At the heart of Portland’s herbal scene is The Herb Shoppe, a community-rooted space dedicated to holistic healing, education, and empowerment. Mystic Mag sat down with Amanda Furbee, a passionate herbalist and driving force behind the shop, to explore how this nonprofit blends high-quality herbal remedies, hands-on learning, and a vision for accessible wellness. From tinctures to community retreats, Amanda shares what makes The Herb Shoppe a hub for connection, healing, and plant wisdom.
Please introduce us to The Herb Shoppe.
The Herb Shoppe PDX is an online shop offering a wide range of herbal products, including teas, tinctures, essential oils, and herbal remedies, to support health and well-being. We are a local non-profit 501c3 and offer a sliding scale community clinic and herbal education.
The shop offers a wide variety of herbs and wellness products. How do you select the products you carry?
We go through a process of reviewing our suppliers and growers making sure we have the highest quality or organic, wildcrafted or sustainable sourced herbs to make our products.
We heard that you offer workshops and classes. What are some of the most popular topics covered in these sessions?
Yes, offering classes and workshops has always been an important part of what we do. Over the years, we’ve hosted a wide range of sessions that have become community favorites. Some of our most popular classes include hands-on product-making workshops—like how to create your own tinctures, teas, salves, and skincare items—which are always a big hit. People love learning how to make their own remedies from scratch.
We also offer foundational herbal education, perfect for those who are just starting to explore herbalism or want to deepen their knowledge of plant medicine. Our herb walks in nature are another favorite, where we guide folks through local trails to identify plants in the wild and talk about their traditional uses. And for those looking to connect more deeply with themselves and the plants, our herbal meditation classes offer a beautiful, grounding experience.
Each class is designed to be approachable, empowering, and rooted in the belief that everyone can build a relationship with herbal medicine.
What are some of the most common reasons customers seek out herbal remedies?
People come to us for all sorts of reasons, but a common thread is that they’re looking for a more natural, holistic approach—especially when other methods haven’t provided the results they hoped for. Many are seeking alternatives that feel more aligned with their bodies and values.
Some of the most common concerns we support are stress and anxiety, sleep issues, pain and inflammation, and digestive imbalances. Herbal medicine shines in these areas because it focuses on getting to the root cause rather than just masking symptoms. By working with the body gently and supportively, herbs help restore balance over time. What’s beautiful is that once people begin to understand how their body responds to certain herbs—and start tuning into their own needs—you can often see that “light bulb” moment. They begin to feel empowered, connected, and in control of their wellness journey in a whole new way
What exciting things are on the horizon for The Herb Shoppe? Are there any new products, services, or workshops you’d like to highlight?
There are so many exciting things on the horizon for The Herb Shoppe right now! One of the biggest areas of growth is our sliding-scale community clinic, which continues to evolve through our partnership with PHCP. We’re expanding access to herbal consultations and making wellness more approachable for everyone.
This year, we’re also bringing more hands-on learning opportunities into the community—like live product-making demos at the Cully Farmers Market, where folks can see herbal medicine in action and ask questions in real time.
We’re especially excited to be hosting day retreats for seasonal celebrations like Beltane and the Summer Solstice. These gatherings are all about reconnecting with the land, learning through experience, and creating community. Plus, we’ll be offering herbal education at Pickathon this year, which is always such a fun and inspiring way to share plant wisdom with a wider audience.
Looking ahead, our long-term dream is to move onto a piece of land and create a full wellness retreat space. A place where people can come to rest, learn, and heal in nature. Every step we take now is leading us toward that vision.
