Midwest Women's Herbal Conference & Events

About Us

Midwest Women's Herbal Mission Statement

Midwest Women’s Herbal provides herbal education and opportunities for transformation. Immersed in the Wise Woman Tradition, grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters, and children gather in a co-created village. Through earth-centered healing and nourishment we ally with the plants that grow around us. From the ground up we connect to weave ourselves, our families, and our communities into the dynamic spiral of health.

Midwest Women's Herbal Vision Statement

We live in a world where the feminine is honored and respected; where women stand fully in their power, acknowledging their wisdom, skills and innate healing abilities.

It takes a village….Here are the talented, dedicated women who are already working behind the scenes to weave the container, holding the possibilities for your conference experience. Now we just need YOU! With your sisters and friends co-creating the weekend, anything is possible! Learn More About Midwest Women's Herbal's Rich Herstory

Linda \| Core Team & Founder Linda Conroy is a bioregional herbalist, herbal, traditional food educator, and community organizer. She dedicates her life to connecting with the green world as well as sharing the wisdom of the earth. Her primary mentors are the plants who never cease to instill a sense of awe in her daily life. For over three decades Linda has presented well-received programs and apprenticeship programs throughout the United States. To find out more about Linda's work visit www.moonwiseherbs.com	Bethany \| Lead Producer This budding herbalist, from the beautiful northwoods of Wisconsin, lends her talents as a virtual learning consultant for Midwest Women’s Herbal’s online conferences. She’s been involved in the Conference since 2015 in a variety of roles, and always feels blessed & honored to help hold that container for her sisters. She can’t wait to see everyone in person at future conferences!	Sara \| Technology and Recording Coordinator Sara is a busy, caring mom of 2 young boys and works full time in healthcare. Being on the coordinating team is a breath of fresh air and allows her an opportunity to lend support while learning more about the plants around her. She's been studying plants and funga most of her life and tries to help others around her to feel connection to their communities. With any free time Sara can uncover, she enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with loved ones, especially over a good meal.
Ashley \| MWH Coordinator Ashley Oomen is a wife and mother of three who resides in rural West Michigan and is currently embarking on her journey to Midwifery. As someone who loves getting lost in nature she nourishes her soul by hiking, camping, kayaking, wildcrafting, and spending time in her garden. The community of wise women at Midwest Women’s Herbal have created a magical sisterhood that she is honored to be a part of.	Tina \| MWH Coordinator Tina Hope currently works as the Food Systems Coordinator and Yoga Instructor at Knox College. She leads community wellness workshops and classes that weave together the practice of herbalism, resilient agriculture, permaculture and yoga therapy modalities. Tina apprenticed with Linda Conroy in 2015 grateful for the skills and inspiration to create a small herbal business, tinasbotanicals.com, that grows and produces a variety of handcrafted herbal products for the local community.	Markie \| Graphic & Web Design Markie is honored to be supporting MWH with graphic, newsletter, and web design! Markie feels at home in the plant world and has been apprenticing & studying in the Wise Woman Tradition for 5+ years. She loves discovering wisdom and magic in the world via travel and connecting with nature, and runs a marketing company focused on supporting local & women-owned businesses, Good Land Creative.
Maria \| MWH Coordinator Maria is an integrative healer and a self-love warrior with a deep and diverse background in both the culinary and healing arts. As a teacher, biodynamic craniosacral therapist, business owner, herbalist, and spiritual writer it has been her path throughout her many lifetimes to guide others. When she is not busy writing, taking care of her animals or unschooling her feral daughter, she can often be found playing in the woods, communing with the flora and fauna and dancing with the faeries.	Katherine \| MWH Coordinator I am beginning the search for my path in the plant world in my garden and kitchen. I deeply believe in nutritional herbalism and its power to assist the body and incorporating it into my daily meal routines. I am beyond excited and grateful to be a part of MWH and learn from many of the authors of the resources that have guided me these past few years and continue to shape my plant path.	Grassflower \| MWH Coordinator I am a mother of 4 and grandmother of 7. I am also a retired Family Nurse Practitioner and Certified in Homeopathy. I love the plant and fungus world and being at the Midwest Herbal Women’s Conference communing with them.
