14/01/2026
Can an herbal apprenticeship really be online?
At Herbalista, we ran an herbal apprenticeship for a decade. It was a hands-on, experiential training. We made medicine together. We went wildcrafting together. We ran clinics together. We washed bottles together. My apprentices watched me work — and they also watched me struggle. We navigated the constantly changing landscape of community care TOGETHER.
I was also an apprentice myself, early in my trainings, learning alongside another practicing herbalist. I watched her formulate and do intakes. I worked in her dispensary, making medicines and filling formulas. I got to experience firsthand, what it was like to run a busy herbal clinic. I know, without a doubt, that I would not be the herbalist I am today without that practical experience.
Herbal apprenticeship is an age-old tradition rooted in learning through proximity and practice. But lately, I’ve been noticing an increase in online programs using the word apprenticeship, and it’s made me reflect on what that word has meant in my own life and work.
Is the concept of “apprenticeship” losing its meaning in the herbal world?
I know that it is hard to find in-person apprenticeships, but they do exist. Sometimes you can even help create them. Are you a practicing herbalist who would consider taking on an apprentice? On the website, we share a bit about how we ran our apprenticeship program, including the requirements, our application form and description of our programming. (https://herbalista.org/projects/apprenticeship/)
We are going to start building a listing of in-person apprenticeships on the website, and please post to the comments if you have one we can add to the listing! One great program is with which has just opened their apprenticeship program for the 2026 year.
In the words of Aristotle “What we learn to do, we learn by doing.” 💚
