On June 14, the Conestoga Herb Guild held its monthly program at VFW Post 219 in Millersville. Guild members and gardeners from around the community gathered to learn about growing techniques, exchange seeds, enjoy plant-themed snacks and listen to presentations from two guest speakers.

As its first guest speaker, the Conestoga Herb Guild welcomed Drew Zimmerman of New Providence, who offered a presentation about mushrooms and their growing process. He shared information on different procedures that can be taken advantage of when growing mushrooms, such as pasteurizing the spores by planting them among woodchips. Zimmerman also detailed how gardeners can maximize the use of their space by placing mushroom spores in areas that are provided with shade by crops such as pepper and tomato plants. He explained that if mushrooms are grown outside with some access to sunlight, they will have a higher content of Vitamin D. At the end of the presentation, Zimmerman handed out red cap mushroom spores for participants to plant in their own gardens. "He has a real commitment to new forms of agriculture, and he always encourages people to grow their own food," said Susan Atkins, president of the Conestoga Herb Guild.

In 2020, Zimmerman created Unkle Fungus Mushrooms, a local business that initially supplied gourmet mushrooms to restaurants and markets on a large scale. Zimmerman has since shifted his focus to growing seasonal mushrooms and vegetables to sell at his roadside stand in New Providence and educating the community on the usefulness of mushrooms.

Each of the Conestoga Herb Guild's meetings highlights a plant that has been selected as the herb of the month. Guild member Erica Runkles offered the meeting's second presentation, speaking on June's featured herb: flax. Runkles talked about the usefulness of flax as a fiber-rich food, source of linseed oil and material for textiles.

Runkles also highlighted the PA Flax Project, an organization that seeks to promote the growing and usage of flax throughout the state. The project provides educational materials on flax and advocates for its use. In addition to providing commercial opportunities, flax also offers an alternative to synthetic materials and requires the use of fewer chemical treatments. To incorporate the highlighted topics of the meeting in the refreshments, Atkins prepared flax muffins and flaxseed cookies for participants to enjoy.

The Conestoga Herb Guild meets once a month, and each meeting focuses on a new topic that relates to home gardening and using herbs as food and medicine. "There's a lot of garden groups in the county, but what makes us unique is that we focus on herbs," Atkins said. "I think culinary and medicinal herbalism is something that interests a lot of people, and we give people experiences with rare plants they may not have found otherwise."

For more information about the Conestoga Herb Guild, contact Mary Ann Steinhauer at flygirl1947@outlook.com.