Rain had been falling for the better part of the last week but on the morning of Wednesday, December 7^th, with the skies partially clear, the Mountain Rose Herbs Green Team was working to enhance the landscape at our new campus. By midday, we had carefully planted two Aspen, 24 Kinnikinnick, 34 Ponderosa, and 250 Camas bulbs into the expanding green space that makes up the western border of the property. Five staff members, working for a total of 10 hours, completed this work as part of our effort to build a vibrant landscape that blurs the lines between the commercial/industrial use of the facilities and an ecosystem that is representative of the southern Willamette Valley.

The first time I ever helped someone’s sleeplessness and stress with a simple tisane blend, I felt such a strong sense of familiarity, rightness, and resonance that I knew that something in my life had irrevocably changed. Stepping from curiosity into active involvement in herbalism was a form of initiation for me, a door opening into a world I’d always wanted to be a part of, but wasn’t sure I was good enough for. This transition also shifted my role in my community, and I became a person that others came to for help, advice, support, and information much more often than previously.

When it comes to hair care, a routine of deep conditioning can make a huge difference in the health and appearance of your hair and scalp. Choosing the right oils is one of the key parts of this process, so I have broken down some of my favorite oils for hair care and shared a luscious hot oil treatment that I formulated for weekly use. 

Citrus essential oils are bright, sweet, and sour and are known to bring a smile to your face. They are energetically uplifting and engaging and pack a punch in DIY cleaning products. But which one should you use?

People often assume that sustainability is not compatible with the tenets of successful business management. However, Mountain Rose Herbs is an excellent example of how a company can be guided by the principle of putting people, plants, and planet before profit and how business decisions can successfully consider both the environmental and social impact of operational choices and costs. Keeping sustainability at the core of our business practices means we are aware of the full cost of doing business and we make decisions consciously to minimize any negative impact that our company might have on our community, ecosystems, and ultimately the planet. With a history rooted in environmental and social activism, we cannot imagine operating a business any other way.

Over the years, I’ve fallen in love with many herbs. Some come and go, others stick with me day after day once they’ve become part of my life. This nourishing infusion blend weaves together four of my long-term herbal allies. As a go-to for drinking daily, it is beloved by many in my extended community.

In our quest to unravel the tangled strings of phytochemistry, it’s important to understand that it takes time and practice to grasp the ins and outs. Taking it slowly, leaning into one constituent group at a time, can help the herbalist fully embrace their actions and needs. While studying the constituents in plants and the menstrua that extract and preserve them seems a bit too “science-y” for some, remember that is what the alchemists of yesterday were all about.

Many of us experience busy mornings, juggling personal preparations with the needs of our children and other responsibilities. But it’s important to make time for breakfast, to give your body something substantial to solidly start your day. By making blends ahead of time, you can quickly and easily nourish yourself with either a hearty oatmeal blend or a lighter chia blend, topped with nuts. You

can also mix and match my “power powder” herbal blends according to your seasonal needs and individual constitution. Have fun, create something delicious in bulk, and store it in a big jar to easily and quickly satisfy your daily breakfast needs! 

I am not known for my ability to sit still. I am always moving, shaking, and thinking of all of the things that need to get done. This is the main reason that meditation has always been a bit of a struggle for me. I really enjoy it and see its vast benefits, but this act of slowing down does not come easily to me. So, I was delighted to discover that I could reach for some trusted herbal allies to help me slow down, break the cycle of an overactive mind, and sit still for longer than five minutes.

In 2001, when we moved Mountain Rose Herbs from California to Pleasant Hill, Oregon, we made the move to be closer to our farm partners, wildharvesters, and processors. But another key factor in our decision was Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO), a Corvallis, Oregon nonprofit that was reimagining how the world’s food systems could work better for people and the planet. Founded on the fundamental belief that our food and agricultural systems should be sustainable and equitable, Oregon Tilth has spent nearly fifty years workingfororganic food and farming. 

Photos courtesy of Kiva Rose Hardin

Our botanical sanctuary and primitive homestead in the mountains of New Mexico runs on solar power, and during these shortest days of the year, solar can be in short supply. While this can make keeping up with online work more challenging, it also means we’re more likely to take advantage of the quiet and dark to reflect and reset. As I write this, our usually calf-deep river is raging through the narrow mountain canyon, too deep and fast to cross even in a kayak, much less on foot. The clouds are thick overhead and freezing rain pelts the gray skeletons of the cottonwoods.