United Plant Savers: Protecting At-Risk Native Medicinal Plants

If you’ve spent time reading Mountain Rose Herbs blogs, you know that one of our primary concerns is the alarming and increasing loss of native plants. Because of overharvesting, climate change, and habitat destruction, some of the most important medicinal herbs in North America are at risk or endangered, and several are already critically imperiled. We are passionate about finding solutions for these precious botanicals, but like so many important causes on our planet, it takes a village. We need researchers, scientists, data collectors, herbalists, farmers, wildharvesters, state and federal lawmakers, herb suppliers, gardeners, and the list goes on. In addition to all of these essential roles, we need to build connections around the world with other dedicated plant people who may be seeing the same things in their part of the world. We need to understand what plants are at risk and what alternatives we can access. This is where our allies at United Plant Savers (UpS) step in.

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Posted by Heidi

Could Cutting-Edge Farming Practices Be the Answer to Ginseng's Survival?


For more than ten years, Mountain Rose Herbs has been working with United Plant Savers (UpS) and other conservation organizations to address the alarming decline in wild ginseng populations in North America. Despite concerted efforts and the support of federal and state governments, as well as ethical ginseng forest farmers and wildcrafters, the state of this precious botanical in the wild remains precarious due to overharvesting and habitat destruction. With that in mind, we are delighted to say that a new way of farming ginseng is providing hope for the future of Panax quinquefolius!

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Posted by Heidi

A Sustainable Company Culture Starts With Employee Wellness

If you’re at all familiar with Mountain Rose Herbs, chances are you’ve heard us proudly shout from the rooftops that sustainability is always on the brain here. The idea that all life can harmoniously co-exist alongside our planet—absent of imbalance between what is taken and what is provided—is a concept woven deeply into our company’s seams. Whether that be our commitment to organic agriculturefair trade relationships, zero-waste innovationplant and river conservation, or community support, we truly keep sustainability at the forefront of our minds.

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Posted by Hailey

The Value of Fair for Life Certification: A Cacao Case Study

Among the stellar organizations that Mountain Rose Herbs works with, our Fair for Life partnership is one that we are particularly proud of due to the demonstrable good that it does. Its principles impact people and the environments they live and work in around the world, as well as our community here in Eugene, Oregon.

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Posted by Thomas K.

Roasted Squash Seeds Recipe: A Tasty Way to Upcycle Squash Seeds

If I had a quarter for every time I’ve found myself guiltily staring down at the seed-speckled mushy remnants of a squash I freshly gutted, I’d be retired and roaming somewhere around the Oregon Coast by now. “What in the world am I supposed to do with all these seeds?,” I’d grumble to myself as the seeds seemingly stared back up at me with a desperate look of maybe, just maybe, this will be the day I use them to their full potential. Repurposing seeds that would otherwise be destined for the compost bin can feel intimidating, time-consuming, and messy (full disclosure – the messy part is true!).

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Posted by Hailey

Indigenous Burning Practices in Wildfire Management & Native Plant Propagation

On a warm October afternoon in 2021, roughly 40 personnel from Oregon forest agencies, area tribes, and conservation groups, including the Long Tom Watershed Council, gathered on the Andrew Reasoner Wildlife Preserve outside Eugene. Among them were a dozen Native American firefighter trainees who had spent the week learning the essentials of wildfire suppression. That the culmination of their training would be the deliberate burning of an eight-acre parcel of land might strike some as contrary, even outrageous. As a former National Park Ranger who served as a firefighter in the early 90s, this certainly flew in the face of the training I’d received.

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Are My Herbs Irradiated?! Learn About Irradiation in Our Food System & How to Avoid It

Irradiation of food is a topic that is increasingly showing up as a point of concern for Mountain Rose customers, so I want to take a minute to talk about this timely subject. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of food irradiation in 1963 to kill bacteria, molds, insects, etc. in wheat and flour. Today, the FDA has approved irradiation for fruits, vegetables, eggs in the shell, spices and seasonings, sprouting seeds, poultry, crustaceans and shellfish, and red meats. Food irradiation involves exposing foods to one of three different types of ionizing radiation: gamma rays from cobalt-60, x-rays, or electron beams. The FDA uses this technology to improve food safety and extend storage and shelf life. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organics Program (NOP), which oversees the nation’s organics labeling, prohibits the use of irradiation to treat organic products because the process alters the natural state of food. These two opposing views present consumers with something of a conundrum.

