Rose Core sends plant medicine to BIPOC movement organizers and folks on the front lines working to dismantle economic, racialized and environmental violence. Since our birth in the spring of 2020, we have focused our efforts on the epicenters of uprisings, sending medicine around the country to  Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Atlanta Forest Defenders and Line 3 Water Protectors.

At the beginning of 2023, we set an intention towards supporting our regional community with more in person events. We were dreaming of tabling at events, making medicine with our neighbors, and pop-up clinics. We tabled at the Trans Health Conference in April, and provided herbs to groups like Education Justice Coalition and FreeHer Vermont. When the floods of July 10th hit, this intention was fast-tracked into reality, as we quickly mobilized to bring herbal medicine to communities who were grappling with the trauma of flooded homes and businesses, mold and dust illness, and climate grief. In just the first week after the flood, we distributed over 300 bottles of herbal medicine. A self-serve herb station was set up in Montpelier, we canvassed local neighborhoods to see how we could help, and set up daily distribution at Rainbow Bridge Community Center in Barre.

The response was overwhelming. Folks told us how helpful the tinctures and tea were for their dusty lungs, their fitful sleep, their deep grief. Many were just grateful to know that people deeply cared about their wellbeing, as they shared their stories at our pop-up tables. We liquidated almost our entire inventory, but almost immediately began receiving an abundance of bulk herb, tincture, and monetary donations with which we were able to resupply.

We have maintained our commitment to our neighbors in Barre, distributing herbs at RBCC’s monthly Community Care Days. As we shifted away from the acute needs of the summer floods, we have done even more in-person solidarity work with local groups mobilizing for Palestinian Liberation. We’ve provided tea and tinctures to organizers and individuals who are saying with their whole heart that genocide abroad is unacceptable, that we know our tax dollars must be spent healing our own communities rather than stoking the fires of war.

With the generosity we received this summer, we have been able to purchase large insulated carafes and paper cups for herbal tea, which has become a much-requested presence at community events and protests. We have also developed new formulas for different requests, such as a nonalcoholic analogue to our “Grief and Rage” formula and tea blends to keep folks warm while out in the Vermont winter.

From 2020-2021, we made approximately 25 gallons of medicine in over 1,600 bottles. We have since more than doubled that, moving over 55 gallons of tincture since 2020. That doesn’t include the pounds of bulk herbs we’ve sent out and gallons of herbal tea we’ve served. Our medicine is always free, but based on typical retail costs for tincture, this corresponds to about $70,000 of plant medicine.  We offset much of this cost by growing and tincturing the bulk of this medicine ourselves, rather than paying retail prices at apothecaries.

However, we cannot avoid costs associated with purchasing organic alcohol, clean dropper bottles, and shipping materials. This is where you come in! Our projected cost breakdown is below.

Looking towards 2024, our goal is to continue to show up for the growing number of places and organizations we are now in deep relationship with. If we’re able to raise $3,750 we will be able to cover the costs of providing another $35,000 of free medicine!