Raychel

Raychel Kolen, blog contributor, originally hails from the Midwest but has been calling Oregon her home for more than a decade. With her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Iowa, Raychel enjoys storytelling in all its forms and especially relishes the opportunities to visit our farm partners in the Pacific Northwest and across the globe, shining a light on the remarkable efforts these hardworking farmers are doing to grow and nourish our beloved botanicals. When she isn’t thinking about marketing strategy or teaching workshops at the Mother Earth News Fair, Raychel can be found adventuring in the outdoors, foraging for wild mushrooms, fermenting fresh veggies in her kitchen, or hanging out with her hubby and sweet rescue dogs.

Recent Posts

Organically Grown Stinging Nettle + Nutritious Infusion Recipe

In our neighboring state of Washington lies one of our organic farms—650,000 acres of herbal splendor amidst an otherwise desert landscape. Thanks to the pristine Columbia River, this region has an unlimited supply of the highest quality water any agricultural operation could desire. Here, head farmer Phil has the space and resources to grow one of our most popular herbs: stinging nettle.

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Posted by Raychel

How We Handcraft Our Small Batch Body Care Offerings

Every Fourth of July for nearly two decades, Mountain Rose Herbs’ co-owner, Julie, headed into the mountains to collect St. John’s Wort flowers for our certified organic infused herbal oils.

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Posted by Raychel

10 Ways to Use Pumpkin Pie Spice

With the start of autumn come vibrantly colored leaves, cooler temperatures, and the ubiquitous pumpkin-pie-spiced-everything! But you don’t have to trek to the nearest coffee shop or ice cream parlor to enjoy this seasonal taste treat—you can savor this flavor in the comfort of your own kitchen. With Mountain Rose Herbs’ organic pumpkin pie spice blend, you can easily craft your own seasonal creations at home.

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Posted by Raychel

Flavor and Family Near the Seaside of Sicily

We travel to our farm partners' fields across the world to maintain close relationships with our growers and learn from one another.

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Posted by Raychel

5 Tips for Preserving Homemade & Natural Body Care Products

When seeking out natural alternatives to store-bought body care and wellness products, it can be hard to know how to create shelf-stable versions of store-bought staples at home. In fact, some of the most common questions we receive from our friends and customers relate to naturally preserving homemade botanical goodies.

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Posted by Raychel

Our Top Recipes of 2018

While looking forward to a fresh new year, it’s important to take a moment to reflect on the past and the lessons learned along the way. We had a blast creating a variety of botanically inspired recipes for you, from natural body care formulations to herbal remedies that will keep you well all year long. Here are seven selections from 2018 that really stood out:

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Posted by Raychel

Organic Passionflowers on the Adriatic: An Italian Love Story

Verdant fields of our certified organic passionflower flourish on our Italian farm partner's land. Gianfranco's family has passed down its agricultural wisdom through the generations while inspiring other farmers to embrace organic growing practices.

Gianfranco's kind eyes gaze lovingly at the single passionflower blossom he clutches in his hands. He buries his nose deep in its vibrant purple petals and inhales. “I could have made more money growing other crops,” Gianfranco says through a translator, “But I have a big love—I am in love—with passionflower.”

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Posted by Raychel

Scent Stories from the European Countryside

Our Mountain Rose Herbs farm liaisons regularly travel to visit our family farmers. On a recent trip to Europe, David (one of our farm liaisons) met Frank (a fourth-generation farmer) and got to see his fields first-hand.

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Posted by Raychel

Why Our Pacific Northwest Farms Grow Organic

Near the snow-capped peaks and pristine glacial streams of Cascadia lies a Pacific Northwest family farm. A gravel road winding up an arid canyon leads to the small plot of land where our certified organic milky oat tops are grown, harvested, and dried.

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Posted by Raychel

Herb-Infused Summer Cocktails and Mocktails


My partner and I find great joy in sharpening our novice mixology skills in our kitchen overlooking the Douglas fir-covered hills of Eugene, Oregon. Having daily access to thousands of herbal delights at Mountain Rose Herbs has really upped our homemade cocktail game!

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Posted by Raychel

How to Make Your Own Herbal Capsules

Do you take herbal capsules regularly? Did you know that it's super easy (and cost-effective) to make your own? Unlike grabbing a bottle off the store shelf, making capsules at home allows you to know that the herbs you're taking are fresh, organic, free from fillers, and formulated to suit your specific needs. 

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Posted by Raychel

WELCOME

We offer one of the most thorough selections of certified organic herbs, spices, and botanical products and are commited to responsible sourcing.