Event for Herb Lovers Comes to Somerville on Saturday

You might learn to about herbal honeys, everyday herbal home remedies, herbs for pets and aromatherapy. You could take a city herbs walk or attend an informational session about herbs in cooking.

And, of course, there will be herby things to buy, such as elixirs, oils, skin products, tinctures, soaps, remedies and teas.

It's all happening at , which takes place Saturday at .

Celebrating herbs

Herbstalk is for those who love herbs and plants and for those who want to learn more about things like homeopathic and herbal medicine.

Billed as "a lively, educational fair and market celebrating herbs and their healing powers," the whole event is about connecting people in the local community to the plants around us, according to Steph Zabel, organizer of Herbstalk.

Zabel holds a master's degree in ethnobotany, which studies the relationship between people and plants, and she called the subject of herbs "a passion of mine."

The idea for Herbstalk came to her about nine months ago when she was at a farmers market speaking to friends in the local food movement. She told them, "I wish there was a similar thing for herbs," and some of them suggested she start it.

The inaugural Herbstalk will feature about 30 different lectures and classes and nearly that many vendors, most of them small operations, according to Zabel.

For instance, there will be a lecture called "Farm to Pharmacy: Revolutionary Grassroots Healthcare Models" and another called "Using Herbs with Pets."

There's also "stuff for kids," Zabel said, including story telling and a plant mobile from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

People can go to Herbstalk by just showing up on Saturday. There's a $5 recommended donation, Zabel said, but "we don't want to turn anyone away for lack of funds."

The donations will help pay for the costs of organizing the fair, Zabel said. What's more, she's hoping the event garners enough interest to host again next year.

To learn more, visit the Herbstalk website.