save radicle herb shop!

Who We Are

Hi! My name is Christopher Rodgers, Radicle Herb Shop founder. I opened the shop and herbal clinic seven years ago in the exact location as a previous herb shop after they decided to close the business. I was working as an herbalist, and at this time, people were expressing their feelings about the news of The Herb Shoppe's closure. The main message I heard was how vital the space had been for them and their health. This inspired me to open a community-oriented herb shop while maintaining the integrity of the previous business. The experience has been beyond rewarding for both the herbalists at Radicle and the diverse populations we serve.

I have been studying herbalism for about ten years. While attending a three-year clinical program at Arbor Vitae School of Traditional Herbalism in NYC, I took a year off to open Radicle, then went back to complete school. Arbor Vitae, my teachers and classmates, and the whole experience taught me the foundations of many herbal traditions and fed my vision of creating a new kind of space oriented towards community herbalism.

Community herbalism is herbalism for the community. It is alive when people feel that they can freely share about their health and, in return, receive attentive, compassionate care and herbal consultations. It means herbs grown, harvested, and processed in sustainable ways, sold at a fair and affordable cost.

What We Do

While Radicle is where this vision of community herbalism has come to thrive, the herbalists who have worked here are passionate about sharing our knowledge about herbs and systems of healing. Whether people visit the shop with specific ailments or to browse, we endeavor to make Radicle a place where people can slow down, ask questions, and simply relax. Radicle is a retail business, but it is also a space where people can take a moment to learn about their own healing in a city where space to breathe is treated as a commodity.

Why We Are Raising Money

When the pandemic started, business certainly declined dramatically. I worked in the shop for a while without staff and employment costs to offset the financial loss. Eventually, I was able to hire, although business was still slow. Unfortunately, there has been a sharp decline. I applied for COVID relief funds without success and am currently not eligible for loans or lines of credit.

I am reaching out to the community because I have confidence in the power of people working together and supporting one another. Many have expressed how important having access to a local herb shop and herbal clinic is and their concern if Radicle were to close. I am inspired and motivated to do the work as an herbalist and offer Radicle herb shop as a space for people to access low-cost herbs and holistic health care.

Our Goal

Our goal is to continue this vision of Radicle. We started this fundraiser because Radicle has reached a critical point and financial aid is necessary for continuing business. We want to reach out to the community to share how those who wish to can offer support.

All proceeds will go toward paying rent and utilities and keeping the shelves stocked with the highest quality dried herbs, tinctures, flower essences, spices, and tonics. We are also endeavoring to hyper-localize sourcing whenever possible to start selling more hand-crafted products made by local herbalists.

This fundraiser will also help Radicle founder Chris afford to hire staff and train new budding herbalists, so they can also nurture and grow their visions of community herbalism.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you're inspired too!