How Mountain Rose Herbs’ Alternative Commute Program Propels Change

Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we want to minimize our carbon footprint both as a company and as a collective community of individuals. One way we do this is through our Alternative Commute Program. For years, we have been encouraging our team members to stay healthy and reduce carbon emissions by not traveling to work in single-occupancy vehicles. This year, to further incentivize and increase participation, we improved the payout structure of the program.

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Posted by Jessicka

How to Choose High Quality Herbs and Spices

Recently, as I was making soup with my three-year-old granddaughter and teaching her to pronounce galangal root, I found myself in an extended game of “name that spice.” It turns out you can get through an entire elaborate Thai soup recipe with a toddler in this way; I highly recommend it. It goes something like this: Cute toddler points at spice jar and asks, “What is that spice?” Adult says, “Paprika. Smell it, what do you think?” Cute toddler makes funny face and spies another spice that looks similar. “Is that paprika too?” Adult is impressed. “Good eye, that’s smoked paprika. Does it smell different?” And on it goes like that through the colored jars. In this way, I was reminded that I have so many jars of excellent dried herbs and spices and it’s definitely time to check them for freshness.

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Posted by Heidi

How Mountain Rose Herbs Fosters a Company Culture of Giving

Mountain Rose Herbs was built on uncompromising principles of ethical and sustainable sourcing of botanicals, but our purpose extends beyond that in the ways we give back. As many of you already know, we donate extensively to environmental nonprofits. But we’ve also created ways for our employees to support local causes that are important to them. In 2011, we launched a Workplace Giving Program in partnership with EarthShare. This employee-led program has generated thousands of dollars in charitable giving to community groups via donations from our employees, which we helped to facilitate through easy and convenient monthly paycheck deductions.

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Posted by Maia

Why Organic Seaweed is Important

In the last couple of years, the global demand for seaweeds has skyrocketed. Its no surprise, as seaweed offers a stunning array of nutritional benefits and packs a unique salty and umami punch due to its high glutamate content. Seaweed is also used in a variety of non-food applications, including cosmetics and beauty products, scientific research, traditional medicinal applications, biofuels, fertilizers, and more. Considering all the uses for these aquatic plants and the increase in demand for such products, it is more important than ever to consider best practices for harvesting and processing these precious materials. It is this consideration that drives Mountain Rose Herbs to work closely with our harvest partners in offering organically certified seaweeds.

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Posted by Katheryn

Organic Herb Sourcing: The Bigger Picture

In 1987 Mountain Rose Herbs was founded on a commitment to sustainably source all of our botanicals, and since then we’ve made every effort to uphold that commitment. One of the most important aspects of keeping that promise is ensuring transparency in the supply chains for each lot of material that we receive in our warehouse. Maintaining this requires a close relationship between Mountain Rose and our farm partners, and this relationship is managed by our Procurement team.

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Posted by Katheryn

BRING Business Program Adds Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Component

You’ve heard us say before that the foundational principle of Mountain Rose Herbs is “people, plants, and planet are more important than profit.” A primary element of how we succeed in keeping that ethic at the core of everything we do is the recognition that no matter how much we strive for excellence as human beings and as a company, it really does “take a village” to create change and to set ourselves always on a path of growth and learning. We have been building working relationships with like-minded companies, organizations, nonprofits, and individuals for more than three decades in order to put strategic action to our principles. One of these longstanding alliances is with BRING, a local nonprofit that has been working to change attitudes and behaviors about waste for 50 years.

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Posted by Shawn

A Promise of Permanence

We are living in unpredictable times. This sounds like an obvious statement when the entire world is reeling from two years of pandemic and social and political unrest, and it seems as if everything is spinning out of our control. We are indeed living through precarious times, but what I am referring to specifically in this blog is the nature of business and industry. The herbal products industry has changed enormously over the last few years, and in my opinion, it’s not been for the best. Most of the herbal companies that we have worked with, that we have known and admired for decades, have now been acquired by private equity firms, investment holdings, and venture capitalists. I have never witnessed anything like this in the 22 years I have been at Mountain Rose Herbs. Our community has grown significantly smaller, and the industry is pushing hard towards a profit-driven business model that is the antithesis of everything I believe in. This disturbing reality has made me think a lot about permanence: permanence, and predictability, and being a brand that people can trust.

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Posted by Shawn

10 Tips for Starting and Running a Natural Products Business

As a bulk supplier of organic ingredients, we work with many businesses in the natural products industry. Part of our business relationship with these other organizations includes an exchange of tips and insights about running a company in an always-changing landscape. I want to share with you some of what I have learned about business development in my years with Mountain Rose Herbs. Whether you are considering starting a business, want to grow the one you have, or you’re simply interested in how successful companies thrive, these are some of the most helpful tips I have learned along the way.

