Meet Our Organizers

In 2019, Desiree Thompson and Kelly McCarthy met and shared a studio space with three practitioners in West Philly. We both structured our business on a sliding scale, loved herbs and we’re similarly interested in healing and economic justice. Together we noticed that there seemed to be a missing link between growers who had an abundance of herbs, and people who were excited and interested in experiencing them.

So, in winter 2020, we put together a (then) very experimental system for the redistribution of herbs, live plants, and herbal medicine. 

After a survey of 90 initial Herb Hub users, we discovered several barriers that limit people's access to herbal medicine: high costs (53%), long distances to herb stores (40%) and lack of educational resources (50%). Almost all respondents selected a combination of the previous barriers. The way we operate today is a direct reflection of the input from our community.

Our name “Philly Herb Hub (or, The Hub)” symbolizes our desire to be both a connector and a source of free information.

For us, the Hub is heart-work. We love this project simply because it exists. We don’t force it (or ourselves) to change its shape; we respond to its needs and modify how we operate based on feedback and our capacity. Our weekly meetings are touchpoints where we name and hold space for our challenges, successes, visions of the future. Most importantly, we uplift and support our friendship, and acknowledge that it is the lifeblood of our work together.

We try to not operate out of scarcity.

We try to trust that our efforts, and the efforts of our partners, will sustain the project for as long as possible.

We try to have fun! To laugh and lean into the all the sweet folks who volunteer, farm, make medicine and teach with us.