How We Got Here: Roots, Herbs, and Finding Home in Warrensburg

I want to start this blog the way I want The Herbal Nook to feel: honest. Not perfectly polished, not hiding the hard parts. Just real. So this first post is not a business announcement. It is our story, and it starts long before there was ever a business to announce.

2019 Changed Everything

In 2019, I could run. I could do what I wanted, when I wanted, without a second thought. Then an unknown disease that we later identified as Chronic Lyme disease entered my life, and everything shifted. Slowly at first, then not so slowly. By the time I really understood what was happening, I was relying on a cane to get around. I went from being someone who did not think twice about her body to someone who had to think about what I had the energy to do during the day.

I will not pretend it has been easy. It has not. But somewhere in that difficult stretch, I started paying closer attention to what I was putting in my body, and why. I started reaching for herbs and teas not as a cure, but as a way to feel like I was doing something kind for myself every day. Turmeric became a staple for inflammation. I explored what different plants had been used for historically, and I fell genuinely in love with the depth of it. Herbs have been tended and passed down and trusted by people for thousands of years, and there is something quietly powerful about that.

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“Herbs have been tended and passed down and trusted by people for thousands of years, and there is something quietly powerful about that.”

Jeffrey and the Dandelion Root

Loose-leaf tea has always been Jeffrey’s thing. Long before I introduced him to the world of herbalism, he was the person in our house who took his tea seriously. After a long day, he used it to unwind, something grounding and consistent. So when I started exploring herbs with real intention, he was a willing participant.

One of the first things I introduced him to was dandelion root. What most people pull out of their lawn and toss aside turns out to be a remarkably useful plant. Jeffrey had been dealing with high blood pressure, and after about a month of incorporating dandelion root, we noticed a real difference. It was one of those moments that stops you. Something so ordinary, so overlooked, actually helped. That shift in thinking, where you start to see herbs not as a novelty but as something genuinely worth paying attention to, was a big part of why The Herbal Nook eventually became more than an idea.

Finding Warrensburg

We moved from Richmond to Warrensburg in July of 2025, and I want to say something that might sound simple but is not: we finally found our place.

Warrensburg has a small-town community feel that we had been quietly looking for. A pretty downtown. Community events that people actually show up for. A farmers market where you can buy fresh vegetables and meats from people who grew and raised them, and where that transaction feels like something more than just a purchase. Coming here and becoming regulars at that market changed the way we ate, and honestly, the way we thought about food and wellness altogether.

We came to the Warrensburg Farmers Market as customers first. We bought produce. We bought meat. We started cooking differently and feeling better. And somewhere along the way, I started noticing something: there were not many vendors offering herbs, teas, or quality spices. Something that had become so central to our health and our daily life at home was just not really present there. We started to think about how we could fill that void. We decided, Why not us?

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“We came to the Warrensburg Farmers Market as customers first. And somewhere along the way, I started noticing something was missing.”

Why this, why here, why now

The Herbal Nook is not a business built from a spreadsheet. It grew out of lived experience. Out of a health journey that I did not choose, but that taught me more than I expected. Out of a husband who has always known how to make a good cup of tea. Out of a town that finally felt like home. Out of a farmers' market that welcomed us before we had anything to sell.

We are starting small this season at the Warrensburg Farmers Market with dried herbs, loose-leaf teas, herbal blends, and handcrafted spice mixes. Everything is thoughtfully sourced. Everything is something we actually use and believe in. And the longer dream, maybe a small brick and mortar shop rooted right here in Warrensburg.

This blog will be a place where I share more of the journey: what we are learning, what the herbs are actually doing, what it looks like to build something from scratch in a town you love. I hope you will stick around for it.

With roots and gratitude,

Winnie

The Herbal Nook