Sustainability
Organic echinacea from Headwaters Farm
Supporting Organic and Local
We exclusively choose organically grown herbs and other ingredients for our products. We believe it is worth the extra cost to promote soil and land stewardship by supporting farmers who choose to use organic growing practices. We also source our herbs directly from local growers who are practicing excellent land stewardship wherever possible.
Supporting Local Economy
We believe that a vibrant local economy is an important aspect of sustainability. We support local business – our herbs and ingredients are sourced from Pacific Northwest farmers and companies. Our labels are created by a Portland-based graphic designer and printed by a local printer. We support local artists and craftspeople who design our signs and point-of-purchase displays, and we bank at a local credit union. So rest assured that purchasing our products keeps your money circulating in the local economy!
Business Practices
In our business practices, we make every effort to make the lowest-impact choices. We choose renewable energy for our commercial space. We recycle, compost, and use water and energy saving measures. We choose compostable spoons and cups for product samples. Our shipping materials are recyclable. We purchase recycled-content paper products and use green cleaners. And we are committed to treating our staff well through providing a living wage, paid time off, and health insurance reimbursement.
Pollinator Stewardship
We built our business around the gifts of the honeybee, and what first set us on this path was concern for the health of bees and a desire to help them. What started out as a few backyard hives grew into a deeper understanding about apitherapy, closer connection to honeybees and the people who tend them, and greater understanding of pollinator's critical role in our ecosystem.
We keep our honeybee hives conscientiously, put effort every year into planting more diverse forage for bees, and have also began keeping and educating about mason bees. This coming year we hope to receive grant funding for additional support in creating more pollinator habitat for the land we are connected to.
At our apiary in Troutdale we use organic beekeeping methods, and do not use antibiotics or miticides on our bees. Our apiaries are located on organic farms and gardens. We work with farmers and land managers to plant provide forage for the bees, to help ensure that our bees always have access to healthy food sources.
We are committed to building a more balanced partnership between humans, honeybees, and the ecosystems that support them and us.