{"id":7747,"date":"2026-04-16T15:46:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/?page_id=7747"},"modified":"2026-05-04T12:21:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T16:21:23","slug":"specialty-herb-program-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/small-farms-program\/specialty-herb-program-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Specialty Herb Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n.rounded-style img{\n  border-radius: 15%;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light\" style=\"min-height:275px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"232\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-7748 size-large\" alt=\"Herbs in bloom.\" src=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/139\/2026\/02\/herb-header2-1024x232.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-10 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#788f58\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-a10e1f814392c552027081d743137d5c\">Specialty Herb Program<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image rounded-style\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"702\" src=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/139\/2026\/02\/TGD-SMALLFARMS-102425-1491.jpg\" alt=\"The herb garden invites farmers and home gardeners to see, taste and smell herbs.\" class=\"wp-image-7758\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/139\/2026\/02\/TGD-SMALLFARMS-102425-1491.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/139\/2026\/02\/TGD-SMALLFARMS-102425-1491-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/139\/2026\/02\/TGD-SMALLFARMS-102425-1491-768x527.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension offers expert assistance to new and existing farmers to grow specialty herbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Specialty herbs are aromatic plants prized for their culinary flavors or medicinal properties. These herbs can provide small farmers an opportunity for additional revenue streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our Specialty Herbs Program is part of the Extension\u2019s Small Farm Program, and offers help with all phases of growing, preparation, harvest and processing, soil improvements, weed and pest control, and finance and regulatory issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension herb specialist Henriette den Ouden, who has more than 20 years of herb\u2011growing experience, cultivates a variety of different medicinal, culinary and pollinator herbs at the university\u2019s Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne, Maryland.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The herb garden invites farmers and home gardeners to see, taste and smell herbs and learn how to grow them. Visitors to the farm can learn about popular medicinal herbs and explore growing herbs as a small farm business endeavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Den Ouden also conducts experiments in association with University of Maryland Eastern Shore faculty and students to define best growing methods to create the most valuable phytochemical value of the herbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How We Can Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile rounded-style\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"702\" src=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/139\/2026\/02\/TGD-Medicinal-Herbs-073124-3762.jpg\" alt=\"University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension herb specialist holds a class on medicinal herbs.\" class=\"wp-image-7700 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/139\/2026\/02\/TGD-Medicinal-Herbs-073124-3762.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/139\/2026\/02\/TGD-Medicinal-Herbs-073124-3762-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/139\/2026\/02\/TGD-Medicinal-Herbs-073124-3762-768x527.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong>Herb Garden:<\/strong> The farm offers hands-on experience in different propagation methods to help farmers make a choice between direct seeding, the use of flats and choice of temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Classes:<\/strong> Beginning gardeners and farmers can join one of the many classes offered throughout the year to learn what is involved in cultivating, harvesting and processing herbs for value-added products such as teas, tinctures and salves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>On-farm Help: <\/strong>Assistance is available to help farmers develop plans suited to their individual needs for growing and harvesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Marketing Help: <\/strong>Farmers can learn about production costs and potential markets.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What We Grow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The program grows nearly 20 different herbs at the garden including many popular medicinal and specialty herbs such as Ashwagandha, Elderberry, Coneflower, St. Johnwort and Baikal skullcap. <a href=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=7917&amp;action=edit\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=7917&amp;action=edit\">Check out the full list of herbs grown at the UMES garden<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Video Tutorials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-accordion\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-accordion-item\"><details><summary class=\"wp-block-coblocks-accordion-item__title has-background has-header-secondary-bg-color-background-color\">Growing and Processing herbs\u00a0<\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-accordion-item__content\" style=\"border-color:#651d32\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KK4hmVnnpVI\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KK4hmVnnpVI<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=t2RHz87JMzQ\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=t2RHz87JMzQ<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=J2DPLGa9Sfk\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=J2DPLGa9Sfk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q9FsH2VJzZQ\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q9FsH2VJzZQ<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-accordion\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-accordion-item\"><details><summary class=\"wp-block-coblocks-accordion-item__title has-background has-header-secondary-bg-color-background-color\">Increase Herb Quality with Soil Improvement<\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-accordion-item__content\" style=\"border-color:#651d32\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kcuqNjxHAro\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kcuqNjxHAro<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact Us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/henriette-den-ouden-2\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/henriette-den-ouden-2\/\">Henriette den Ouden<\/a><\/strong><br>Agent Associate, Specialty Herb Program<br>Phone: 410-651-7353<br>Email:&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:hdenouden@umes.edu\">hdenouden@umes.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Crystal J. Sankar<\/strong><br>Program Management Specialist<br>Phone: 410-651-7351<br>Email:&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:cjsankar@umes.edu\">cjsankar@umes.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension offers expert assistance to new and existing farmers to grow specialty herbs. Specialty herbs are aromatic plants prized for their culinary flavors or medicinal properties. These herbs can provide small farmers an opportunity for additional revenue streams. Our Specialty Herbs Program is part of the Extension\u2019s Small Farm&#8230;<span class=\"cpschool-read-more-link-holder\"><a class=\"btn btn-basic cpschool-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/small-farms-program\/specialty-herb-program-2\/\">Read more <span class=\"sr-only\">Specialty Herb Program<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2245,"featured_media":0,"parent":1823,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"folder":[],"class_list":["post-7747","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2245"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7747\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=7747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}