Adrienne Crombie

Kate Moxham was born and bred in Hunterdon County. I was raised here, too, a generation or two before. There is something about being raised here, witness to the development of farmland into houses and to the current trend back to small farms that feels so hopeful. As a kid, I spent time in the woods, listening to the trees rustle, watching the light play over creek beds, picking wildflowers and dreaming. I know Kate spent her playtime in the woods, too. Some of us are drawn to the wild and Kate and I were lucky enough to grow up here in this gorgeous river valley.

Kate went on to study biology in college. She had planned to go to grad school to become a Physicians Assistant to follow her desire to help people. But she fell in love with plant biology, conservation and ecological study. During a subsequent internship with the Natural Resources Conservation Service Kate was led to farming. Farming organic vegetables for years led her to the discovery of medicinal herbs and then, she said, it was like a light switch flipped. Herbalism tied everything she loved together: her love of plants, her desire to help people and organic farming.

There is still some wild left in Hunterdon County and, thanks to women like Kate and a growing interest in foraging and medicinal herbology, there is a better chance that it will remain untouched. If you prefer a field of wild flowers over a tightly manicured lawn, if you question the proliferation of toxins to control “weeds” and wonder about the properties and benefits of these so-called weeds, if you are curious about the natural world at your very doorstep, then you will want to attend Kate Moxham’s Foraging Wild Herbs Workshop. Kate lives by the credo that a good herbalist is respectful of traditions and plants and never takes more than they need. A good herbalist treats people, not the disease. Treat yourself to some of Kate’s wisdom.

Meet the Mad Lavender Goat Yoga Teachers: Lea, Jenn, Ava and Shannon. They are my Dream Team. Ava and Jenn have been with us since the beginning and they have fine tuned the goat yoga experience over the past four years to what it is today. Shannon and Lea are brand new to teaching goat yoga. They approached us specifically to teach goat yoga on the farm because they were passionate about wanting to do this. It takes a special kinda yoga teacher to run goat yoga events. She needs to have great yoga chops, a good sense of humor, an ability to think outside the box, be quick on her feet and of course she needs to love goats. And now our goat yoga teachers need to also play singing bowls! Shannon and Lea have come through it all with flying colors.

We introduced a new dimension to goat yoga last year when Ava had the idea to begin her session with a smudge ceremony followed by singing bowls. Smudging is a tradition that helps to ground us in a sense of the sacred. The vibration of the singing bowls helps to open the heart and mind to the present moment. Our guests are brought to a lovely elevated state and then the goaties are introduced and all hell and hilarity breaks loose. For those of you who have never experienced singing bowls, it gives you a little taste and for those who are already sound bowl enthusiasts, it’s a nice bit of healing vibration. Sound Bath Goat Yoga has been a winning combination and is now regularly scheduled on our calendar.

If you love sound bath and would like to enjoy a Sound Bath in the tipi without goats, there are several events presented by sound healer Leslee Penny that include sound healing. Please take a look at our Workshops & Events in the category of Spiritual Practice.