In recent years, the herbal products industry has changed in significant, fundamental ways. Most of the herbal product companies we knew have been purchased by private equity firms, investment holdings, and venture capitalists focused on profits. As our industry is increasingly transformed by this profit-driven business model, our herbal products community is shrinking, and it’s more important than ever to hold steady in our independence.

For many people on our team, working at Mountain Rose Herbs is a career path fueled by passion and a true love of natural living. In fact, by the end of 2026, we expect that 26% of our staff will have been here for 10 years or more. Working for a company for a decade or more comes with deep institutional knowledge and wisdom that helps Mountain Rose Herbs improve,  while remaining rooted in tradition and experience. Having such a large number of long-term employees also supports the community by improving access to wellness ingredients that are sourced, formulated, crafted, and tested by true experts.

We recently traveled to our neighboring state of Washington to visit several long-standing farm partners. Peppermint, spearmint, catnip, red clover, California poppy, and oats were among the botanicals we got to see, but even more important than that was getting some one-on-one time with our partners. Opportunities like this are largely possible by being an independently owned and mission-driven company that truly cares about its sourcing. These trips allow us to get boots on the ground to see how the plants are grown and also foster meaningful relationships with our partners. It is an important part of our support for domestic suppliers, while also ensuring that the quality and purity standards you expect from us are met.

There are four core aspects of our farm visits, which help provide the framework for the questions we ask and the ways we can offer our ongoing support.

Nestled in the lush and green Willamette Valley of Oregon, a generational farm is hard at work growing, harvesting, and processing pumpkins and pumpkin seeds.  The farm has been growing seed pumpkins for decades, but after learning about the health benefits of pumpkin seed oil, they recently decided to expand their offerings to include pumpkin oil. Not only did this diversify their offerings, but it also helped to improve their waste stream.

In a room filled with changemakers from around the state, Mountain Rose Herbs’ CEO and CFO,Cameron Stearns proudly accepted the Oregon Organic Coalition Retailer of the Year Award. The Oregon Organic Coalition’s Awards for Excellence recognizes organizations whose vision, leadership, and innovation strengthen Oregon’s organic food and farming movement.

In 2023, we launched our Seed Stewardship Project campaign to help raise awareness about at-risk medicinal plants. Rooted in our commitment to ecological stewardship, we created this program as a solution-oriented approach to supporting the botanicals on the United Plant Savers At-Risk List. By offering free seeds to three selected plants on the list, we were able to help get the community excited about these plants while also helping to repopulate them. When you see a plant go from seeds in a packet to a living being, there is a very special connection that happens. It's the magic that keeps us falling in love with plants again and again, and what gets the community impassioned and committed to ensuring a future for that plant. 

Heading back into the school season means that we are entering into a new season of needs. Even those of us without children at home feel the subtle shift—altered traffic patterns, busier schedules, and the ripple of energy that comes as our communities gather again for learning. This transition also brings considerations for personal well-being, particularly with the heightened exposure to group settings where our bodies may encounter new stressors (and maybe even some cooties). 

You may have heard the recent buzz about North America’s only native caffeinated plant, yaupon. Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) is making a resurgence, and it took concerns of tariffs and increased tea and coffee prices to bring this domestic caffeinated plant into the mainstream eye. However, Mountain Rose Herbs’ interest in this plant preceded the tariff-driven trend, and we are delighted to share more information about the relationship we've developed with this plant over the past 7 years. 

Mountain Rose Herbs is proud to partner with the Ocean Blue Project to advance our commitment to protecting waterways from the harmful impacts of trash and microplastics. Recently, we initiated a community cleanup event with our dedicated staff along the Bertelson to Meadowlark Prairie Bike Path, a vital ecological corridor we have formally adopted for ongoing stewardship.

There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes at Mountain Rose Herbs. The things that appear as “new” are often the result of years of hard work and ongoing collaboration before they reach your apothecary shelves. Our domestic FairWild initiative is no exception to this. 

Nepeta cataria, commonly called catnip, is an ancient member of the mint family. It has been used in western folk practices for millennia, and is loved for its gentle, calming properties. Herbalists and parents often brew this child-friendly herb into a soothing tisane, but it can also be taken internally as a tincture. For topical use, catnip can be infused in oils, or used as an essential oil or hydrosol to bring an herbaceous, relaxing scent to body care products. Perhaps, however, catnip is best known as the herb most loved by our feline friends.