It is 9 AM in the morning and by now, the farmworkers at a Napa vineyard have been hard at work for about three hours. The sky was hazy because of a wildfire that took place nearby.
Source: Women’s Health
The hazy air was unhealthy for anyone suffering from lung disease, heart disease, and diabetes. But the people working at the farm still had to go to work so that they can put food on the table. Then, a bus pulled up in the vineyard and things changed for these farmworkers.
Meet Jocelyn
Jocelyn Boreta is an herbalist and activist who has committed her life to show the benefits of alternative medicine. She had used her knowledge from indigenous herbalism and self-healing communities and wanted to spread the good that it can do.
Source: Sonoma Mag
Jocelyn first started out working for the Global Exchange, an international human rights organization. She led community initiatives for the group for about a decade, which allowed her to travel and work with different indigenous communities.
The impact of herbal medicine
Throughout her travels as an activist, she started to recognize the importance of herbal medicine in these communities. She noticed how these people would hesitate to use modern medicine but would not question herbal medicine. In 2015, Jocelyn decided to go back to school to study herbal medicine.
Source: Pixabay
Then, she began to volunteer at Bayer Farm, where she studied recipes and herbal remedies thought by the older immigrant women on the farm. Jocelyn recalled that being taught by these women was like being connected to her grandmothers who had passed away.
Founding the Botanical Bus
Once Jocelyn got her herbalism certification from the California School of Herbal Studies in 2017, she decided to make something out of it to spread all the good that herbal medicine and alternative practices can do to support the treatment of different ailments.
Source: Women’s Health Magazine
She co-founded the Botanical Bus with Lily Mazzarella, owner of Farmacopia Aromatherapy. Currently, Jocelyn also serves as the executive director of the Botanical Bus. The two had met when Jocelyn worked as a staff herbalist in Farmacopia.
Encouraging self-care
The two founders aimed to use their knowledge of herbal medicine and alternative healing and wellness approaches to reach out to Latinx and indigenous communities. This way, the people in these communities can be encouraged to start taking care of their health and well-being.
Source: Botanical Bus Facebook
Soon enough, their group grew. They started inviting other herbalists and alternative health practitioners to join their cause. They especially welcomed those who came from Latinx and indigenous communities.
It started with a fire
They started out as responders to the Northern California Wildfires. Jocelyn shared that their group set up a fold-out canvas wagon in the evacuation centers and gave herbal teas to help people sleep or feel better with their ailments. They had noticed that most of the people in the evacuation center who went to their station were Spanish-speaking farmworkers.
Source: Pixabay
When the California Wildfires were over, donations still kept coming in for their group. So, Jocelyn and Lily used the funds to conduct free workshops at Latinx health centers and community gardens. They also started to do bilingual wellness workshops.
Making it official
By 2019, Jocelyn and Lily were able to raise $40,000 in 30 days to help make the Botanical Bus an official nonprofit organization. Now that they were able to work as a nonprofit, their reach has expanded to include vineyards and they were now capable of doing on-site farmworker clinics.
Source: Botanical Bus Facebook
Their group of health advocates and integrative health practitioners aim to provide upstream and integrative health services to indigenous and Latinx farmworkers, domestic workers, and other day laborers in Sonoma County.
A day with the Botanical Bus
In August 2021, Jocelyn drove up the Botanical Bus in the Silver Oak vineyard. The bus had over a hundred dried herbs that can be used to make tea and it also had a 70-herb tincture bar. She was followed by her crew and they started setting up for one of the largest bilingual health clinics the Botanical Bus had ever organized.
Source: Women’s Health Magazine
The Botanical Bus crew were about 30 people – all masked up practitioners consisting of clinical herbalists, masseuses, reiki specialists, acupuncturists, somatic therapists, foot nurses, and volunteers and translators. The clinic was sponsored by Silver Oak’s owner who let their employees participate in the clinic in batches.
Botanical Bus set up
The Botanical Bus crew set up socially distanced care stations. There was an area for acupuncture sessions, mediation circles, sit-down consultations with herbalists, and massage tables. A diabetes workshop was also being set up in the barn.
Source: Women’s Health Magazine
Aside from stations for treatment and knowledge, there were also stations for nourishment. The crew also had set up a lunch station where they served rice, beans, tamales, and homemade tortilla chips. Snacks were also given in between treatments to help the farmworkers relax.
Happy farmworkers
This was no doubt, a treat to the vineyard’s farmworkers. Some of them had never even considered their own health and wellness until the Botanical Bus pulled up and conducted their clinic. And to think these people had been working nonstop even with the pandemic going on.
