Pre-Conference Events
15th Annual Midwest Women's Herbal Conference
Honoring Deep Roots & Tending New Shoots
Pre-Conference events take place Wednesday, May 20 - Friday, May 22, 2026
at Camp Helen Brachman in Almond, WI
Treat yourself to a 2 -day Intensive, 1 -day Immersion, or 3-hour Workshop! These happen during the week leading up to the Midwest Women's Herbal Conference (you don't need to be registered for the main Conference to take a Pre-Conference Workshop, Immersion, or Intensive - all Pre-Conference events will wrap up before the main Conference begins). You can also sign up for multiple Pre-Conference events - just make sure the times don't conflict!
Pre-Conference 2-Day Intensives & I-Day Immersions
These classes offer a special opportunity to take a deep dive into a specific topic in a smaller group with top-notch teachers.
Pre-Conference 3-Hour Workshops
Workshops that offer attendees the chance to deepen and expand their skills and knowledge in 3-hour workshops happening Thursday and Friday before the Midwest Women's Herbal Conference.
Pre-Conference 2 -day Intensives
Wednesday, May 20- Thursday, May 21 | 9am-5pm
Transform Your Voice, Transform Your Life with Cornelia Cho, MD
Changing your life can start with changing your voice. As infants and throughout our lives, we respond to tone immediately and involuntarily. We cringe from a gruff tone and warm to a loving one. Dr. Cho will guide us through using the mind-body-voice connection to initiate change from within.
As Bessel van der Kolk explains in The Body Keeps The Score, our body stores unresolved trauma that keeps impacting our life until it's healed. Our tone of voice not only keeps the score, it shouts the score from the rooftops every time we speak. Our habitual tone directly reflects our psychological life history, the complex total of early expectations placed upon us, ways of speaking modeled for us, what we were raised to believe about ourselves, messages aimed at us by society, and even cultural and historical events that impacted those with our heritage(s). This voice work differs from most because it doesn't focus on either singing or public speaking voice, though this process could improve either or both. Rather than imposing changes from the outside in, we'll be instigating changes from deep inside ourselves and watching it spread out to all aspects of life.
By tapping into the power of voice to reshape our inner self, instead of becoming more self-conscious, we can become freer and more confident. The "ABC and three R's" will start you on the path to rewiring your brain. As a bonus, you can 'road test' your newer tone right away. Join us in this unique transformational offering and help create a world where our female voices shine authentically and we speak as our true selves.
Wednesday, May 20- Thursday, May 21 | 9am-5pm
Botany and Sensory Skills for Foragers and Herbalists with Linda Conroy
Sensory and botany skills combine human senses with plant biology knowledge. Sensory skills use observation, touch, smell, hearing, and taste to study plants, while botany skills focus on identifying and classifying them by their traits and growth. Together, they support activities like sensory gardening, horticulture therapy, and herbalism to deepen our connection to nature.
This program is designed for herbal enthusiasts, herbalists, foragers and anyone seeking a deeper connection to the green world. The intent is to increase confidence in seeing, experiencing and identifying plants. The program will include practices in identification, observation, and organoleptic (sensory) skills. The goal is for participants to learn skills and increase their confidence and direct engagement with the natural world.
Learning and practicing field botany as well as sensory exercises is practical and fun. Through playful and engaging observation exercises, sensory experiences and utilizing plant keys, everyone will leave this program with skill-building techniques, feeling more confident and excited about creative approaches to engaging with the plant world.
Whether you are new to this work, or looking to expand your experiences and skills, everyone will be able to use this program to expand their knowledge. Please dress in layers for the weather, much of these two days will be spent outdoors. The class fee includes: a hand lens, a Plant Identification book, the book Botany in a Day and The book Weeds Heal, which focuses on the sensory aspect of the plant.
Wednesday, May 20- Thursday, May 21 | 9am-5pm
Three Ways to Make a Great Tincture with Lisa Ganora
Dive into the art and science of botanical tincturing in this hands-on, two-day intensive. Learn three versatile tincture-making methods: fresh herb maceration using a blender, percolation-in-a-bottle à la SWSBM, and traditional dried herb maceration in a Mason jar. Over two days, we’ll explore how menstruum choice, herb preparation, extraction ratios, menstruum composition (ethanol %), and timing influence the concentration and potency of herbal extracts.
You’ll gain a solid understanding of extraction principles—polarity, solubility, menstruum strength, and other factors—and how these translate into effective, vibrant tinctures. Each step of the process will be demonstrated and practiced, from measuring and mixing to pressing, filtering, and labeling. We’ll also discuss how to adapt methods for different herbs, how to assess quality and strength, and how to choose the right tincture form for clinical or home use. Whether you’re new to herbal medicine or refining your craft, you’ll leave with the skills, confidence, and insight to make potent, personalized tinctures at home. This class includes detailed worksheets and participants will take home tinctures prepared during the two-day immersion.
