Check out our new video, all about Herbs and Sustainability!
Here's the full text of the video - closed captioning is also available on the video.
Herbs and Sustainability
Another really important piece of our product line is using fresh, local herbs.
And we really believe in connection to farmers, and the land, and also knowing our supply chain. Many herbs sold by distributors come from really far away places. It can be difficult to understand all of the unique geo-political conditions of that far away place. You don’t necessarily know how the farmers were treated, or the conditions that they were farming in, or the ways that the herbs were treated in their long journey from that place to the United States. So, the more that we’ve learned about the complexities of the herbal supply chain, the more we really believe that we’re making the best choice by developing relationships with local herb farmers. It means that the herbs that we’re receiving are very fresh, and that also means that they’re more potent and the medicinal constituents are stronger and more available. We’re also really proud to support small-scale, certified organic farmers, and be part of what hopefully is a growing movement of farmers growing medicinal plants in this country.
So, healing plants from local organic farms provides the absolute highest quality. Sourcing locally is a more sustainable choice – far less miles are travelled, reducing our carbon footprint. Local herbs are fresher and more vital, and they’re also processed on a smaller scale and pass through fewer hands on their way to our products. Small-scale farmers are dedicated to the highest standards, which also means that we’re able to support a burgeoning industry in our country.
Along with supporting local farmers, we’re deeply committed to supporting local bees and beekeepers. 100% of all of our honey is sourced direct from small scale local beekeepers that we trust. These family beekeepers are tending their apiaries on farms and wildlands in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. And along with that direct connection to the beekeeper, we are also doing 3rd-party testing on our honey to ensure there are no issues of adulteration, no quality issues, and no issues of antibiotics and pesticides.
We’re very committed to sustainability as a business. That has become somewhat of a “buzzword” – to us, sustainability really means committing to being less extractive and more regenerative. And, as a business that means that we’re really committed to pollinators, we’re committed to people, we’re committed to processes, and reducing our impact on the planet.
Since we got our start keeping bees ourselves many years ago, we’re coming from a place of desiring to help bees and pollinators. They play such an important role in our food system and ecosystem. So as a company, we’re committed to supporting local bees and beekeepers and also working together with our customers to help save the bees. We see that as a multi-faceted mission, which involves creating and protecting land for habitat; preserving at-risk plant communities that bees depend on; supporting local farmers and beekeepers; and also supporting organizations that are working to educate about the dangers of pesticides. We believe that with all of those things working together, we can bring back the health of bees, and also of our planet.