Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Karcher.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was always attracted to plants and our natural world. We grew up in a mostly rural area surrounded with fields and forest. My parents, my father , a native American, instilled in us as children, respect, value and wisdom of our natural world and I am incredibly grateful. With helping in the family garden, canning the harvest with my Mother, spending much time outdoors, road trips to the mountains and shore, my love of Nature was always nurtured. My first real job came at age 13, when I went to work for friends of our family who owned the local large greenhouse/farm operation and I learned botany, propagation, horticulture alongside the farmers themselves. I advanced to a nursery management position. At this time, my daughter became ill with severe tonsillitis that was prolonged with many sequences of anti biotics and Non- removal of said diseased tonsils. When finally removed , she was left quite depleted. I met an Herbalist customer at the nursery ( herbs were not popular then) , who introduced me to the world of Herbal Medicine, and I literally felt goosebumps as I was awakened to this ancient traditional practice. I changed careers and entered the world of culinary arts. I discovered David Winston , who has since become my teacher and mentor.
I studied with him for 4 years and apprenticed 2 years with Kerry Adams, a collogue, friend and teacher with David, and learned what real botanical medicine is all about, the physical and spiritual. The term “”food medicine” began to emerge and again the lightbulb went off. This has been the core of my work ever since, combining my years of nurturing natural instincts, horticulture and culinary work. Now, as a Clinical Herbalist, I welcome clients to address their health concerns, and to make herbal medicine approachable and empowering, taking the fear out of using herbs and bringing their healing wisdom into the hands and kitchens of families. Today, my business, Hilltop Herbals, operates as a educational ,apothecary and community driven healing garden sanctuary, where people can come to learn, shop, and heal with the amazing power of herbs.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Well, it has been a journey! I started with constructing a greenhouse 17’x40′ in 1990 and sold plants from there and a large roadside stand in front of my house. In one night, thieves stole everything from that stand.so I gave that up. Superstorm Sandy brought the collapse of half of the greenhouse. Pivot once again. I went back to school. studied herbs and I opened a small , herbal shop in town, which I subletted for 2 years ..until Covid hit and the storeowner sold the business in 2022. I had to move out. Meanwhile, my day job was dissolved in May 2023 as my company lost the contract with our client. In August 2023, I shut the retail part of my business down, kept my clinical clients, moved my Mother into my home to become her full time caregiver as she suffered with dementia. She passed in March 2025. Looking for direction, I decided to create online classes, but not being a techy and craving in-person relationships( I never was or am much for online classes or much of anything online really) I didn’t feel I resonated with that, although I am now looking to revisit that project with some help. Presently, 2026, we did a full/gutted renovation of our garage which is now my beautiful garden studio, apothecary and office. reopened the business to serve as an education wellness center, serving and building community through herbal/ culinary workshops, teas, medicinal herb products, apothecary needs and sacred gardens that I have been tending here for over 20 years with garden ceremonies… I still need ALOT of Tech help- my biggest challenge.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work centers on clinical work and Herbal education and product formulation. I specialize in creating tasty and functional herbal teas as teas are best received by clients of all ages and dehydration is a real underlying health concern. I see myself as a clinical herbal health detective. When a client and I meet it is a mutual relationship, the client is participating and engaging as much as I am. We start with a 1.5 hour clinical health consultation and I investigate a person’s full constitution ,physically , emotionally and spiritually to best understand what protocol to develop for them. What sets my practice apart is that I specialize in addressing the root cause of clients’ health issues and using the energetic properties of the client and herbs to best serve them. I am known for and most proud of my hands on dynamic teaching style and workshops, always receiving high accolades from attendees and program coordinators. My clinically formulated functional teas are also high on my list of proud achievements.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
being able to keep to my core values while being able to pivot my activities to serve my community
Pricing:
- full clinical consultation- $125/ hour+
- mini-consult- $60/ 30 minutes
- functional teas- $20 /2.5 oz
- in person workshops/ average $49 pp
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hilltopherbals.com
- Instagram: hilltop herbals
- Facebook: Hilltop Herbals, llc
