Edible Ottawa

The Herbal Apothecary

• Photo by Amy Zambonin

  Mariane Desjardins Roy harvests stinging nettle, from her herb farm in Clarendon, Que. Get past nettle's sting and this flowering perennial is chock-full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients. At La Fée des Bois, Desjardins Roy uses nettle in her soaps, tinctures and teas (detoxifying and remineralizing blends.)

• Based on 70 acres of land, Desjardins Roy cultivates six acres and uses the remaining land for foraging wild plants.

• She processes the flowers and herbs onsite and sells the more than 100 tinctures, teas, hydrolates, dried mushrooms, ointments and creams above her workshop, as well as at Wakefield and Ottawa Farmers' Markets and a list of shops in Ottawa and Gatineau.

• More than 30 years ago, Paul Rivett-Carnac's parents, Monique and Jeremy started St. Francis Herb Farm on a 178-acre farm in Cormac, Ont. As trained herbalists, they wanted to cultivate and craft herbal medicines using traditional methods to yield the best results.

• Today, Paul and his wife Caitlin, shown here with two of their sons, own and operate St. Francis Herb Farm with that same eye for quality craftmanship and the continued support of Monique and Jeremy.