Homestead Apothecary opened at the beginning of March, this year. Nic Weinstein, the person behind the shop, is one of the kindest and most caring shop owners I have recently met. I've been to the shop a couple of times, and every time, Nic has been very friendly and happy just to talk about herbs with me, in between all the other customers he's helping. The shop is located in Temescal Alley, so it's usually bustling with a lot of folks who walk in off the street, often curious people who have never encountered herbs before. Homestead has a good stock of bulk herbs for tea, as well as a ton of boutique, handmade bodycare and decorative items (everything from herbal sleep pillows to all-natural deodorant to "wearable altars" made from compressed plants to floral face spritzers, plant starts and botanical drawings of wildflowers and herbs). Nic has two tattoos on his forearms: one says "Never for Money" and the other says "Always for Love." That ethos definitely shows -- for example, he got a grant to sponsor a series of free herb classes taught by local practitioners. The class I went to, an introduction to herbal medicine by Joshua Muscat, was incredible. The shop is small but cozy, and definitely worth a stop.
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