September 2025 - AGM - Guest Speaker

 Carmen from Eclectic Earth has organised a powerpoint presentation on "Creatively Cultivating Calm with Chamomile" Chamomile being our emblem and it's our 50th Birthday we thought we would showcase Chamomile this meeting. She is unfortunately in Sydney on family matters so Deb is going to talk us through her presentation. 

 Antonia Simpson is talking about Za'atar as Herb of the Month. 

 Deb is making some Za'atar Spiced Chickpeas as Dish of the Month for supper. 

We are having a workshop night this month. They are always fun:

Bruce is making Coconut Cream and Yoghurt from real Coconuts.

Carmen is making Herbal Massage Oil.

Deb is making Bushfood Granola and Yoghurt.

We will practice making Tussie Mussies. 

Learn how to propagate herbs.

Herb of the Month will be Goldenseal with Wavey.

Dish of the Month is Mock Chicken with Cheryl. 

We are very excited that Joel from Urban Valley Mushrooms is coming along to talk to us about how he grows his beautiful Mushrooms in the Fortitude Valley in a warehouse. He has the most amazing mushrooms, grow kits and other products. He will be bringing them all along to sell on the night. 

Deb will be doing Herb of the Month. This months Herb of the Month is Caraway Thyme. All Thymes prefer to not be too wet. It's one of the herbs that likes to be settled when planting for a week or two with a drink but then can be left alone and not watered too much. 

Bruce Ham is doing Dish of the Month. This months Dish of the Month is Beetroot Caraway Hommus. 

Tallis will be doing Herb of the Month and will be  talking to all of us about Wood Betony. 

Such a pretty purple flower. It's not only a perennial but can be used medicinally and as a culinary herb. Tallis will have some fantastic information to teach us all a lot more. Her talks are always lots of fun. 

Deb will be doing Dish of the Month and thought it's our 50th Birthday this year so why not take us back to the beautiful lady who was our inspiration and cook Jeanne Russel's Savoury Biscuits and Herbed Cottage Cheese.

Cheryl Hart will be talking to us all about Santolina. It's a great herb to talk about this month as with Summer just around the corner it is an ideal pest repellant. 

Cheryle Edwards will be telling us all about Nigella. If you haven't tried using it in your cooking the Nigella seed is the small black seed normally on the top of a focaccia from your local bakery. They have a mild flavor of oregano with a warm cumin and nutty flavor.

Chris Twine will be showing us her Olive and Chilli Bread and letting us know a few hints and tips on how to make it super special. The recipe is in our Cookbook publication. 

Amir is one of our members, a tea therapy specialist and a bundle of knowledge. He came along to talk to us all about three herbs - Burdock, Saffron and Cayenne Pepper. He was so entertaining we've never had so much interaction from our members and visitors, It was awesome.

We have a really special Society. So many members and visitors attending each month. 

Amir told us there are good and bad Saffron varieties on the market. He tested and showed us how to see if it's a reliable and good brand of Saffron. The test was a few strands in a bag with water. After only a few minutes we had beautiful Saffron water. It tasted so nice.

Soup Night is an awesome night to rug up and get out your winter woolies. Each member brings along a soup, bread or condiment to share. It's a fun night we don't have Herb of the Month or Dish of the Month. 

Last year Cheryl did a quiz for us all of 20 Soups from around the world. It was lots of fun. She is planning again so make sure to get your thinking caps on and bring along your knowledge it will be awesome.

We are proud to partner with a variety of local organizations to provide the best possible support to our clients. From food banks to healthcare providers, our partners help us extend our reach and impact in the community.

Sarah runs Basilea Farm at Bur[engary. She will be talking to us all about Edible Flowers. 

Deb will be doing Elderflower and Elderberry as Herb of the Month.

Deb will be making Elderberry Syrup and letting us all taste it on home-made ice cream.

Carmen Lizasoain will be presenting how to make a comfrey poultice.  Carmen is a Queensland Herb Society member and Naturopath from Eclectic Earth. 

Herb of the Month is Comfrey, Symphytum uplandicum, presented by Carmen Lizasoain 

 Dish of the Month is Chimichurri presented by Carmen Lizasoain.
Chimichurri is a vibrant, tangy sauce from Argentina, where it is typically used as a marinade or condiment for grilled meats. It can be used on many other dishes as well. It's delicious! 

Bruce Ham will be talking to us all about 3 Peppers. How they grow and how we can use them. 

Deb Aitcheson is making us all herby damper. It's in our cookbook.  Deb use to make this at least twice a week when her boys were little and come home from school hungry. It was always a good filler as you know what boys are like in the afternoon. 

Tallis from Dragon Grove Fragrances is one of our beautiful members. She will be showing us all how to make Rose Love Beads and Rosewater something you might like for Valentines Day. Tallis will focus on 5 herbs used in folklore love spells. We are making up a small pack of goodies for you to take home.

Deb Aitcheson is doing Lady's Mantle as Herb of the Month.  Consuming Lady’s Mantle tea may help to prevent indigestion, bloating and diarrhea. Come to the meeting to learn a few more things about this really awesome herb. 

Elspeth Davies is doing Dish of the Month we are being treated to a Persian Love Cake. Elspeth is a fantastic cook it's going to be delicious. 

Every November we hold a mini market so our members and visitors can buy handmade, baked, grown or created items for Christmas. Please bring along cash as some of the stalls might not have Eftpos.

Cheryle is going to teach us how to make an Orange Pomander. You will get to take home a gift to make one of your own at home. It takes a bit of time to create one.

Cheryl is doing Herb of the Month. To keep the theme going she will be talking about Cloves. I'm thinking a Baked Christmas Ham embedded with them to add flavor.