Twisted Hollow Homestead and Rabbitry

05/18/2026

As some of you may know, I have been pursuing education in clinical herbalism. In the off-season, I am usually studying, and this year was no different. However, this year I did a lot of work!

This season, I pursued certifications/training in:
Clinical Herbalism - Herbal Academy
Vitalist Herbalism (Advanced Clinical Skills) - School of Evolutionary Herbalism
Astro-herbalism - School of Evolutionary Herbalism
Clinical Observation - Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine
Herbal Alchemy (Spagyrics) - Robert A. Bartlett's Spagyricus School of Alchemy

In addition to this, I have also received certifications/training in:
Integral Sound Healing - Sound Healing Academy
Pranayama - My Vinyasa Practice
Ayurvedic Nutrition - MVP
Somatic Healing - MVP
Hatha Yoga (200 Hour YTT)- MVP
Medical Astrology - Judith Hill's Academy of Astrological Medicine

I am excited to say that this year, I will be starting up my wellness center! Due to insurance reasons, this will be a separate venture from our farm. You can find more about our wellness center by following our page here:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574348931106

Clinical herbalist offering individualized, holistic care rooted in traditional herbalism and integrative wellness. I weave together herbal remedies, astrology, and energetic practices to support the whole person.

05/01/2026

The glossy finish of our Black Drawing Salve is such a pretty sight!

Our black drawing salve is made with yarrow, calendula and plantain infused oils. Bentonite clay and activated charcoal add to its drawing action. Lavender and tea tree essential oils lend a beautiful scent.

04/11/2026

What are your favorite rabbit recipes?

04/06/2026

A delicious way to prepare rabbit!

Breeding season is underway. We will be restocking rabbit shortly.

01/22/2026

Congratulations Silver Fox breeders! We did it! For real this time 😉

The Silver Fox is now officially REMOVED from the Livestock Conservancy list of rare breeds.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL...this time! (iykyk!)

Big news, Silver Fox breeders! The Silver Fox have officially been removed from the rare breed list in ARBA’s just-released update. This marks a huge milestone in conservation and growth for our breed. The Silver Fox were the first breed ever to graduate from The Livestock Conservancy’s list — we literally helped write the rules that made it possible. This is a true success story, and we couldn’t be prouder. Check out ARBA’s official post for the full announcement — and let’s celebrate this incredible achievement together. This success is the result of every breeder’s dedication, collaboration, and hard work. Together, we’ve proven what’s possible when a community unites behind a purpose.

Congratulations to everyone that has contributed to this historical achievement!

STAY FOXY!

12/25/2025

12/21/2025

Wishing everyone a wonderful winter solstice! ☀️

12/06/2025

We’re all set up in the church for the Church Street Christmas Market here in Deerfield! We’ve got our teas, candles, soaps and more!

12/04/2025

A sneak peak of things to come in 2026!

12/02/2025

Why do we have so few rabbits available? This is why. The only way I can ensure we are contributing quality stock to the breeds we raise is by culling hard. I get calls daily asking if I have rabbits available. It would be very easy to go out to the cull pens, take whatever rabbits are there and sell them as “meat stock.” The reality is, I choose not to do that. I want what comes from my barn to represent the breed. Rabbits that don’t meet standard and benchmarks go to the cull pens. I would rather lose the sale than send out subpar rabbits from my lines. Our cull rabbits are worth more in their meat and pelts than the sale of breeding stock, even though the breeding stock would bring in more money.

A Post-Convention Season Reminder 🐇

Every year after Convention, there’s an influx of new breeders excited to start their journey — and that enthusiasm is wonderful. But as you pick up your first pair or trio, especially if you’re working with a heritage or rare breed, please keep this in mind:

Not every rabbit you produce should be sold.
Ethical breeding requires culling — even in pet breeds — to prevent genetic issues from spreading and to protect the long-term integrity of the breed. Selling everything you produce doesn’t make you a good breeder; making hard decisions for the betterment of the animals does.

And remember: even rabbits sold “just for meat breeding” should be high quality. The Standard of Perfection is written to maximize meat production on the animal — poor structure has no place in a meat program either.
Additionally, many rabbits sold as “just meat breeders” often end up back in the show ring or passed along to a 4-H or youth breeder as “show quality.” If it shouldn’t represent the breed on a show table, it shouldn’t be leaving your barn under any label.

Edited to Add - And of course, sports in marked breeds and false dwarves have their place as well — with responsible care and honest representation. Not every off-variety rabbit is a cull, but they still require the same ethical standards in how they’re managed and where they’re placed.

Silver Fox are on track to be one of the first breeds to graduate from the rare breed list. As they become more common, the responsibility becomes even greater. Please cull hard. We don’t want this breed associated with low quality animals or with breeders who let anything leave the barn just to make a sale.

If you truly care about the breed:
Breed the best — eat the rest.

11/22/2025

Please send if you have not done so already! Keep our access to herbal extracts and tinctures.

UPDATE! 1/7/26

SO glad to finally have some forward movement on this issue of tinctures being removed from Concord NH store shelves by the liquor commission last fall.
Sharing with y’all ~

- Maria Noel Groves

Update today from AHPA’s Working Group:

Dear NH & AHPA Tincture Working Group:

Happy New Year! We are pleased to start 2026 with significant progress regarding the regulatory status of herbal tinctures in New Hampshire.

