photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Lori Trojan standing in Wild Ivy Herb Farm on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

More than 70 kitchen and medicinal herbs grow at Wild Ivy Herb Farm, which is carrying on a family tradition of growing natural medicines and creating herbal remedies.

“Herbs are so special,” said Lori Trojan, owner of Wild Ivy Herb Farm. “They are extraordinary plants with vastly powerful medicinal properties, and they deserve something really unique and special.”

Trojan said she was introduced to herbs as a kid. Her grandmother had been a gardener, who moved to America when she was 16 years old and brought with her treasured rare medicinal plant seeds with vast knowledge of their uses. A lot of the knowledge and skills were passed down to Trojan.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Some herbs and plants at Wild Ivy Herb Farm on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

“Decades and decades ago, it was believed that herbs were your medicine,” Trojan said. “There weren’t pharmacies like there are today, and so that’s really how I was raised. That just stuck with me and feels like home.”

The Wild Ivy Herb Farm helps grow a variety of herbs for Trojan’s products, including herb-infused vinegars, elderberry products to keep away the cold and the flu, dried bottled herbs like you get from the grocery store, blended teas, soaps, lip balms and many more.

“With each category of product, there are many variants,” she said. “So it’s a lot of production.”

Trojan said that the farm will look a little different to accommodate what’s needed for her product line and things she uses for her own health. She said that over the next year, her focus will be to add an additional acre of elderberries, totaling close to 5,000 bushes. She currently has 200 bushes, and it doesn’t come close to what she needs to supply all her elderberry products.

“The crop just doesn’t go far enough for what we’re wanting to accomplish,” she said. “Every year this (farm) gets a little bigger, a little more something.”

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Some lavender at Wild Ivy Herb Farm on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

This is the second year the farm has participated in the Kaw Valley Farm Tour, and Trojan said after having fun with inviting members of the community to learn about different herbs and her products, she’s looking forward to this year.

“I continue to hope that more people will come and learn about the herbs and understand what these beautiful plants can do for your health,” Trojan said. “I think the more people that understand the nature of medicinal herbs, the better the planet will be.”

Trojan said the most rewarding part of what she does is not only doing what she loves everyday, but feeding others.

“And not just feeding with food, but feeding all the things that make us feel full (which is) to enhance other people’s lives in whatever way that is,” Trojan said.

“To be able to give that gift of health and community for all of us is an experience like no other,” she said.

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photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

A bench at Wild Ivy Herb Farm on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

The 20th annual Kaw Valley Farm Tour will showcase 39 farms this year, inviting visitors to explore local agriculture. The event will take place on Saturday, October 5, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants can look forward to a variety of farm offerings and activities. For further details, including a map, driving directions, tour tips, and ticket purchases, visit kawvalleyfarmtour.org.

The Wild Ivy Herb Farm will have ice cream on Saturday, Oct. 5 and host an acorn flour workshop with Rachel Allai on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m., which people can register for at www.wildivyherbfarm.com.