Who Is Desert Woman?

I left the cold, cloudy winter of Upstate New York in 1988 and moved to the desert. I was amazed by the sunshine.  Within a few months, spring arrived in a glorious profusion of wildflowers like I had never experienced.  I was in love !  The light, the rocks, the clouds, the dirt, the plants, the energy... were transforming.  I was here to stay.  That’s when I became... a Desert Woman.

I left behind a twenty year nursing career to be outside with the plants.  Gardens became my habitat.  Plants became my teachers. I especially love weeds - they have a lot to offer.  I studied with Michael Moore, well-known SouthWest herbalist and author.  Then I became an herb grower, started my own nursery business and herbal product line.

Over the years, I’ve tried to supply the world with bulk herbs, sold plants from my own commercial greenhouse, made Zesto Pesto, grown thousands of Cayenne plants, nurtured a few dozen apprentices who wanted to learn how to grow herbs and make them into products, and attempted to keep a group of SouthWest herbalists organized (this has been likened to trying to herd cats.)

Presently, I grow herbs for the Desert Woman product line.  I also run the entire operation, create new products, talk to customers, ship orders, maintain the inventory and herd apprentices.  The most famous products are Fab Foot Creme and Fire Cider, as well as other cremes and lotions.  Opening a jar of one of them is like stepping into my gardens.

Warm Regards,

Monica Rude
Desert Woman