About AHG
Learn more about the Guild’s mission, vision, and values
Mission
The American Herbalists Guild promotes clinical herbalism as a viable profession rooted in ethics, competency, diversity, and freedom of practice. The American Herbalists Guild supports access to herbalism for all and advocates excellence in herbal education.
Vision
The American Herbalists Guild envisions a world where herbalism is accessible to all as a core component of health care. We envision a culture of vocational empowerment for aspiring and practicing clinical herbalists, as well as other members of the herbal profession including educators, herbal product makers, herbal business owners, growers, wildcrafters, and formulators.
Values
The American Herbalists Guild honors diversity in the practice of herbalism. We equally recognize the validity of traditional herbal practice and modern science-based clinical phytotherapy. As the American Herbalists Guild values the relationship between individual and environmental health, we are dedicated to promoting plant sustainability.
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Our History
The shared vision of an herbalist guild was first verbalized in the mountains of Breitenbush, Oregon, where each year a large group of professional herbalists from all parts of the nation gathered to teach, walk together in ancient forests, soak in mineral-rich hot springs, and discuss issues central to herbalism. Discussions at the Breitenbush retreats always included the vision of creating a guild for dedicated herbalists and serious herbal students. A 1989 letter from Michael Tierra invited herbalists from all regions of the country to come and exchange ideas about what this guild might become. On the weekend of February 17, twenty herbalists gathered at the Santa Cruz mountain home of Christopher Hobbs and Beth Baugh to begin organizing the guild, engaging in long, productive discussions that laid its foundation.
The first order of business was to adopt a name, and from that moment, The American Herbalists Guild (AHG) was born. Over the years, the guild has grown and matured, transforming the passion and enthusiasm of its early visionaries into a dynamic and enduring organization. Along this journey, we have gained invaluable insights—not only into the diverse practices of herbalists—but also into the unique ways they can collaborate within a structured framework.
Today, we carry forward this mission with a deep belief in the importance of our work and its role in advancing herbalism on a national and global scale. It is our hope that all herbalists, regardless of their affiliation with AHG, will continue to collaborate as peers and work together to strengthen and expand the field of herbalism.
The founding members of the American Herbalists Guild include Michael Tierra, Cascade Anderson Geller, James Green, Roy Upton, Grace Marroquin, Mindy Green, Amanda McQuade-Crawford, Christopher Hobbs, Paul Lee, Mara Levin, Brigitte Mars, Jane Bothwell, Lesley Tierra, David Winston, Steven Foster, Kathi Keville, David Hoffmann, David Bunting, Mark Blumenthal, Ed Smith, and Sara Katz.
Over the years, the AHG has been guided by an extraordinary succession of leaders whose vision and dedication have shaped the Guild into what it is today. Our Past Presidents (now called Board Chairs) include Tieraona Low Dog, David Eagle, David Hoffmann, Steven Horne, Feather Jones, Aviva Romm, Karta Purkh Khalsa, Bevin Clare, and Keren Dolan. Past Executive Directors include Tracy Romm and Mimi Hernandez, each leaving their mark on the organization’s growth and resilience. Today, with Executive Director Erika Galentin, the Guild moves forward in a spirit of collaboration and renewal, honoring the past while shaping the future together.