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Herbs are about more than enhancing your favorite recipe and at 10 a.m. Thursday a new business will open along the north Main Street corridor offering the ins and outs of their medicinal attributes.

Wildcraft takes root in the former Cameo bar located on the west side of Main Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues.

Behind the natural health offering are certified herbalists Leslie Feingold of Interlaken, the woman behind the summer farmer’s markets in Sunset Park, and Stefanie Beirman of Long Branch , known for her herbal teas.

The duo officially open their doors 10 a.m. Thursday.

“We bought the building a year ago because we knew this would be the next frontier in Asbury Park,” Feingold said. “I love this area, being next to the park, the gateway to the beach; everything about it was right.”

Their business plan is bit of a full circle nod to the art deco building’s previous notoriety as a popular bar, since alcohol was first used for medicinal purposes, Feingold said.

But replacing a wide array of spirits are glass containers filled with echinacea, nettles, lemon verbena, dandelion, slippery elm boldo leaf, and yarrow, to name a few. And now worries if any of them are unrecognizable, the duo will share their expertise on how best to use the products.

So what is Wildcraft – at its core, it is an herb shop that features bulk products and everything one would need to make their own herbal goods.

“It’s educational too,” Beirman said. “We understand that even though this is an old practice, it is new to many people. Herbs are an alternative to conventional medicines that treat the symptom rather than the problem. Herbs make you look deeper in order to treat the root problem. It’s about a partnership with herbs.”

And Feingold warns, “It’s not a quick fix. It’s a preventative practice.”

Aside from offering personalized education for anyone who stops in, the ladies will administer how-to workshops.

“This is something I’ve done all my life,” Feingold said. “You feel better in nature. We do wild craft our own medicine – it’s a way of life for us. We’re at the point where we feel we need to put it out there for people so people can learn and hopefully they want to learn.”

The ladies are looking to fill a void. And although FDA rules limit their ability to diagnose, if someone has a health issue, the duo can offer products best suited to one’s needs.

For example, need an immune booster – they have astragalus, elderberry and echinacea. And if you don’t have the time, Beirman’s winter teas may be just the ticket.

“It’s time,” Feingold said. “There’s nothing like this here. If people want this, they have to go to New York or order it online.”

Also available are their homemade tonics, candles, soaps, and other aromatherapy products and holistic items.

“We just want to educate people that this is about your lifestyle,” Feingold said. “You can’t take the shortcut and expect the best outcome. There are so many different ways to use herbs; there are tinctures, teas you can use them in soups, it can be your aromatherapy. It’s a lifestyle.”

Wildcraft is located at 1213 Main Street. Their current hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Aside from their in store expertise and products the duo will offer workshops and herb garden tours. For more information, call (732) 455-5107, email info@wildcraftherb.com, or visit Wildcraft’s website and Facebook pages.

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