As we approach the one-year mark since September 27, 2024, we pause to remember the profound impact Hurricane Helene had on our lives, our land, and our future in WNC.

We will never forget, and we carry forward the lessons that help us envision a stronger future.

In late June, we gathered with our volunteers, staff, and growers to map our work together through creative ceremony and ritual for transition and transformation to support us in the months to come. Mitzy, our coach through the Queer Mobilization Fund, guided us through a beautiful process that nurtured our creative sparks and helped us envision what's next.

What is clear is that the shores of the river have changed for us, and we are flowing into new places, banks, and bending to meet the needs of this time. Some of the questions that emerged from our time together were:

- What are you learning from the land?
- What medicine are you here to share?
- In what ways do we have a keener mind, stronger spirit, or stronger soul? (Inspiration from Gloria Anzaldua)

We're seeding, seeing, flowing towards the horizon and creating our own paradise so we can show up to heal together. We are so clear that we are here to work with nature and not against it, working with the seasons and making sure we are resting as much as possible. We are bringing intention into all we do and staying steady in the flow.

The inner knowing in all of us, it just knows… IT IS

Guiding us into the flow and blooming
We are becoming
The horizon is there to hold us still and show us the way
While the seeds of our struggles are alchemized into our paradise

We’ve arrived
Remembering
Alchemizing
All that IS

Photo by Camille Nevarez.

Bees and other creatures have been busy at La Chacra Farm, the Hub for Kentucky Afloraristas. The garden has exploded in color and texture. As I write this, chamomile has been steadily offering us their beautiful tiny flowers every day for the past month and a half.

Passion flowers continue to bloom daily and delight us each afternoon with their gorgeous and intricate purple and white blooms and an abundance of leaves ready to be harvested. Elderberries are turning deep purple-blue. Yellow and orange calendula can also be found all around the garden. Mountain mint, oregano, and lemon-balm continue to be harvested regularly.

We have hosted gatherings once a month for Afloraristas in the area and some new folk have joined in to receive plants, help harvest and build products and community.

Photo by Sarah Nuñez.

Sarita teaching class this spring. Photo by Steve Pavey.

This year, our Ecosystem Connector, Sarita and many volunteers and staff, have hit the road to support regional events. We started out with Organic Growers School in March which helped
bring in a deeper understanding of mutual aid and herbalism as a political movement to the participants. At the annual conference, Sarah supported the curation of a healing space with the Corazon 7 team: Ekua, Jo, and Paulina to promote rest and care in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. It was an essential balm that so many shared was super helpful after the storm, especially the many farmers impacted by Helene. Hear from Sandra, a long time friend who checked out the space this weekend:

Afloraristas and class attendees painting a banner and making tea blends. Photos by Steve Pavey.

The last scheduled event this year will be Sassafras Festival in Tennessee on September 20, 2025. You can find us teaching a session as well as hosting a table with more information about
the collective. Additionally, some of our makers and growers will be showcased at a table and they will be selling herbal goodies, dried herbs, and plants.

 A little recap of our work this year

Thanks to the support of our workshop participants and volunteers, we’ve been consistently providing these herbs at our distribution sites, pop-up events, and in care kits for people across Western North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene.

This is some of the work we’ve been up to since January:

● 120 instances of support (some orgs/communities served more than once)
● 77 different orgs/communities/entities served
● 214 kits/baskets distributed
● 2,190 people served (includes herbal mutual aid, Grower's Network Support, and our 2025 Plant Giveaway)
● Served Buncombe, Cherokee, Henderson, Madison, Yancey, Mecklenburg, Guilford, and Durham counties, as well as Washington D.C.; Phoenix, Arizona; Bristol, Tennessee;
Los Angeles, California; Greenville, South Carolina; Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

We are so thankful to the 13 growers across the region and Puerto Rico growing for us. These folks are really helping us to stay stocked on dried herbs that go on to our Vision, Calming, and Grounding Teas as well as our Breathe steam and bath salts.

Thanks y'all for being on this journey with us this year.

Are you also interested in Growing herbs for Aflorar Herb Collective?

Reach out to us via email at aflorarherbcollective@gmail.com for more details.

Be on the lookout for our sign-up form available early in 2025 to support us next year.

Speaking of the communities we serve, check out this new map, created by our grower and volunteer, Gennie Gonzalez, with most of the distribution sites we have been serving in 2025.

These spaces are liberation zones in our community, deeply connected to community care and helping us all in many ways.

Back in 2020, we were featured in this Earth and Spirit Center Podcast, highlighting Aflorar’s work during COVID and the summer 2020 uprisings.

A few years later, the Kentucky Foundation for Women provided funding for our Kentucky friends to collect stories, make art, and remember together. Through this project, our members, mari, Lorena, and Connie in Kentucky, embarked on a year-long project culminating in an art show, documentary, and stories featured at Lexington Public Library.

Calendula Harvest, 2023.

mari mujica and Connie packing herbs for southern organizers in Asheville 2023.

Chickweed pesto created at Punkin Hollow Farm.

Care Kits for Southern Organizers made by the Afloraristas of KY and NC 2023.

Story catching has been central to our work as we remember together. This year we are grateful to Waymakers Collective for supporting us to bring more of the plant and cultural bearers'
stories into your home and hearts.

We are in the process of creating a zine and plant cards that will be going out with our care kits and herbal goodies. We also will be launching our website this year with more details about our work. Stay tuned for these beautiful creations from the lovely Camille, our Story Catcher and Organizer.

Pictures by Lorena Miller, Punkin Hollow Farm.

Thank you for your time and care in joining us and reading more about our work and the love we share with communities and each other. We'll see you again at the end of the year for the next
newsletter.

We are choosing justice, connection, and love every single day.

Please join us, friends.

With love,

Sarah, Isabella, Camille, Paulina, Mari and Teresa