T'uu-ya Chaa-may Bear Medicine Botanicals Clinic

T'uu-ya Chaa-may Bear Medicine Botanicals Clinic A place to reconnect with the healing power of plants

I love the Santiam canyon and Sisters area. Today, I pulled over to find yarrow and St. John’s wort. Also found some lil...
07/09/2026

I love the Santiam canyon and Sisters area. Today, I pulled over to find yarrow and St. John’s wort. Also found some lilies and animal artifacts ie owl pellets!

Your Intrepid Herbalist,
Rhonda

07/03/2026

Once upon a time, long, long ago and in a faraway place, I had an herb store!

Ok, it was only 5 years ago in Portland, OR. ha.

Here's what it takes to do this in compliance with Oregon Department of Agriculture rules:

Must obtain a license to prepare food supplements in a commercial kitchen. In this case, I had to haul everything to a commercial kitchen, because my store didn't qualify for a license. The license issued required inspection by an ODA agent and cost about $240 for a year.

Must obtain a retail food store license and then sell ONLY prepackaged herbs. This license also required inspection of the premises by an ODA agent and cost about $100/year. The license had to be displayed "in a prominent place" in the store.

The store was not allowed to sell bulk herbs. Only prepackaged herbs or herbal products.

Words like "apothecary", "remedy", "healing", or any other implied benefit were not allowed in labeling nor marketing. The labels on all of the herbal products had to carry that FDA label with portion size, calories, etc.

It may seem like over regulation, but do you really want to buy herbal products made in a home kitchen where the cat was just up on the counters, fresh out of the litter box?

So color me mildly surprised (not) when I look for the ODA license for just about any herb store in the region and the stores don't have one. The one exception (thus far) is Dragon Herbarium in Portland. (I did not check Herb Stomp). Doesn't matter if you slap the so-called "magical uses" on the jar...it still is not compliant with the ODA regulations.

Big HOWEVER: herb clinics are not regulated nor do they fall under the governance of Oregon Department of Agriculture. Major loophole.

I have years of experience and both casual and formal training as an herbalist. I was a registered nurse for over a decade, which means I know anatomy and physiology and pharmacokinetics. Your best interests are foremost in my clinic at 651 High St. NE, Salem, OR 97301.

And btw, my previous herb store could not bear the cost of licensing and went out of business.

Rhonda Baseler Johnson, owner, Bear Medicine Botanicals Clinic

Fresh out of hibernation! We knew it was late in the season, but went looking for cottonwood buds anyway. These are from...
04/03/2026

Fresh out of hibernation! We knew it was late in the season, but went looking for cottonwood buds anyway. These are from branches that have fallen to the ground. A lot of them had catkins instead of buds. We ended up with about 1 lb. of buds, and this will yield about 2 cups of oil. The oil will be used in salves for aches and pains and will be available in the apothecary next month (May). Bonus: nettle was peeking up through the ground.

Cottonwood releases an intoxicating fragrance, similar to that of honey, sometime around Feb/March. The buds yield a sticky, amber resin. This resin contains salicylates (natural aspirin precursors) that treat pain, inflammation, and skin issues - the same thing in willow bark. (Side note: I once made a tincture of cottonwood buds. 10/10 do NOT recommend!)

So, we gathered the buds, brought them home, put them in a clean glass jar, and covered them with olive oil. Olive oil lasts longest without going rancid. If you try this, be willing to part with the jar. The resin is impossible to remove!

Address

651 High Street NE
Salem, OR
97301

Telephone

+19713522335

Website

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