Pharmacy program learning essential oil distillation and herbal farming with Floracopeia founder David Crow and Goldthread Herbs owner William Siff.
She continued with further advanced essential oil and herbal training with Kathi Keville Director of the American Herb Association, Green Medicine Herb School and author of 14 books. She completed two years of Materia Medica and Plant energetic training with Matthew Wood, founder of the Matthew Wood Institute of Herbal Learning and author of eight books. In 2016-2017 Pam Montgomery of The Partner Earth Education Center, author and herbalist taught her Plant Spirit Communication and she is currently completing her multi year studies with David Winston, herbalist, botanist, co-founder of The American Herbalist Guild and Director of David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies.
While continually seeking and studying with masters of herbalism to deepen and sharpen her knowledge, Shea founded and has been the Director of HAALO, a community herb Shoppe, an educational model of homestead herbalism and resource of over 350 herbs stocked with area farmed plants and locally made medicines. She has a full time herbal clinical practice and is an instructor at the School of Wholistic Permaculture, Yuba River Home Study Farm Education and co-founder of the Haalo Earth Wisdom series.
When not working behind the counter or co-teaching weekend educational programs and field trips, Shea can be found nestled with her family on her own Permaculture and biodynamically inspired farm in Northern California.
2018 Convergence Workshop: Herbal Medicine Use and Integration in Permaculture Design
