“Herbs for All”: Traditional Medicinals boosts access to herbal wellness and education

Traditional Medicinals unveils its Herbs for All initiative, aiming to expand access to herbal education and grassroots wellness across the US. Celebrating its 50th year, the botanical wellness company seeks to deepen its commitment to health equity through community partnerships and herbal education. 

Traditional Medicinals is launching two programs: Planting Wellness, a community grant initiative, and Plant Wisdom Collective, a free digital education platform. 

“For 50 years, we’ve learned from the communities who grow, use, and share plant wisdom,” says Jamie Horst, chief purpose officer at Traditional Medicinals. 

“Herbs for All is about giving back — partnering with those who’ve carried these traditions and expanding access to high-quality herbal wellness for people who’ve too often been left out. This is how we honor our legacy: by making herbal care more accessible, inclusive, and rooted in the community than ever before.” 

The new initiative follows over US$75,000 awarded by the Traditional Medicinals Foundation over the last year to nonprofit partners advancing access to health and herbal wellness in local communities. 

The organization has also invested more than US$200,000 in expanding access to high-quality herbal wellness with education, community health programs, and consumer education on certification schemes such as organic, Fair for Life, and FairWild. 

Planting Wellness

The Planting Wellness program builds on a tradition of using herbs to nourish, heal, and strengthen communities by funding grassroots nonprofits that preserve and share herbal knowledge in underserved areas. 

It will provide US$20,000 in grants to support locally tailored workshops, healing spaces, and hands-on learning. Partners for 2025 include Oko Farms, receiving funding from June 2025 onward, and the Botanical Bus, as of September this year. 

“With Planting Wellness, we’re supporting the real leaders of community health — organizations that have been cultivating knowledge and resilience for generations,” comments Horst. “We’re proud to stand beside them as long-term partners in expanding access to plant-based wellness.”

The online Plant Wisdom Collective is a free herbal education platform that invites people to explore herbal wellness through videos.Oko Farms is a hub for youth and adult workshops in sustainable agriculture and herbalism. Educator Yemi Amu founded it in 2013 to transform an abandoned lot into New York City’s first outdoor aquaponics farm. With the grant, the organization can expand education programming rooted in environmental justice and ancestral knowledge. 

The Botanical Bus will use the support to expand its community-led healing events and herbal medicine-making workshops. The mobile clinic delivers bilingual, culturally grounded care to Latine and Indigenous communities, including herbalism, acupuncture, and massage. 

Traditional Medicinals aims to expand the program nationally in 2026, selecting up to ten nonprofits annually to receive mini-grants. 

Earlier this month, industry players told Nutrition Insight the botanical ingredients market is booming amid consumer demand for natural, science-backed supplements. 

Plant Wisdom Collective

Meanwhile, the Plant Wisdom Collective is a free herbal education platform that invites people to explore herbal wellness through a video series discussing the art, science, and tradition of herbal medicine. 

The program will be led by Dr. Taryn Forrelli, Traditional Medicinals’ chief science officer, and Guido Masé, senior scientist and herbalist. The four-part series will explore the roots of herbalism, the value of high-quality sourcing, and how tradition and science meet in modern formulations. 

“Plant Wisdom Collective was born out of our deep belief that herbal wellness should be accessible, practical, and empowering,” says Forrelli. “This series offers a welcoming place to learn from trusted herbalists and start building a meaningful relationship with plants — wherever you are in your journey.”

Users can also discuss plants’ power, sourcing, and blending with herbal experts. Moreover, the program includes a collective kit that features herbal teas, a preparation guide, and an interactive page where users can stream the series, take a quiz, and receive a certificate of completion. 

Similarly, the Sustainable Herbs Initiative and American Botanical Council provide freely accessible sources for the sustainable production and use of botanicals. For example, supporting farmers with a sustainability toolkit or providing insights into addressing adulteration challenges in the industry.