By Cate Clother
Photography by Cate Clother
I first met the work of Susan Hess in 2006, when I moved to Pennsylvania and began using her beautiful herbal products. I wanted to take her Homestead Herbalism course, but as a young mother with a very hectic schedule, I wasn’t able to find the time, and remained secretly star-struck over this mythological person behind the products which had so blessed my life. It wasn’t until many years later when I realized I had actually met Susan in person and was in fact friends with her daughter, Emily! Over coffee one morning with Emily my mouth dropped open as I made the connection… wait, your mother is THE Susan Hess? Emily laughed it off, “Yeah, I get that all the time. My mom is a local celebrity!” Since then Susan has also become a friend of mine, and even though we live on opposite coasts now I still glean so much from her herbal wisdom and warm, healing smile. I enjoyed spending the day with Susan and photographing her Homestead Herbalism class, and I hope that you, dear reader, find nourishment in these words and pictures (and in the delicious recipe at the end)!