Natural Colon Cleansing Kit, Herbal Cleansing Systems & Remedies by Blessed Herbs

Michael's Stories | Martha's Stories | Shalom's Stories

President & Co-Founder Michael Volchok shares his stories

Michael & Glen Brady digging Ginseng in 1987.

I like the woods
The thoughts of humankind, the pressures of our small mindedness and the vibrations of our busy lives have not been laid down there... Read more.

My first experience with herbs
All the infection left his leg and the wound drained naturally, I became a believer... Read more.

My personal pain and hope.
I have lived most of my life with a deep uneasiness that never allowed me any real lasting peace. Yet, I am finding that I have hope, despite these old and crusted patterns of behavior. Read more.

More stories by Michael
- Drying our first herbs
- Searching for true species
- Washing roots
- Our first powder machine
- Our first liquid extracts
- About my wife Martha
- Pricing herbs
- Advice on buying herbs
- Handling & Storing herbs
- Where we find our herbs
- Environmental Concerns
- Where we are today
- Go lightly , Go simply.

The Birth of Blessed Herbs -
by, Michael Volchok
It was Fall of 1985 and we had no jobs and no income. As our life savings dwindled, we struggled to find another home business that would allow us to stay together as a family. Eight months before we had moved onto one corner of a three-thousand-acre piece of property, owned by a Trappist Monastery and deep in the Missouri Ozark woods. We had never lived so far from society.

We needed to earn a livelihood and it had to be by mail order to keep our family lifestyle intact. We were down to zero cents, no job, no prospects. A little white rice and veggies still left and hope hanging by a string, when a knock came at the door. It was a local herbalist. He asked us to pick some fresh Mullein leaf that was growing on the monastery's property because he didn't have the right to enter their land. He offered us $10/lb and off we went to get some. We were a family of six and were barely scraping by. We got $30 for our collection efforts and then went off to the store and bought groceries.

After we ate, we asked him what else he needed and he showed us Black Cohosh root and we picked a little of that too. We were starting to get the hang of gathering herbs in the wild. Martha had always used herbal remedies to treat our family and it didn't take us long to realize that there were names of herbal companies right on the bottles in our medicine cabinet. We started calling these companies and soon we had our first order. At the time it was our biggest order ever, about twenty pounds, and off we went, all six of us plus backpacks. We waded across the local creek and went up into some Missouri oak woods to locate plants. We all had a marvelous time, laughing and playing and looking for the Black Cohosh. We found several large patches on a hillside and way up at the top of the hill was the grandfather and grandmother plants of the clan. Huge, large, majestic plants from which, or so it appeared to us at the time, had given birth to generations of this plant. Those patches still thrive to this day.

After that experience, we were hooked on the woods, the plants and being able to feed ourselves by selling wild medicine plants. All the while, keeping our family together. It really felt neat. Herbs came to us as a blessing and "Blessed Herbs" was born.

Below is a list of various books, herbalist, and magazines that have recommended us over the years.

1988
Planetary Herbology, Michael Tierra, CA, ND

1989
Herbal Preparations and Natural Therapies, Debra Nuzzi, MH
Healing Wise, Susun Weed

1992
Foundations of Health, Christopher Hobbs, LAC
The Aromatherapy Book, Jeanne Rose
The Herbs of Life, Lesley Tierra, LAC
Live and Be Well, Joan Wilen & Lydia Wilen

1993
Healing with Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford
Valerian, Christopher Hobbs, LAC

1994
Natural Health Secrets, Glenn Geelhoed, MD, et al.

1995
The Cure for All Diseases, Dr. Hulda Clark

1996
The Ginsengs, Christopher Hobbs, LAC
Herbal Medicine, Dian Dincin Buchman, PHD
Ancient Healing Secrets, Dian Dincin Buchman, PHD
Herbs for Health and Healing, Kathi Keville
Breast Health, Susun Weed

1997
St. John's Wort, Christopher Hobbs, LAC
Medicinal Herbs, Lee Sturtevent
Herbal Remedies for Women, Amanda McQuade Crawford, MNIMH
The Herbal Medicine Cabinet, Debra St. Clare

1999
Herbal Antibiotics, Stephen Buhner
The Woman's Book of Healing Herbs, Sar Harrar & Sara Altshul O'Donnell
Prevention, magazine

2000
The Cure for All Cancers, Dr. Hulda Clark
Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog, Wendy Volhard & Kerry Brown, DVM

2001
Living Beauty Detox Program, Ann Louise Gittleman
Website, Michael Moore, Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
Newsletter, Sam Biser
Health Wisdom for Women, magazine
Prevention, magazine

2003
Real Food for Real Folks, magazine
Holistic Primary Care Magazine, magazine