Smoke Camp Crafts

She was a cornerstone of the WV herbalist community and an inspiration for budding herbalists across the state. Dot had an extensive scientific background, which included a degree in botany from the University of Maryland and a 30-year-long career working as a lab technician at the USDA Beltsville Research Center. There she tested germination rates for numerous commercial seeds and conducted resea

rch on the effects of temperature variation on germination rates. Her fastidious research resulted in co-authoring a publication on the germination of rescuegrass (Bromus catharticus Vahl.) After moving to West Virginia in 1975, Dot transitioned from rescuegrass research to the business of rescuing local herbal remedies and heirloom seeds from disappearance. She worked and studied tirelessly to learn the ways the “old timers” and spent much of her life sharing that knowledge with other herbalists. She published her book “Modern Uses of Traditional Herbs” in 1985. She ran the old time apothecary at Fort New Salem and participated in the Jackson’s Mill Jubilee as a crafter for 41 consecutive years. She held leadership roles in the Master Gardner’s Program and the Central WV Farmer’s Market. Sadly, our friend and mentor Dot passed away last November. It is with great humility that we endeavor to keep her spirit alive by continuing to produce the teas, jams and jellies that she formulated over the past few decades. We’ve just completed construction of a new commercial kitchen where herbs, fruits and vegetables grown on Dot’s farm and our farm up the same holler, will be processed into the delicious goodies Dot dreamed up. Dot’s husband Robert Montgillion, 93, assists in the farming of many of the fruits, vegetables and herbs used in Smoke Camp Crafts products. We hope you'll give our teas and jellies a try! If you are a WV grower, please get in touch with us. We are always looking for locally grown berries, ramps, peppers, apples, tomatoes and more.