Source: Women’s Health Magazine
Most of the Botanical Bus clients have walked away with a better idea of how to treat any ailments that they may have. The fact that most of the practitioners came from Latinx or indigenous backgrounds had helped them relax and be more trusting.
The Latinx community
Latinx refers to people of Latin American ethnic or cultural identity who are living in the United States. The “x” in the last part makes it a gender-neutral term, replacing the “o” or “a” ending.
Source: Pixabay
The Latinx community in America is actually the largest ethnic group in the country. They are the majority working force that greatly contributes to the economy. But despite their contributions, much is still needed when it comes to health care.
Public health in the Latinx community
With the COVID-19 pandemic going on, this has only pointed out and highlighted the gaps in the public health infrastructure and the Latinx community was the most affected. The COVID-19 death rate in California for Latinx people was 20% higher than the statewide death rate.
Source: Pixabay
It is not a surprising fact that 59% of farm workers in California do not have health insurance. According to the COVID-19 Farmworker Study in 2020, farmers could not afford health insurance and most of them did not trust the authorities, government, or the medical system. Some of them hesitate to get health benefits because of the language gap – it was too complicated.
Cultural gap
The lack of government support is not solely to blame. The cultural gap was also a concern. Some of the Latinx community were not just used to using modern medicine or healthcare services. Most of them rely on natural and indigenous solutions first to solve their ailments.
Source: Pixabay
Herbalism, the ancient practice of using plants for healing, is still very much preferred for Latinx and indigenous communities. This motivated Jocelyn to use her knowledge as an herbalist to encourage these communities to seek out conventional and complementary care.
Positive feedback
At the end of every clinic they conduct, they ask their clients to fill out a survey about their experience. They also ask for suggestions on how they can improve their services. Jocelyn loves the responses they were getting. Most have said that they left the clinic feeling lighter physically and emotionally.
Source: Women’s Health Magazine
Jocelyn shared that most of the people who have interacted with the Botanical Bus loved their tea. So she also started posting herbal tea recipes on the Botanical Bus blog. Their herbal tea recipes for stress relief, fever, and cough were a favorite. Aside from teas, you can also find recipes for syrups, soups, and meals on their blog.
Does herbal medicine work?
Herbal medicine are products made from plants, which are used to treat certain diseases. The scent, flavor, or the plant itself is being used for its therapeutic properties. But are they effective?
Source: Pixabay
Herbal medicine has been around for centuries and the fact that they are still being used today attests to their effectiveness as alternative medicine. Some doses are even backed by science.
Exercising precaution
But just because herbal medicine can be backed by science does not mean that it is automatically safe. You can’t just mix things up. You have to consult a herbalist for the right dosage.
Source: Pixabay
A lot of people have the misconception that herbal medicines are completely safe because they are made out of natural products. Some considerations and precautions still have to be considered when taking them to avoid bad side effects.
The Botanical Bus in the face of a pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the Botanical Bus from doing its mission. As mentioned earlier, every time they conduct their mobile clinic, everyone had their masks on and social distancing was always observed.
Source: Botanical Bus Facebook
Although there herbal medicines and teas were no cure for the COVID-19 virus, Jocelyn said that their group focuses on helping the Latinx community boost their immune system and build resilience towards the virus. In fact, they have been distributing herbal care kits for respiratory health, immunity, and stress relief as their way of helping out in response to the pandemic.
Recognizing her roots
Jocelyn is very proud of the nonprofit she helped founded. The Botanical Bus was a project that she had worked hard on and she considered the group as her family. It turned out that she had a deep connection to its cause as well.
Source: Botanical Bus Facebook
Her grandmother and great-grandmother were actually farmworkers of Sonoma County. She, herself, grew up in Sonoma County and although she left, she chose to come back and raise her children there as well.
Making a difference
Jocelyn shared that herbal medicine “herbal medicine connects people to their identity, to their abuelita, the plants their families threw into soups, the smells, the earth where they’re from.” Jocelyn believes that teaching herbal medicine and nutrition to Latinx communities helps teach them to value their own health and wellness in a way that was relevant to their culture.
Source: Botanical Bus Facebook
And the good thing about it is that their group is not rooted in the traditional ways. They also update the community’s knowledge on the recent findings on herbs so that they will not be misused. They also emphasize that these herbs should not be treated as a cure. It is always best to consult a doctor first – especially if they are taking maintenance and medicine.
Catch the Botanical Bus
Today, the Botanical Bus still serves different communities across Sonoma County and Napa valley. You can find them conducting Wellness workshops, community gardens, and of course, the mobile herb clinic.
Source: Botanical Bus Facebook
The group is still actively accepting donations for their cause. Volunteers are always welcome but their slots have been full lately. If you want to join the movement, you can check up their website to see if there is an opening for volunteer sign-ups.