Pre-Conference 1 -day Immersions
Thursday, May 21 | 9am-5pm
Craft of the Wise: A Path of Empowerment! with Rev. Judith Laxer
If you have ever suspected that magick flows within your blood, if the moon inspires you, and you believe that life is more than the practical tasks of day-to-day living, if you wish to explore your spiritual power to manifest your desires, this workshop is for you! The Craft of the Wise is a beautiful, life-affirming path that is active, inclusive, and deeply empowering. Join me in creating sacred space and harness cosmic power from the elements of nature, and direct energy in concert with the flow of life.
In this pre-conference intensive, you will learn:
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The herstory about Witches and the Craft of the Wise,
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How and why to align with the Moon and the Sun,
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How and why to create sacred space,
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How and why to move energy,
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How and why to cast spells,
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The power of dedication,
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Devotional Practices
This workshop will culminate in a ritual of initiation as a Witch if you so choose, or you can simply be present and hold space for your sisters as they become initiated. Goddess is alive, and magick is afoot!
Thursday, May 21 | 10am-3pm
Herbal Self Care and Magical Rituals: The Green Witch Way For Teens with Robin Rose Bennett
Join me and other young Green Witches as we gather together in a circle to awaken and tune into our true selves! Teen participants will learn fun self care practices utilizing herbs and Green Witch rituals. In deepening your connection with the plants, the Earth and the elements, you deepen your connection with yourself. In learning to support yourself in practical and magical ways, your unique gifts will blossom! Plants help you remember that you matter and that your unique gifts are needed in this world.
During this one day immersion, we will explore:
🌀Rituals - Moon, Sun, and just for Fun!
🌀Teachings of the Elements - Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit
🌀Natural Skin Care Recipes - Scrubs, Masks, and more
🌀Plant Meditation - Meeting an herbal ally
🌀Journaling
This workshop is for teens, ages 12-17.
Pre-Conference 3-Hour Workshops
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Thursday, May 21 | 1-4pm
Whisk Broom Making with Annie Friesen
Learn the ancestral craft of broommaking and take home a fully-functional, handmade whisk broom. Gathered in a circle of women, we will spin together the fibers of sorghum bicolor into an heirloom of energetic, spatial clearing. Let's sweep out the cobwebs and create space for our visions to bloom.
This is a time for women to create something beautiful and useful with their hands, to learn a skill they can pass on to their children, to connect to their ancestors, and to re-energize creativity. Broom making is meditation. As we spin fiber into a broom, the tension builds in our bodies as we pull tightly on the cord, securing the broom in place. As soon as the final stitch is pulled through and the cord cut, the tension in our bodies is released and we relax with joy as we hold our creation in our hands. In this, a simile to our divine power of giving birth.
This workshop requires dexterity of both hands and feet while sitting for an extended period of time.
Thursday, May 21 | 1-4pm
Hand Drum Making with Jacquelyn Weber
The combination of a simple hoop frame and an animal hide is rich in symbolism, raw in power, and personal to the drum maker. With mood music, ritual sage smudging, and her own experience to support your work, drum maker Jacquelyn Weber will guide you in crafting your own drum and methodically wrapping the handle. Participants will leave the weekend with their own drum to take home!
Part of the process includes letting your drum dry before playing it and hearing its living 'voice'. Additional drums will be available to use during a closing drum circle at the end of our labor.
Thursday, May 21 | 6:30-9:30pm
Sip the Earth, Breathe the Sky: A Cacao & Entheogenic Breathwork Activation with Crystal Dawn Silas, MD
Step into a sacred circle where the medicine of cacao meets the power of the breath. Together, we’ll ceremoniously sip the Earth’s nectar, awakening the heart with this ancient Mayan plant spirit, then journey inward with Clarity Breathwork, releasing, softening, and opening to insight. Guided with music, intention, and presence, this ceremony invites you to root deeply into your body while expanding into the spacious sky within. Come as you are, and leave nourished, grounded, and uplifted, carrying the gifts of cacao and breath as tools for everyday connection, healing, and blossoming. Please bring a blanket, yoga mat, pillow for your head, eye pillow, sweater and other items for personal comfort lying down for a period of time.
Thursday, May 21 | 6:30-9:30pm
Nurturing Our Nervous Systems with Leanne Hatfield, MD
Healthy nervous systems are integral to the vitality of individuals and communities. The nervous system is intertwined with all other systems in our bodies and is the root of many dysfunctions. Let’s explore ways to nourish our individual and collective nervous systems and avoid the varied ways that our nervous systems are sabotaged. We'll identify environmental neurotoxins and discuss supportive foods, herbs, and lifestyle choices that will help us align our nervous systems with vibrant health.
Thursday, May 21 | 6:30-9:30pm
Working With Cannabis with Lisa Ganora
Explore Cannabis as a potent herbal ally in this accessible, science-informed workshop. You'll learn how cannabinoids, terpenes, and other constituents work together for pain relief, mood balance, managing inflammation, and supporting better sleep. We'll cover how to make full-spectrum teas, tinctures, and infused oils with effective strains. Whether you're new or experienced, you'll leave with the tools to create safe herbal medicines with Cannabis at home.
