The Alchemist’s Kitchen is thrilled to introduce Homestead Apothecary’s Mamma To Be Tea, a lovely blend of Spearmint, Nettle, Dandelion, Raspberry leaf, Oatstraw, Alfalfa, Rosehips, Ginger, & Lemon Peel. This tea is the perfect beverage to support a healthy pregnancy, and a great gift for expecting mamas! A wonderful addition to a nourishing diet– plus non-pregnant folks can enjoy it, too! We took a moment to catch up with founder and CEO Nic Weinstein from Homestead Apothecary (based in Oakland, CA). Their mission is to build community around plants by supporting herbalists, farmers, makers, and artists– and that’s a mission we can get behind!
Can you tell us a little about Homestead Apothecary? How did you come to herbalism?
Homestead Apothecary is a brick-and-mortar shop lined with shelves of neatly arranged tinctures, herbal blends, and teas, most of which are handcrafted by our small team of herbalists and scientists. We also carry other local herbal goods, including flower essences, organic body care, a carefully curated selection of books, esoteric products like gems, crystal singing bowls and much, much more. I have always thought of Homestead as a gathering space for the Oakland wellness community.
When I first moved to Oakland, I came down with an unknown illness that left me bed-ridden for months. No doctor could offer me a cure or even tell me why I was so sick, so I sought out a local naturopath, who led me to using herbs. The herbs began to help and I was so amazed by their effects that I decided to enroll in a small herb school in Amherst, MA. There, I learned how to heal myself with plants. This experience prompted me to dedicate my life to educating people about the power of plant medicine. The vision for Homestead grew from there. It’s hard to believe but Homestead Apothecary just had its six year anniversary!
How did you create the Mamma To Be blend? Why a tea?
I made a tea instead of a tincture for this particular blend because most people who are expecting do not want to consume alcohol, as it’s not good for fetal development and is taxing on the mother’s liver as well.
Do you have a favorite herbal remedy or herb for expectant mothers? And why?
Ginger! I cannot tell you how much this helped my partner throughout her first trimester. It was a life saver for nausea.
How do you source your materials?
We source all of the plants for our tinctures from local mostly woman owned farms. For our teas, we work with some of the best producers in the country, namely Mountain Rose and Pacific Botanicals.
Check out Mamma To Be tea here!