This is our list of our 2025 classes. Forging ahead because food and herbs are our best medicine. Focus will be on cooking from scratch with the best ingredients to support good health. What we eat, drink & think matters.
Of course do not come to a class if you do not feel well or have recently been exposed to the virus. I will use herbs to purify the indoor air and we'll all be safe. It's time to make changes for the better.
2025 CLASSES
at
MILLS GARDEN HERB FARM
Cooking, Gardening, Medicine making--all for the health and fun of it!
Good health starts at home in the kitchen and garden. Cooking meals with ingredients picked from the garden, purchased from a farmers market or grocery store selling organic products will build health. Ingredient choices are very important. Herbs are medicinal and support health in delicious ways. Again the theme of our classes is "back to basics": cooking like our grandmothers and great grandmothers once did. Think back! Our future is in our past.
Many maybe most of our health problems are caused by the food we eat; stress contributes too. Plan to cook more this year to control the ingredients in the food you consume. The food will be delicious and we'll have many tips on preparation . All of our recipes are prepared "from scratch" meaning nothing from boxes or cans with long ingredient lists.
Include the whole family in cooking, baking, cleanup. Cook meals ahead so as to never be caught without a quick homemade meal.
HOMEMADE CLEANING SOLUTIONS
February 23, 2025
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Using homemade cleaning solutions is the best and safest! They are cheaper, simple to make, do not contain harmful chemicals and are environmentally friendly! We'll prepare some in this class for you to take home using glass bottles which are reusable and safer than plastic.
Cost: $35 or two for $60.
Reservation and contact information appears below.
FOOD AS MEDICINE
March 16, 2025
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Food provides what we need to maintain the body as well as the machinery to run it. Let's get back to traditional foods and cooking. Good health can and will taste delicious.
Cost: $35 or $60 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
Mark your calendar:
ASHEVILLE HERB FESTIVAL
at
WNC Ag Center
Fletcher, NC
2025
Friday, April 25 - 8:30 - 5:00
Saturday, April 26 - 8:30 - 5:00
Sunday, April 27 - 10:00 - 3:00
GEARING UP THE ORGANIC GARDEN
May 18, 2025
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Let it grow! Plant your love and let it grow! The finest freshest food and herbs are grown in our own backyards. New discoveries in soil science tell us that plants flourish and are nourished in soils that support a diverse community of organisms. So, in this class we'll discuss how to feed the soil and how to control weeds and insects without chemicals. There will also be numerous tips for growing your favorite herbs and vegetables . We'll tour Madge's gardens, and to ensure a head start for your garden, you are invited to dig and take home many perennial garden and woodland plants. Wear gardening clothes, and bring a trowel, shovel and a box or bags for plants. Handout and herbal treats included.
Cost: $35 or $60 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
MUSHROOMS
June 22, 2025
2:00-5:00 p.m.
If you haven't explored the world of mushrooms now is the time to begin. Be prepared to be in awe. Identification is key. Mushrooms are medicinal too. It's time to learn more about them, their health benefits, and how to use them in cooking and more. Watch the movie "Fantastic Fungi" - it is great!
Cost: $35 or $60 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
FERMENTED FOODS AND SOURDOUGH BREAD BAKING
JULY 20, 2025
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Fermented foods need to be consumed regularly for gut health. There will be fermented foods to taste and you'll prepare some to take home as well as starters.
Cost $35 or $60 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
MEDICINE MAKING & MEDICINAL TEAS
from the garden to the medicine chest
August 17, 2025
2:00-5:00 p.m.
SYRUPS, TINCTURES, TEAS, VINEGARS, FIRE CIDER and more....Growing herbs is delightful; we love adding them to our foods and feeling the sheer joy of their beautiful flowers and scents. But there is so much more; many have powerful medicinal effects that can be easily preserved and made available when needed. Summer is the best time to prepare and stock your winter apothecary while your herbs are at their peak of vitality. We'll demo how to make tinctures, syrups, teas and vinegars using garden plants or dried herbs purchased from a reliable source. A handout will include detailed instructions and background information about common herbs. Take home samples to start your herbal apothecary. Delicious herbal tea and treats will be served.
Cost $35 or two for $60. Reservation and contact information appears below.
CRYSTALS & HERBS
September 21, 2025
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Crystals are not just for jewelry & ornamental purposes they have historically been used for healing and coupling them with herbs make powerful remedies. Come learn about beautiful stones, their history,and how to use them for healing.
Cost $35 or two for $60
Reservation and contact information appears below.
CHEESE MAKING
October 26, 2025
2:00-5:00
Cheese has been a staple food for centuries or maybe as long as we have had milk. We'll talk about milk in this class and how it can be turned into delicious cheese. Taste cheeses that you will be able to make, save and use in recipes.
$35 for one and $60 for two
Reservation and contact information appears below.
2:00-5:00 p.m.
COOKING & EATING FOR THE HEALTH OF IT
November 16, 2025
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Hippocrates said "let food be thy medicine, let medicine be thy food" in 440 BC. This class is about eating for the health of it. The fast food moement has caused our health to decline fast and that needs to be changed. We'll go over menus and peparing foods at home for ready made meals eliminating the need for "fast foods". Bring your questions and ideas!
Cost $35 or two for $60 Reservations & contact information appears below.
WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP
December 7, 2025
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Our year end annual event: Wreath making in the barn. The custom of bringing greens inside the home at winter solstice and Christmas dates back hundreds of years. Continue the tradition by making your very own decorations with fresh cut evergreens, holly, ivy, pinecones, mistletoe and other natural items. We'll work in the barn, listen to holiday tunes, and sip hot tea and spicy cider. This class is a celebration of the Winter Solstice, Christmas, and father time; many participants return year after year! All materials are provided, but feel free to bring special items from your home or yard that you would like to add. Cost: $30 or $50 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
Classes will be posted on Facebook. If you are not presently on our email list and would like to be notified by email two weeks in advance of all our classes, send us an email at: millsgardenherbs@roadrunner.com and ask to be added to our list. Of course your information is not shared with anyone.
Reservations
To make a reservation, please fill out the form on the "Reservations" page, indicating the class you would like to attend and the number of reservations; send this form with your payment to:
Mills Garden Herb Farm732 Mills Garden RoadStatesville, NC 28625
Your advance reservation is required to assist us in planning. Make a reservation by sending in the form on the reservations page or by email or phone. Also, kindly let us know in advance should you need to cancel for some reason.The Form: Indicate the class you would like to attend and the number of reservations; send this form to:
Mills Garden Herb Farm
732 Mills Garden Road
Statesville, NC 28625
email: millsgardenherbs@roadrunner.com or
Phone or text: 704-929-0347.
Please contact us by phone, email or text if you have registered for a class but cannot attend.
MILLS GARDEN HERB FARM
Mills Garden Herb Farm, located in rural Statesville, NC is the realization of Madge’s dream to grow herbs and share her love of nature with others. The farm delights the senses; her wonderful garden beds have become magical places for birds, bees and butterflies as well as a sustainable source of herbs and food, supporting all life. The woodland garden has become a virtual fairyland, where she lovingly cultivates many of our NC native plants that are “endangered” due to overharvesting and loss of habitat. In her greenhouse, Madge’s 100% chemical free herbs are germinated and raised to be sold as potted plants at farmers markets in Statesville and Charlotte, NC. They thrive in the greenhouse where they are tenderly cared for while listening to classical music all day long! Madge manages the Evening Farmers Market in downtown Statesville.