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Date: 4/25/2023
CHICOPEE – The Herbarium will be noting its 45th anniversary on May 20 and founder Kathy Duffy recalled to Reminder Publishing that when her sister first brought her to an herb store in New York City, “I had never seen anything like that in my life.”
Duffy’s introduction to herbs that can be used along with traditional medicine to effect cures and improvement of conditions led to her founding her store in 1978 in Northampton, which after several years was relocated to downtown Chicopee at 264 Exchange St.
Becoming a nurse in 1965, Duffy spend much of her career in critical care. In 1977 she assisted a doctor treating a pancreatic cancer case by administering an herbal medicine as part of then standard cancer treatment. She said she was very surprised at the progress the patient had with the combined treatment.
Later in that year she visited Aphrodisia Herb Shoppe and thought, “Wouldn’t a shop like this look beautiful in Northampton?”
With help from her sister and the owner of Aphrodisia, Duffy opened her store in Thorne’s Market in Northampton. “I knew nothing about herbal,” she said. “I had no idea what I was doing.”
She added that success was her only option. “I gave my notice at Holyoke Hospital. I didn’t want to fail and have people shake their finger at me.”
Initially, the focus was on herbs for cooking, but she readily started studying medicinal use of herbs. “I walked around with a book in my face,” she said.
“I wanted to know why they worked. I wanted to know the chemistry,” she explained.
While the store was “holding its own,” Duffy said that in 1980 a local talk show host named Jonathan Evans from WREB in Holyoke came to visit her shop. He wanted her to appear on his program.
Her appearances led to two things: business greatly increased at the store and she and Evans married.
From the start, Duffy has been clear that she is not practicing medicine and that traditional treatments for ailments are important. Instead, she sees herbal remedies as an adjunct to mainstream medicine.
“We don’t claim to cure anybody,” she said. “You need both.”
With greater financial success came greater opportunities for Duffy. She started private consulting and was introduced to aromatherapy in which she became a certified practitioner and instructor.
She has since taught at 60 hospitals and in countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland and Japan. She has taught “a lot” at Veteran Administration facilities in the Midwest, she said, adding that administrators were open to herbal treatments.
In 1995, she was asked to assist in the treat of a bone marrow transplant at Baystate Medical Center. Duffy explained a common side effect was a painful series of canker sores in the throat. Her herbal treatments helped prevent the sores from forming and she subsequently spoke to a group of 80 doctors, some of whom resisted the information she shared, while other physicians were “thrilled.”
She noted that doctors are now more open to accepting herbal treatments to augment traditional ones.
In her time with the Herbarium, she has seen the increase in interest in the use of herbal remedies and she has seen competing shops come and go. For her, it’s not about making money nor is it being part of a trend. She said she is more interested in educating people about health.
Not all herbal compounds are equal, she said and she has been diligent about carrying ones that are reliable. She explained the while government standards require the listing of ingredients, she said when a consumer sees the phrase “proprietary” to describe ingredients they should ask questions.
As noted on the store’s website, “We have researched and tested the majority of the products on our shelves, we have even gone to the manufacturers laboratories to inspect their facilities. Our quality standards are of prime importance and our reputation for quality and knowledge is unparalleled.”
She said with a laugh that early on a representative from the Small Business Administration came to lend her some business support. She said she couldn’t even tell him how much rent she was paying based on the square footage.
Based on her lack of business training, “He told me, ‘You jumped off the Empire State Building hold your nose.’”
She noted though, “We must be doing something right as people kept coming back.”
Duffy noted that through the store she has made many friends and although “it has been very frustrating at times, it has also been very rewarding.”
Ironically, Duffy will be in Ireland on the anniversary.
“The Herbarium may be a small little shop, but it’s impact has been incredible,” she said.
For more information, go to www.theherbarium.com.