Babbie and Botanical Medicine
An article in the Neighbors of Park City, September 2021, by Betsy Lucas
Before launching this publication, I had a career indirectly in healthcare for many years, working with physicians who were looking for a change in their careers. As a result, l’ve always been curious as to why so few doctors recommend a career in medicine. Not only do they not recommend it, but some actively discourage it. This was the experience Dr. Babbie Stern had when shadowing established physicians as part of her pre-med program.
Babbie, born and raised in Park City, couldn’t wait to leave,* so when she was 18, she happily moved to Washington to pursue her undergrad degree at Whitman College, a liberal arts college in Walla Walla. “From the age of four, I knew I wanted to be a doctor, Babbie said.
Shadowing entails following a doctor during day-to-day work and is often critical for getting into medical school – and for deciding whether that’s the right path for you in the first place. Each of the physicians Babbie shadowed as part of this process strongly advised her against pursuing a career in medicine. “They asked me if there were any other careers I would consider” Babbie said. “They told me that they aren’t practicing medicine anymore. That with all the red tape and bureaucracy of medicine, they were extremely limited in their time spent with each patient and their ability to do anything more than to hand out prescriptions for pharmaceuticals to treat singular symptoms.”
Described as her “dark night of the soul” period, a challenging and painful period in her life, Babbie started on a new and unexpected journey. She was first introduced to naturopathic medicine while on an internship trip in Peru. “My journey to the field of naturopathic medicine was unexpected, but at the end of the day, I cannot picture myself being anywhere else, Babbie said. “That is my passion, for myself and others.”
For a year, while applying to and awaiting the start of her residency program, ever the compassionate person, Babbie worked at the Oakley School as an outdoor field guild. She then completed a six-year dual training program in naturopathic medicine and classical Chinese medicine at the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM), the oldest naturopathic medical school in North America.
Just as eager to return to the Wasatch Back as she was to leave years earlier, Babbie moved back and started Mountain Sage Natural Health and Acupuncture in 2006. The community welcomed her and her naturopathic medical practice with open arms. People seek out these alternatives because they are dissatisfied with conventional treatment. They see alternative therapies as offering more personal autonomy and control over healthcare decisions, and the alternatives are seen as more compatible with the patients’ values. “There is a growing awakening and appeal in the western world for ancient healing practices”, Babbie said. “The community was ripe for the medicine. . There are so many proactive people who are ready and willing to take control of their wellness.”
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary healthcare – the practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness. Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles upon which its method is based. Naturopathic Doctors (N.D.) are licensed and board-certified as primary care physicians in the state of Utah. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic doctor must complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, physical medicine, psychology, and counseling.
Naturopathic physicians choose the most non-invasive and least toxic treatments necessary for each patient and recognize the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. Naturopathic doctors identify, address, and remove the underlying causes of disease, while educating and supporting patients on personal health management and empowering patients to take responsibility for their health. Naturopathic doctors treat the patient, not the disease, and focus on overall health, wellness, and disease prevention. “I chose to go into the field of naturopathic medicine for this very reason, and the philosophies drive my practice.” Babbie said. “Health is always fluid and multi-dimensional, and healthcare should be as well. My goal is always to promote deep healing rather than suppression of symptoms and embrace all the principles of naturopathic medicine.”
Babbie practiced in her clinic full-time for 11 years before haying her third child in 2017. She took maternity leave and then came back part-time until this past summer when she decided to take a step back from the clinic to focus full-time on the operations of Wooden Shoe Farm (now Healing Seeds Farm), which she recently launched. Babbie and her partner purchased and moved their family to a 38-acre plot located in Pea in mid-November 2020 and hit the ground running this past spring.
One of the primary modalities of a naturopath is botanical medicine. Botanical medicine comprises plants (or substances that come from plants) used to treat or prevent disease. In classical Chinese medicine, herbs are a huge cornerstone too. “With the effects of the COVID pandemic, it felt like a good opportunity to hunker down at home” Babbie said. So, inspired by the movie, “The Biggest Little Farm which chronicles the eight-year quest of John and Molly Chester, who traded city living for 200 acres of barren farmland and a dream to harvest in harmony with nature, Babbie and her family leaped.
From their website, “Here at Wooden Shoe Farm (now Healing Seeds Farm), we believe that the intention at the time of planting sets the vibrational energy of what can be grown. We plant with love, use crop rotation, cover crops, compost tea, organic soil, and biodynamic methods to ensure the farm is and will remain fertile and productive for generations to come. We believe in working with the land, not against it. Providing sanctuary for healthy populations of microorganisms, insects, birds, and animals to maintain the ecosystem. Providing you with goods made of the goodness of the earth to work gently with your physical body and be felt in your soul.”
Wooden Shoe Farm (now Healing Seeds Farm) will sell its products to other local small businesses, like Fairweather Natural Foods and Indigo Highway, and direct to the community through online sales and an on-site farm stand. As more people shift from pharmaceuticals to natural medicine, it is only time until they are going to seek out fresh options. Unfortunately, most people have no idea what their medicine looks like in its raw form. I’m sure, like me, you’ve purchased Sleepytime Teas and “Upset Stomach” or “Stress Relief” tea blends, but have you ever looked up the plant ingredients? Seen them in a garden? Or identified them in a field? I would guess, no. But this is why Babbie’s farm is perfectly positioned. Her passion for medicinal plants and her eagerness to empower everyday people with her medicine is contagious.
Babbie’s dream and work are supported by her partner, Lessing Stern, and her farm managers Caitlin Lehman and Mike Wong. Caitlin has been with Babbie for years, working as her clinic manager. “She is amazing. Babbie said. “When things at the clinic started winding down with COVID, I asked her if she would like to help me start a farm, and she dove right in.” Mike is a past Leadership Park City member and a key player in our community and is handling the marketing, networking, and public relations needs for the new farm. In addition, Daisy Fair, well-known in the community from her time at Copper Moose Farm, is working with Babbie and her team as a consultant. Daisy is saving us a lot of stress, headache, and time” Babbie said. “She is saving us from making many early-stage mistakes with her insight and experience.”
Babbie and Lessing live at Wooden Shoe Farm (now Healing Seeds Farm) with their three children – Tai is 16, Aspen is 13 and Jomel is four – with their two adopted kitties, Yin and Gypsie, and ten chickens.
Babbie enjoys “playing in nature.” She says that nature is her recharge. She enjoys mountain biking. running the trails, and exploring the Uintas. The family loves to travel. They have a vacation property in their favorite spot, Anchorage, and Babbie received her pilot’s license last summer. “Aviation is a newfound love,” Babbie said.
For anyone suffering from a mental health illness, Babbie suggests spending more time outside in nature. “We are dealing with a huge nature deficit, even in our mountain town. There is a huge difference between going outside and doing a competitive activity like running, cycling, or skiing and truly experiencing nature,” Babbie said. “In Japan, they practice something called forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, which means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses.”
We all know how good being in nature can make us feel. Babbie recommends going out into nature and activating our senses to take it all in. “The sounds of the forest, the scent of the trees, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh, clean air – these things give us a sense of comfort.” Babbie said. “They ease our stress and worry, help us to relax and to think more clearly. Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us”