Suzanne Jordan is a Naturalist, Herbalist, Wildcrafter and Director of the Cedar Mountain Herb School teaching from a lifetime of personal and academic studies of plants and their environments.

Suzanne has conducted training programs and workshops for the following organizations: John Bastyr Naturopathic College, The National Wildlife Federation, Girl Scouts of America, Discover U., Whatcom County Parks and Recreation, Healthy Connections Program of the Bellingham Community Food Co-op, Skagit Valley Food Co-op, 3 Rivers Herbal Gathering, Pacific Women's Herbal Gathering, Northwest Herbal Faire and herbal workshops throughout the Northwest.

"My passion for herbs started when I was a little girl. My Aunt Mary, who passed away in 2006 at 99 years old, shared with me her quiet passion for plants. She had a sun room in her home in Pennsylvania which housed dozens of beautiful plants which she taught me to care for, then took me outside and showed me her garden. She told me how to cook with herbs. She sent me home with seeds and cuttings. She showed me her money plant and taught me to plant it near the door to bring the money to the home which is an old Slovak tradition. I always put parsley and garlic in my chicken soup because of Aunt Mary. She and my grandmother used to tell me stories about how their mother used herbs and common sense to keep her family healthy.

"I was born in Pennsylvania and raised in Illinois with dirt so black it seemed that plants burst forth from seed the second they were tossed on the ground. My father had a huge vegetable garden and when I was old enough, he would carve out a tiny plot for me each spring. I can almost see him pick a ripe tomato right off the vine, sprinkle salt on it and eat it without ever leaving the garden. I learned so much from my Dad. He canned pickles from cucumbers from his garden and made us kids eat kohlrabi raw which was quite a feat, I must say. I don't remember everything I grew in that little garden of mine, but I do remember one year I planted seeds that grew into tiny seedless watermelons. I have never gotten over the joy of growing and eating vegetables I planted myself.

"Being an herbalist isn't just what I do, it's who I am. When people ask who you are and you say 'I'm am accountant,' that is what you do, not who you are. For me, my work and who I am are the same. Not many people can say that. I am truly blessed. Working with plants is my life and my day job. I have had and continue to have so much fulfillment in many different ways being with the plants. My favorite part of my "job" is taking students to my favorite places and introducing them to the plants and their habits. Everywhere from deep in the woods, to the tops and over the mountains, to the ocean....plants are here, vital and waiting to be introduced. They have so much to offer and are so willing to teach, heal and nourish.

"I didn't have any mentors besides my aunt and Dad. I have learned with various people along the way and read hundreds of herbal guide books, but it is really the plants who have taught me. I work with them every day, literally every day, harvesting wild herbs in a multitude of habitats, formulating herbal remedies and natural body care products, bringing my wares to farmers markets and the internet, working with and teaching my apprentices, drinking herbal teas, cooking with herbs and using my herbals to keep my family healthy and nourished.

"My mission is to inspire and guide people to better health using medicinal plants."



©Copyright 2004 - 2010, Suzanne Jordan
Good Natured Earthling - Cedar Mountain Herb School
suzanne@goodnaturedearthling.com

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