East Bay Herbals

About

East Bay Herbals is a small-batch custom herbal apothecary located in Martinez, California whose mission is to share the time-honored tradition of herbalism through a modern scope. Bridging the worlds of tradition and progression, East Bay Herbals strives to deliver the clinical and folkloric traditions of herbalism in a way that is accessible, edible, and sustainable bringing the values of herbalism into the modern home and kitchen.

East Bay Herbals founder, Anna Marie Beauchemin, was born and raised in Martinez, California, and is proud to have her business rooted in her hometown and community. She believes in the healing power of plants and feels that herbal medicine should be accessible to everyone who wishes to utilize it.

Anna started East Bay Herbals as a way to bring this vision to life, and hopes to use her mission to promote radical healing in herself and her community. She aims to inspire the exploration of botanical and culinary healing and is excited about sharing the time-honored tradition of herbal medicine with her East Bay community and beyond.

Herbalist Founded + Formulated

Anna is a trained clinical herbalist, biologist, writer, gardener, and former pastry chef who aims to bridge the worlds of herbalism, cooking, and garden-centric ecology through her work. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California Berkeley and is a Certified clinical Western Herbalist who has studied clinic-based herbalism with a variety of respected teachers and institutions. She has a strong foundation in art of Tongue and Pulse diagnostics and has completed various herbal medicine making apprenticeships with honored teachers and elders. She values the exploration and study of the natural world and thrives in the space where the art and science of herbal medicine meet.

Interested in collaborating? East Bay Herbals is an all-inclusive business and strives to connect with other members of the community who share the dream of collaborating to make change.

About Our Medicine

East Bay Herbals believes in the connection of all living things and practices the sustainable and mindful use of plants in herbalism. All of our medicine is made from sustainably cultivated and/or ethically harvested herbs and is always organic unless organic sourcing is unavailable. We strive to source our plants from local farms and growers whenever possible and are committed to working with suppliers who we feel are offering the best quality plants that are grown and/or collected in harmony with the natural world and the principles of ecological growth. Herbal medicine begins in the earth, cultivates in the hands of the grower, and is brought to life through the art and science of well-crafted and energetically pure herbal products and medicines.

All medicine is made in-house, except in rare instances. All medicine made out-of-house is always purchased from trusted local medicine makers who share common values when it comes to crafting plant medicines.

Credentials

Conservation Biology

University of California Berkeley

Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Biology with a Minor in Forestry from the University of California Berkeley, including a specialized study period on Coral Reef Ecology from the University of Queensland, Australia.

8-years experience working as a research biologist in the field of conservation biology, with a special emphasis on pollinator ecology and food ecosystems. Experience includes working in the governmental, academic, and private sectors, and includes pollinator ecology, land management, avian ecology, food ecosystem relationships, and invasive plant management.

Please see the bottom of the page for peer-reviewed publications and acknowledgments.

Clinical Western Herbalism

Berkeley Herbal Center + Paeonia Medicine

Clinical Western Herbalist training under Pamela Fischer, RH in the foundations, therapeutics, and clinical applications of western herbalism. Studies included botanical identification, medicine making, organoleptic evaluation, and clinical case studies. Pamela Fischer is the founder and director of the Berkeley Herbal Center and has been a practicing clinical herbalist for 30+ years.

6-month Intensive study on the pharmacology of herb/drug interactions with Ingrid Bauer, MD and Benjamin Zappin, LAc.

1-year volunteer position working as a clinical herbalist at the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic (CMC) in Oakland, California. CMC serves underserved populations of women with or recovering from cancer.

Pulse Diagnostics

Dr. William Morris Apprenticeship

Six-month intensive apprenticeship with Dr. Will Morris, including the art and science of pulse and tongue diagnostics, rooted in the Ding lineage from China. Pulse diagnostics is an ancient tool used to assess the state of the internal body through a traditional diagnostic system. I continue to study with Dr. Morris and have studied with him since 2016.

Will comes to the field of pulse diagnostics with over 30 years of practice. He is the former president of the Oriental Academy at Austin, and a professional astrologer. He holds a clinical practice in both Austin, Texas and British Columbia, Canada.

Food As Medicine

Obread Bakery + Chez Panisse + Holistic Nutrition Studies

Trained artisan baker and pastry chef by Chuck and Carla Conway of Obread Bakery. Skill set includes European style baking using naturally leavened bread to create hand crafted artisan food. Special emphasis on utilizing organic and local ingredients, and creating nourishing food for the community.

Special studies in medicinal foods and the incorporation of herbal medicine into cooking at Palais des Fees in Varennes, France.

Other experience includes a stage at The Granarium in Umbria, Italy, and a 6-month Internship at Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California.

I am currently enrolled in a holistic nutrition certification course through Hill College with Dr. Lori Rose.

Mentors + Teachers

Pamela Fischer, RH - Berkeley Herbal Center

William Morris, Ph.D., LAc, RH - Pulse Diagnostics

Ingrid Bauer, MD + Benjamin Zappin, LAc - Five Flavors Herbs

Tony Seiffert (late) + Karen Aguiar - Medicine Makers

David + Anne Piece, Founders - Intuitive Way

Taylor Ricketts, Ph.D. - The University of Vermont

Gordon Frankie, Ph.D. - The University of California Berkeley

Emily Garrett, RYT - Laughing River Yoga

Simon Park, RYT - Liquid Flow Yoga

Chuck + Carla Conway, Founders - Obread Bakery, Vermont

The Charlotte Maxwell Clinic - Oakland, California

The Maher Ashram - Pune, India

Academic Publications

Authorship:

Charlie C. Nicholson, Insu Koh, Leif L. Richardson, Anna Beauchemin, Taylor H.

Ricketts. Farm and landscape interact to affect the supply of pollination services. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 250, 113-122.

Acknowledgements:

J.V. Hopper, P.D. Pratt, K.F. McCue, M.S. Pitcairn, P.J. Moran, J.D. Madsen. (2017).

Spatial and temporal variation of biological control agents associated with Eichhornia crassipes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California. Biological Control, 12, 13-22.

Susannah B. Lerman, Alexandra R. Contosta, Joan Milam, Cristofer Bang. (2018). To

mow or to mow less: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity in suburban yards. Biological Conservation, 221, 160-174.