Welcome to Nature’s Crossing
Hello, and welcome to the very first Nature’s Crossing blog post!
My name is Tammy Babb, and I’m the herbalist and owner of Nature’s Crossing. Before I begin sharing herbs, recipes, preparations, and everything else I have planned for this blog, I thought the best place to start was by telling you a little about myself—and how Nature’s Crossing came to be.
Because this store didn't begin with a business plan.
It began with me getting sick.
Looking for a Different Path
Years ago, I was dealing with health problems and found myself being given one medication after another. Unfortunately, I experienced reactions to many of the medicines I was taking.
That experience changed the way I thought about what I was putting into my body.
I wanted to understand more. I wanted to know what was in the things I was taking and why I was taking them. Most importantly, I wanted to become more involved in the decisions I was making for myself.
That curiosity eventually led me to herbs.
I began learning about plants, their traditional uses, how different herbs were prepared, and the many ways people had incorporated them into everyday life for generations.
The more I learned, the more fascinated I became.
And then I started making things.
First for Me, Then for the People I Loved
In the beginning, I wasn't creating products for customers.
I was making them for myself.
As I continued learning, I began creating my own herbal teas and preparations. Before long, I started making things for friends and family too.
One product led to another.
One herb led me to learning about another.
And what started as a very personal journey gradually became something much bigger than I ever expected.
People became interested in what I was making. They asked questions. They wanted to try different products. They wanted to learn about the herbs themselves.
Eventually, I realized that my passion for herbalism had grown into something I wanted to share with my community.
From Farmers Markets to Nature’s Crossing
Like many small businesses, Nature’s Crossing started small.
I packed up my products, set up my tables, talked with customers, answered questions, and shared the herbal products I had spent so much time learning to make.
Those farmers markets gave me an opportunity to meet people face-to-face and discover just how many others were interested in herbs too.
Little by little, Nature’s Crossing grew.
Eventually, we went from setting up at farmers markets to opening our own store.
And now, incredibly, we have been welcoming customers through the doors of Nature’s Crossing for more than 10 years.
Sometimes I think about that journey—from making products for myself because I wanted to better understand what I was putting into my own body, to making them for friends and family, to farmers markets, and finally to having a store filled with herbs and herbal products.
It has been quite a journey.
And we're still growing.
What Nature’s Crossing Is Today
Today, Nature’s Crossing is a place where people can come to explore herbs and learn more about them.
We offer individual herbs as well as our own herbal products, including loose-leaf teas, tinctures, capsules, syrups, ciders, and more.
But I've always wanted Nature’s Crossing to be more than shelves filled with products.
Education is an important part of what we do.
I want people to understand herbs—not simply buy something because someone told them it was "good for" something.
What is the herb?
How has it traditionally been used?
How is it prepared?
Are there possible side effects?
Can it interact with medications?
Are there reasons someone shouldn't use it?
Those questions matter.
My own journey began because I wanted to understand more about what I was putting into my body. That experience has stayed with me, and it's one of the reasons education continues to be so important to me today.
Why I’m Starting This Blog
After more than a decade in our store, I've answered a lot of questions about herbs.
I've also learned that for every person who walks through our door and asks a question, there are probably many others wondering the exact same thing.
So I decided it was time to create a place where we could continue those conversations.
Here on the Nature’s Crossing blog, we'll talk about individual herbs, herbal teas, tinctures, syrups, glycerites, capsules, traditional herbal preparations, recipes, safety considerations, and much more.
I'll also take you behind the scenes at Nature’s Crossing and share some of what goes into creating the products you see in our store.
And occasionally, I'll share pieces of my own journey as an herbalist and small-business owner.
This Is Only the Beginning
If you had told me when I first started making herbal products for myself that one day I would own an herbal store that had been open for more than a decade, I'm not sure I would have believed you.
But sometimes the path we're meant to take begins somewhere we never expected.
Mine began with wanting to take a more active role in understanding what I was putting into my own body.
It led me to herbs.
Those herbs led me to farmers markets.
The farmers markets led to our store.
And now Nature’s Crossing has led me here, sharing our story with you.
Whether you've been shopping with us for years or you've only just discovered Nature’s Crossing, thank you for being part of our journey.
I hope you'll come back and learn alongside me.
We have a lot of herbs to talk about.
Welcome to Nature’s Crossing. 🌿
Nature is our medicine.
— Tammy Babb
Herbalist & Owner, Nature’s Crossing
The information shared on the Nature’s Crossing blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Herbal products and information should not replace advice from a qualified healthcare professional.