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Posted by Shawn

Meet Our On-Staff Certified Aromatherapist

In the past few years, interest in aromatherapy has skyrocketed. More and more people are looking at alternative ways to manage their own wellness, build resilience, and create a peaceful, clean space to rejuvenate and renew. Increasingly, people are reaching out to us with questions, and inevitably we look to our Director of Product Development and Certified Aromatherapist, Christine, to provide us with guidance. Having a talented aromatherapist on staff and continuing to invest in her ongoing professional development has been one of the best decisions for both Mountain Rose Herbs and our wonderful customers. Christine brings remarkable expertise to both product creation and quality control, keeps us in close touch with the aromatherapy community and trade associations, and is the mastermind behind our new lines of oil blends and essential oil kits. She also has excellent insights for others who are interested in pursuing aromatherapy personally or professionally. We love her story, and we want to share it with you, along with her tips for those who have discovered their own passion for essential oils and want to learn more.

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Posted by Heidi

Did You Know That We Are an Oregon Benefit Company?

You already know that Mountain Rose Herbs is a purveyor of organic herbs, essential oils, teas, and exceptional botanical offerings. And you've probably read that we are serious about putting people, plants, and planet before profit with everything we do: from supporting sustainable agriculture to encouraging employee volunteerism. What you may not have known is that in 2018 these values led us to become an Oregon Benefit Company.

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Posted by Maia

Alternative Commute Incentives Add up to Big Change

Before I moved to Eugene in March of 2010, I drove a car every day, everywhere. Living in the suburbs of Boston, it was necessary. I didn’t know anyone who didn’t drive to work, to the grocery store, or even to the gym. When I arrived, I brought my mindset with me and drove everywhere: to work (ten blocks from home), to the grocery store (twelve blocks), and the gym (just over a mile). In my first three months here, I clocked fewer than a hundred miles and made three car payments—clearly not an economical way to get around! I sold my car that June and bought a used bicycle.

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Posted by Julia

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WELCOME

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

How Mountain Rose Herbs’ Alternative Commute Program Propels Change

This year, Mountain Rose Herbs increased our paid incentives to carpool, bicycle, walk, and take public transportation to work. Learn how we are evolving and improving our Alternative Commute Program.
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

June 9, 2022

How to Choose High Quality Herbs and Spices

The best quality dried botanicals have superior flavor, nutrient value, and food safety. Learn why product testing is key and how to test for freshness.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

May 20, 2022

How Mountain Rose Herbs Fosters a Company Culture of Giving

At Mountain Rose Herbs, our purpose extends beyond our ethical and sustainable sourcing of botanicals to the many ways we give back to our local community.
WRITTEN BY Maia

May 19, 2022

Why Organic Seaweed is Important

How can seaweed become certified organic, why it's important, and what that process looks like.
WRITTEN BY Katheryn

January 6, 2022

Organic Herb Sourcing: The Bigger Picture

Procurement is more than relationship building. A good buyer takes into consideration the whole picture, from geological happenings to the quality of the final product, and everywhere in between.
WRITTEN BY Katheryn

December 8, 2021

BRING Business Program Adds Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Component

We work with BRING’s Rethink Business Program. They are helping businesses weave justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (J.E.D.I.) into workplaces
WRITTEN BY Shawn

November 29, 2021

A Promise of Permanence

The difference in a company and a brand comes down to permanence. Read what the Mountain Rose Herbs CEO has to say about balancing growth and ethics.
WRITTEN BY Shawn

October 12, 2021

10 Tips for Starting and Running a Natural Products Business

Learn 10 tips for starting and running a business in the natural products sector.
WRITTEN BY Shawn

September 3, 2021

Meet Our On-Staff Certified Aromatherapist

Learn why we have a certified aromatherapist on staff and hear what she says about aromatherapy education, certification, essential oil blending, etc.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

July 23, 2021

Did You Know That We Are an Oregon Benefit Company?

Imagine a world in which businesses provide a public benefit and positive impact on society and the environment. Learn how Mountain Rose Herbs is making that world a reality by becoming an Oregon Benefit Company!
WRITTEN BY Maia

May 20, 2021

Alternative Commute Incentives Add up to Big Change

We care for our employee's health and well-being by providing an Alternative Commute Bonus. Read how one bicyclist earned enough bonus for a new bike.
WRITTEN BY Julia

April 12, 2021