Herbalist Leenie Hobbie & apprentice Jon Falcone discuss their West Virginia Folklife traditional Appalachian herbalism apprenticeship, which took place during COVID-19
Date:
2021-02-19
Creator:
Hobbie, Leenie and Falcone, Jon
Subject:
Traditional medicine, Herb products, Herbalists, Herb gardening, COVID-19 (Disease), Apprenticeship programs, Herbs--Utilization, Forage plants, Herbs--Therapeutic use, foodways, and Gardening
Location:
Hardy County (W. Va.) and Hampshire County (W. Va.)
![["Leenie Hobbie of Rio in Hampshire County and Jon Falcone of Lost River in Hardy County were participants in the 2020-2021 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program. Hobbie led an apprenticeship in traditional Appalachian herbalism with Falcone. Hobbie has been a family herbalist for over 30 years, originally learning the tradition from her grandmother, who used both garden-grown and wild harvested plants at her home in the mountains of Southwestern Virginia. She has studied with acclaimed herbalists across the country and has taught the tradition within her community in Hampshire County. Falcone is a novice herbalist who hopes to apply his skills to his future homestead in West Virginia.In this video, Hobbie & Falcone discuss the topic and scope of their apprenticeship and adaptations they made in order to continue to teach and learn during the COVID-19 pandemic. See our feature on Falcones apprenticeship with Hobbie here: https://wvfolklife.org/2020/10/26/202...The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program offers up to a $3,000 stipend to West Virginia master traditional artists or tradition bearers working with qualified apprentices on a year-long in-depth apprenticeship in their cultural expression or traditional art form. These apprenticeships aim to facilitate the transmission of techniques and artistry of the forms, as well as their histories and traditions.The apprenticeship program grants are administered by the West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council in Charleston and are supported in part by an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. West Virginia Folklife is dedicated to the documentation, preservation, presentation, and support of West Virginias vibrant cultural heritage and living traditions."]](/thumb/4224HobbieLeenieFalconeJonVideo00121921mp4 "Herbalist Leenie Hobbie & apprentice Jon Falcone discuss their West Virginia Folklife traditional Appalachian herbalism apprenticeship, which took place during COVID-19")
![["Henry Rice was born in Helvetia, West Virginia in 1978. He is the daughter of Catherine Irene Mailloux and grand-daughter of Eleanor Mailloux, the co-founder of the Hutte. His daughter, Morgan Rice, was also interviewed for this project. Henry Rice cooks for the Hutte Sunday buffet, and works in construction. He is also an avid hunter, trapper, ginseng and ramp digger, morel mushroom hunter, and a collector of old bottles and other artifacts.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]](/thumb/4224RiceHenryVideo00143016 "Audio slideshow of Henry Rice, talking about digging ramps and working at the Hutte Swiss Restaurant in Helvetia")
![["Morgan Rice was born in Helvetia, West Virginia in 1999. She is the daughter of Hutte cook Henry Rice, and great-granddaughter of town matriarch and co-founder of the Hutte restaurant, Eleanor Mailloux. Ms. Rice is a member of the Helvetia Farm Womens Club and works part-time as a waitress at the Hutte restaurant. In 2015 she created a petition to save Helvetias Ramp Supper.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]](/thumb/4224RiceMorganVideo00143016 "Audio slideshow of Morgan Rice talking about the Helvetia Ramp Supper")