Thursday, May 21 | 6:30-9:30pm
Yoga and Meditation Retreat with Marguerite Ramlow
Unlock your innate potential with the ancient practice of Yoga. This three hour workshop will include a blend of Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Flow Yoga and Restorative/Gentle Yoga. There will also be time for Guided Meditation to the sound of singing bowls, the study and practice of Pranayama/Yogic breathing and information on Yoga Philosophy. Each attendee will have the opportunity to make and take home a Mala Necklace for your meditation practice.
Pre-Conference 3-Hour Workshops
Friday, May 22, 2026
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Friday, May 22 | 9am-12pm
Echoes of the Soul: A Healing Journey for Women Over Fifty Through Shamanic Drumming and Reflective Journaling with Angela Smith
Women need safe, sacred spaces that honor their wisdom and support healing. This workshop will be especially welcoming to women who are navigating life transitions, grief, or a desire for deeper self-understanding. Through ritual and intention setting, we will open the circle and create a nurturing environment for women to reconnect with their inner voice. You will be introduced to shamanic drumming to connect with ancestors, meet spirit guides and experience emotional release. You will be guided with journaling prompts to help process your experiences, emotions and insights. The closing ritual will include group reflection, celebration, future intentions and ways to integrate your experience. We intend that women will experience increased emotional resilience and clarity along with a renewed sense of purpose and spiritual connection. Participants are asked to bring a blanket or cushion, a scarf, and a journal and pen.
Friday, May 22 | 9am-12pm
Whisk Broom Making with Annie Friesen
Learn the ancestral craft of broommaking and take home a fully-functional, handmade whisk broom. Gathered in a circle of women, we will spin together the fibers of sorghum bicolor into an heirloom of energetic, spatial clearing. Let's sweep out the cobwebs and create space for our visions to bloom.
This is a time for women to create something beautiful and useful with their hands, to learn a skill they can pass on to their children, to connect to their ancestors, to re-energize creativity. Broom making is meditation. As we spin fiber into a broom, the tension builds in our bodies as we pull tightly on the cord, securing the broom in place. As soon as the final stitch is pulled through and the cord cut, the tension in our bodies is released and we relax with joy as we hold our creation in our hands. In this, a simile to our divine power of giving birth.
This workshop requires dexterity of both hands and feet while sitting for an extended period of time.
Friday, May 22 | 9am-12pm
Hand Drum Making with Jacqueline Weber
The combination of a simple hoop frame and an animal hide is rich in symbolism, raw in power, and personal to the drum maker. With mood music, ritual sage smudging, and her own experience to support your work, drum maker Jacquelyn Weber will guide you in crafting your own drum and methodically wrapping the handle. Participants will leave the weekend with their own drum to take home!
Part of the process includes letting your drum dry before playing it and hearing its living 'voice'. Additional drums will be available to use during a closing drum circle at the end of our labor.
Friday, May 22 | 9am-12pm
EarthBody: Five Elements Lifestyle Medicine for Seasonal Living with Jiling Lin
You are Earth walking on Earth. The patterns within you reflect natural patterns all around you. Explore the art of seasonal living through the Five Elements of East Asian medicine: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. Journey through each Element with tea meditation, gentle movement, reflective writing, and group discussion. Discover the unique qualities of each Element, their seasons, flavors, body systems, Spirit, and more. Learn practices to rest, move, connect, nourish, and create in harmony with seasonal rhythms. Experience your belonging as a wild beautiful EarthBody.
Friday, May 22 | 9am-12pm
Reading the Body with Margi Flint
We will identify Generalities of the face with deeper focus on the Heart and Kidneys and Pelvic floor and Lungs. Each color, line and marking on the face, tongue and nails holds meaning of your internal health. Knowing what the body has to say, we can learn how to prevent illness before it arrives as well as treating what is here. Margi will explain and demonstrate diagnostic techniques learned from the late William LeSassier and observed on clients over her forty-plus years in practice. Information about the Heart, Kidneys, Pelvic floor and Lungs will be shared with respect to:
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Diagnostic techniques for assessing the internal state of the body using external cues
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How to interpret facial indications that show the health of the organs and organ systems
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How to assess tissue color
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How to identify energetic signs of hot, cold, damp, and dry conditions
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How to read the tongue
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How to read the body and the Indications of Three
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Organ and body correspondences
This immersion will consist of both lecture and hands-on learning. Please arrive makeup and nail polish free! If you would like to pre-order Margi's book and have it for the pre conference workshop, contact Midwest Women's Herbal.
Friday, May 22 | 9am-12pm
Moon Magic and Women's Wisdom with Robin Rose Bennett
The world needs women’s wisdom, visions and magic, now more than ever. Honoring all of our cycles of life, Maiden, Mother, Crone, is vital for our personal health and wellbeing. When women are supported and cared for, we can then make a difference within our families and communities. We will discuss the benefits of Robin Rose’s famous A-Z womb massage oil. We will explore herbs for centering and nourishing yourself; discuss how to connect with the cycles of the moon; learn to strengthen your intuition, claim your voice and connect deeply with women’s wisdom; deepen your sense of your whole self as sacred space; and, discover herbs for menstruation, mothering, menopause, and beyond!