Through AHPA’s close engagement with FDA, we facilitated direct communication between a Dietary Supplement National Expert (within the Human Food Program’s Office of Inspections and Investigations at FDA) and the New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC).

In this outreach, FDA provided clarity on how the agency regulates alcohol-based tinctures as dietary supplements, which precludes them from being alcoholic beverages. This intervention appears to be sufficient for the NHLC to act upon as we have received confirmation that the NHLC Chief of Enforcement has since been in touch with Senator Reardon, and formal steps toward a legislative fix are now underway.

The New Hampshire Rules and Enrolled Bills Committee, which controls the flow of legislation in the state, will convene next Thursday, January 15, to discuss late additions for bills for the Senate to consider in the 2026 session. This meeting is where the legislative solution we’ve been seeking will likely take shape. AHPA will be in attendance to monitor all developments and ensure our interests are represented.

While there is no specific action for you to take today, should a bill addressing the tinctures issue be brought up next week, we encourage constituents with a representative serving on the NH Rules and Enrolled Bills Committee to contact their senator asking them to support the legislation.

Members of the NH Rules and Enrolled Bills Committee are:
Senator Kevin Avard – District 12
Senator Sharon Carson – District 14
Senator Ruth Ward – District 8
Senator Cindy Rosenwald – District 13
Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka – District 21
New Hampshire residents can identify their state senator by selecting the town they live in at this link: https://gc.nh.gov/senate/members/wml.aspx

Thank you for your ongoing engagement. Our grassroots outreach has been highly effective thus far, and we are moving closer to a resolution for New Hampshire businesses and consumers.

We will continue to provide updates as we move forward.

Sincerely,
Melissa

Melissa Do
Director of Communications
American Herbal Products Association

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ACT NOW - CALL TO ACTION for New Hampshire Residents: PROTECT OUR ACCESS to Herbal Tinctures

UPDATED - Online summary & details now available via APHA at https://www.ahpa.org/NH_herbal_tinctures

SAMPLE LETTER FURTHER BELOW

MESSAGE FROM MARIA:
I was shocked and dismayed to learn that the NH Liquor Commission recently required several local stores (such as the Concord Food Co-op and Granite State Natural Foods) to remove ALL herbal tinctures (herbal dietary supplement alcohol-based extracts) from its shelves. This includes legally compliant big and small local companies including Herb Pharm, Gaia Herbs, Oregon's Wild Harvest, Vitality Works, WishGarden, Herbal Energetics, Bach Flower Essences, Host Defense, and more. For decades, federal law (such as DSHEA and FDA dietary supplement regulations) protects their status as dietary supplements not alcoholic beverages; these products are legally under FDA dietary supplement regulation, not the liquor commission. However, New Hampshire liquor law title XIII currently lacks language/clarity on this. Efforts are underway, spearheaded by the American Herbal Products Association (APHA) and working alongside the NH Liquor Commission and NH State Senator Tara Reardon to amend current laws with clarifying language to be in compliance with federal regulations and get tinctures back on NH shelves.

👉 ACT NOW: ***NH Residents** are encouraged reach out to both Senator Reardon and your town's representative senator (if not Reardon) to voice your support

See a summary of details and a sample letter via APHA at https://www.ahpa.org/NH_herbal_tinctures

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MORE DETAILS ~

To Be Clear, As Per FEDERAL REGULATIONS:
* Tinctures may contain alcohol as a solvent, but they are NOT alcoholic beverages.
* They’re federally regulated by the FDA as dietary supplements, NOT by the liquor commission.
* They are not and have not been illegal in the state of NH per our laws. However, our laws have some gaps in things they do not include in their language.
* Tinctures have been protected as dietary supplements by federal law including DSHEA and FDA dietary supplement GMPs for decades
* This law/enforcement kerfuffle is harming NH citizen’s freedom and lawful access to herbal remedies and hurting NH businesses.
* The FDA has clear guidance documents distinguishing dietary supplements (which use alcohol as a solvent) from beverages. Their labeling, dose, flavor, purpose, and method of use all clarify this distinction.

There is an effort underway to make the NH legislative language CRYSTAL CLEAR and in compliant with federal regs, rectify the kerfuffle, avoid such confusion in the future, and restore our access to these important remedies.

Senator Tara Reardon and her aid Karen Davis are working with the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) to propose to amendments to current laws to make it even more explicit that dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA, not the state.

--> I encourage you to support these proposals for amending

N.H. RSA 175:1(XLII) to add in its definition of liquor that it does not include dietary supplements as defined by 21 U.S.C. 321(ff)/DSHEA of 1994 law.
and
N.H. RSA 175:5-a(I) to note that NH liquor law is are not intended to apply to dietary supplements, as defined by 21 U.S.C. 321(ff)/DSHEA of 1994 law, regardless of alcohol percent or proof.

This will bring us in harmony with federal standards and regulatory expectations and bring lawful products back on store shelves where they belong.

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This is real. My sources:
* AHPA website and direct emails and phone conversations with the APHA president
* Phone and email conversations with the store managers of Concord Food Co-op and Granite State Natural Foods
* Phone conversation with the NH Liquor Commission
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Is this important to you? Let them know!

👉 ACT NOW: ***NH Residents** are encouraged reach out to both Senator Reardon and your town's representative senator (if not Reardon) to voice your support

See a summary of details and a sample letter via APHA at https://www.ahpa.org/NH_herbal_tinctures