<div><strong>Our story</strong>
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<div>I’m Irma – born in South Africa, living in Belgium and working as a <a href="https://nimh.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medical herbalist</a>, married to Karel, born Belgian, sculptor, counsellor and Body Stress Release practitioner. Teaching and restoring balance in people’s lives has been at the heart of our journey since we opened our first health practice in South Africa in 2008. When life brought us to Belgium in 2011, we continued – but the dream of a space that is truly rooted in nature kept sticking out its naughty head :)
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<div>In 2015 we bumped into a 5,000m² piece of land right in the centre of France. No one wanted it – it was too steep, too rugged, too thorny, odd… but when we stood there, surrounded by stillness, birdsong, brambles, hawthorn and a sea of wild carrots and agrimony elegantly rocking to the breeze, we knew: this place holds something hard to pin down. We had to have it and have loved it ever since.
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<div>It feels remote, yet it sits on the edge of a tiny village in one of the most beautiful regions of France – Centre-Val de Loire. Nearby is St. Aignan with the river Cher for summer cooling, history-soaked Loches with its bustling Saturday market (and best garlic on earth!), and Montresor – a treasure of riverside beauty and artistry that lives up to its name: “my treasure”.
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<div>This land has been resting. We've left it untouched, simply enjoying and dreaming, waiting for the right moment, which has finally arrived. We are so ready to turn all our thoughts, ideas and dreams into a beautiful reality!
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<div><strong>Why This Centre Matters</strong>
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<div>Our core mission is to promote herbal knowledge, and to bring herbalists together - alone we are a drop, together we are an ocean (or a herbal force rather!). Herbal medicine is growing in interest worldwide, especially among people longing for a slower, more connected way of sustaining health. The world needs more herbalists!!
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<div>At the same time, more and more people – students and clients alike – are craving face-to-face contact with like-minded souls, real plants, heartfelt conversations and practical, hands-on training. Online learning and browsing for information is great, it is informative, it can bridge many a gap… but it is not the same as smelling, touching, harvesting, asking questions under an elderberry tree.
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<div>This centre will be a living classroom, not just a souped-up building. It will become a hub where herbalists in training can finally learn<em> with</em> plants, not only <em>about</em> them. A place of retreat, rewilding, shared knowledge and slowing down.
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<div><strong>What We Are Building</strong>
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<div>Our vision is to turn the existing barn into a warm, open learning space and create a working herbal garden. The purpose of the garden is not to sell herbs, but will be part and parcel of the learning process. To make this possible we need:
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<li>connection of water &amp; electricity (approx. 50m from the road)
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<li>renovating and insulating the barn so it can be used year-round
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<li>replacing the roof with insulated panels
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<li>either a cement or a wooden floor
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<li>basic plumbing and electricity inside the barn
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<li>a functioning dispensary (herbal press, drying racks, glassware, tools etc.)
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<li>clearing the property from some brambles, hawthorn, sloe, nettles (don’t worry, we’ll definitely be keeping most of it!)
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<li>creating the first 20 raised beds with compost and mulch
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<li>a small tractor to manage the land
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</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/96015737_1761677012920455_r." width="100%" />
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<div><strong>This will allow us to host:</strong>
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<li>in-person training &amp; mentorship
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<li>clinical hours for students of herbal medicine
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<li>herb walks &amp; foraging weekends
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<li>workshops such as medicine making
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<li>supervision weekends for herbalists (and counsellors)
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<li>creative workshop, combining art, music, herbs and counselling
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<div>Additionally we would love to make the facilities available to other groups, when we are not using it
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<div><strong>Why We Are Asking for Help</strong>
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<div>We have the land.
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<div>We have the knowledge.
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<div>We have the calling.
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<div>What we don’t yet have are the funds to create the infrastructure.
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<div>With your help, this land can become a meeting place, an exceptional centre for learning and reconnection – not only for us, but for every future herbalist, student or practitioner who passes through its gates.
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<div>There is no formal reward system, but we warmly welcome the idea of contributors using the facilities when we are not teaching, or being part of the early community that helps bring this dream to life. Also the possibility of attending workshops and herbal walks are available, as well as natural products like soap and herbal tea blends…
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<div><strong>Whether you give a little, a lot, or simply share this campaign with someone who might want to contribute, you are helping us turn the page. Thank you — truly — for taking the time to dive into our story, and who knows, maybe some day soon, we can thank you in person in the shadow of the oak.</strong>
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<div><strong>Budget breakdown:</strong>
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<div>Water connection (50m trench + plumbing) - digging, pipes, connection fees
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<div>€3,200
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<div>Electricity connection (50m + interior circuit) - trench, cabling, distribution board, lighting
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<div>€3,500
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<div>Site preparation / clearing - a lot of dead robinia trees that need expert chopping to avoid it falling on the neigbour's fairy garden!
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<div>€5.000
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<div>Insulated sandwich panels for barn conversion - walls + roof
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<div>€12,000 approx.
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<div>Cement floor (120m² @ €35/m²) - pouring, reinforcement, labour €4,200
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<div>Interior electrics &amp; plumbing - sockets, lights, basic kitchen/wash station
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<div>€3,000
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<div>Doors / windows / weatherproofing - to secure &amp; seal structure
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<div>€3,000
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<div>20 raised wooden beds (1.2 x 2m)
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<div>€700
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<div>Soil, compost &amp; mulch Approx. 6m³
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<div>€300
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<div>Irrigation system - simple drip line + fittings
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<div>€300
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<div>Pathways (woodchip) - accessibility + mud and weed control
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<div>€800
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<div>Barn teaching setup - shelving, benches, jars, drying racks, storage etc. €2,500
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<div>Gardening tools - wheelbarrow, spades, hoes, composting tools, rain barrels
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<div>€500
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<div>Second-hand light-duty tractor with attachments
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<div>€6,000
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Jan Van den Herrewegen

Anonymous

Mathilde Vandemoortele

Catherina S Lombard

marjan meganck

Aurore Debaere

Nienke Vercruysse

Ann Meerschaert

Carsten Soborg

Mila Banach

John Rodger

Herbal Training Centre in France

Herbal Training Centre in France

Still €40,649 to go. Help us build momentum.