Jill Drazek Jill Drazek lives in Janesville, Wisconsin. She is the mother of 4 children. Jill is interested in herbal medicine, nutrition and energy healing. Jill graduated from Washington University in 1993 and went on to earn her Montessori teaching Certificate, and a Master of Education degree from Loyola University. Jill has worked as a teacher, tutor and writer. Her future plans include exploring how trauma affects people, herbal healing and the best ways to teach people with Autism.	Grace Elizabeth Grace Elizabeth is a 22 year old from the Edgerton area. She stumbled into the company of Linda Conroy, who has since helped her connect with the Earth and divine feminine energy in working with her. She is so excited for the conference in May 2022, just a few days after her birthday! Grace also manages social media for the conference, both Facebook & Instagram.	Christine Hilbert Christina has studied Wisconsin wild plants since 1973. With beliefs strongly influenced by the traditions of the First Nation peoples, she honorably wildcrafts, which includes employing gratitude while listening to, communicating with, respecting, and compassionately loving and protecting all native wild plants. Christina holds a BS in Botany with additional studies in natural resources, philosophy, women's studies, geology, and plant taxonomy.
Jane Kautzer I am a seventy-four year old Chinese American who grew up in San Francisco, Chinatown. I have lived in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin for the past 42 years. I taught English as a Second Language to adult Southeast Asian refugees. Then I worked at the local Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles office until I retired. Now I am free to spend my time helping make the world around me a better place to live.	Brittany Tripp Brittany Tripp is an artist from the Chicagoland area. She is mother to two children. Brittany grew up on a couple acres just outside of Chicago and spent summers away at camp near the Rock River. A deep love and respect of nature was fostered here. With decades of leading groups and exploring the natural world through camps, park district programs, and private art studios, she is grateful to return to Kids Camp as Co-Coordinator again this year.	Genevieve Needham Genevieve grows extensive gardens and has a passion for wildcrafting. She studied under bioregional herbalist, Linda Conroy, frequents classes held by Matthew Wood, and has attended the Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference since its first year. Genevieve practices as a massage therapist and doula. She also works part-time at Rush Creek Growers, a greenhouse. Cedar is five years old and has attended the MWWHC since before she could walk. She enjoys crafting, baking, and singing. They live in Roberts
Laura Joosse Laura is a PhD prepared Registered Nurse. Her academic/clinical practice aimed at helping individuals manage chronic health problems using both science-based nursing and alternative health approaches. She credits her mother for introducing her to a life of foraging and cooking with wild edibles as a child.	Kate Strassman Kate Strassman has been an educator for 14 years and works in Milwaukee as a Title I reading teacher. She loves to cook, garden, and study herbalism. This has led her to cook pop-up dinners, host afternoon teas, run a farmer's market lunch stand, and create her own line of herbal teas. She is also an artist and loves to work on illustrations, collage with mixed media, and make jewelry.	Kari Kercher Kari Kercher has worked as a registered nurse in hospice for 5 years, in the home and in a hospital setting. Kari is grateful to have apprenticed with Linda Conroy in the Wise Woman Tradition, and co-coordinates the first aid station at the Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference in Almond, WI. She currently lives in the northern pines of Wausau, Wisconsin with her husband, dog, chickens and a large, wonderful garden.
Stephanie Baumann Stephanie Baumann is a plant-loving, gardening, and wild foraging Community herbalist. She leads plant walks, teaches medicine making classes, and is also the owner of Sweet Earth Botanicals in Milwaukee. She is a lifelong student of herbal medicine and is passionate about developing relationships with the plants that grow outside her door. Her journey began in 1996 studying Botany and Environmental Education and progressed to studying with 7Song at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine.	Kaitlin Ilya Wolf Kaitlin Ilya Wolf works with the many cycles around us and within us. She’s an ordained minister, ritualist, herbalist, communitarian, and teacher. Kaitlin is also a Priestess of the Red Tent. She has held the Women’s Red Tent in her community, Earthaven Ecovillage in western North Carolina, for over 14 years and has been studying and practicing ritual arts for over 25 years. Kaitlin facilitates rituals, ceremonies, and magick for large and small groups, individuals, and her community.	Crystal Stevens Crystal Stevens lives along the bluffs of the Mighty Mississippi River in Godfrey, Illinois with her husband, and 2 children. Stevens is an Author, an Artist/Art Teacher, a Folk Herbalist, a Regenerative Farmer, and a Permaculturist. Stevens has written 3 books published by New Society Publishers: Grow Create Inspire, Worms at Work, and Your Edible Yard. Stevens speaks at conferences and Mother Earth News Fairs across the United States.
Nicole Vielleux Nicole Vielleux has been a student of the plants since 2012. She loves to travel to amazing places where she can be surrounded by breathtaking nature and be with the plants, animals, and insects. She also surrounds herself with plants in her home. She did an herbal apprenticeship with Linda Conroy, which led her to working for the MWHC in an apprenticeship for her MA in Women's Spirituality. She lives in Milwaukee, has 2 amazing children, and works at the downtown central library.