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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

Cornucopia Institute: Raising the Bar on Organic Standards

With so many options on the shelf at the grocery store, not to mention the enormous number of food selections from online sources, it is difficult to know that the food we eat is nutritious, delicious, and free of unwanted pesticides or preservatives. We see a lot of hype around one certification or another, with new standards being presented to us all the time. How do we know that the food we put on the table supports the health of our families, communities, and the planet?

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Posted by Buck

Mountain Rose Herbs Wins 100 Best Green Companies to Work for in Oregon (2022 & 2023)

Since its inception, Mountain Rose Herbs has put plants, people, and planet before profit. Led by these values, weve been a longtime leader on the list of green companies, helping to positively shape the herbal industry with environmentally focused initiatives. Our core values revolve around sustainability and as such, weve implemented innovative programs in energy efficiency, zero waste, and alternative commuting incentives.

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Posted by Jessicka

Seed Stewardship Project: How You Can Help At-Risk Plants

At Mountain Rose Herbs, botanicals are our business, and the industry has been growing year over year as more people realize the health-supporting benefits of our plant allies. Sounds great, doesn’t it? In many ways, this is a wonderful return to valuing the abundance the natural world has to offer while utilizing the myriad benefits that botanicals provide. Unfortunately, the ongoing and increasing impact of overharvesting wild plants has left many of our native populations at significant risk of decline or even extinction. For this reason, we have invested our time and energy in striking a balance between increasing the availability of the number of botanicals we offer and supporting the conservation of the most at-risk plant varieties. 

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Posted by Buck

WELCOME

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

United Plant Savers: Protecting At-Risk Native Medicinal Plants

Learn how Mountain Rose Herbs uses United Plant Savers' Species At-Risk List and List of Herbs & Analogs to help make ethical purchasing decisions.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

November 22, 2023

Could Cutting-Edge Farming Practices Be the Answer to Ginseng's Survival?

There is a new way of farming ginseng that provides hope for the future of Panax quinquefolius!
WRITTEN BY Heidi

November 17, 2023

A Sustainable Company Culture Starts With Employee Wellness

Discover the connections between personal wellness and sustainability and how Mountain Rose Herbs promotes a wellness-oriented company culture. 
WRITTEN BY Hailey

November 14, 2023

The Value of Fair for Life Certification: A Cacao Case Study

The social programs that our suppliers undertake with Fair for Life funds touch on everything from providing educational opportunities to empowering women with training to start their own farm operations.
WRITTEN BY Thomas K.

November 8, 2023

Roasted Squash Seeds Recipe: A Tasty Way to Upcycle Squash Seeds

Learn how to repurpose and roast squash seeds with dulse powder and discover why organic is a favorable choice when using squash for culinary creations.
WRITTEN BY Hailey

October 13, 2023

Indigenous Burning Practices in Wildfire Management & Native Plant Propagation

Before colonization, Indigenous women burned stands of huckleberries—called iwam—every four years. This practice is now being reintroduced for fire management and a healthier future for wild plants.
WRITTEN BY Brian Bull- Guest Writer

September 22, 2023

Are My Herbs Irradiated?! Learn About Irradiation in Our Food System & How to Avoid It

Food irradiation is common in mainstream food production in the United States. So what is irradiation and how does it affect your herbs and spices?
WRITTEN BY Heidi

September 8, 2023

Did You Know That We Are an Oregon Benefit Company?

Imagine a world in which businesses provide a public benefit and a 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

August 13, 2023

Cornucopia Institute: Raising the Bar on Organic Standards

Learn about the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit consumer education and watchdog organization helping to ensure a future for organic certification.
WRITTEN BY Buck

August 7, 2023

Mountain Rose Herbs Wins 100 Best Green Companies to Work for in Oregon (2022 & 2023)

In an anonymous state-wide survey, employees voted Mountain Rose Herbs in the top 25 Best Green Companies to Work for in Oregon in 2022 and 2023. We take our environmental and social responsibilities seriously and are honored to employ a team that values it as much as we do.
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

July 25, 2023

Seed Stewardship Project: How You Can Help At-Risk Plants

The goal of the Seed Stewardship Project is to raise awareness about at-risk plants that need our support. We hope that a solution-oriented approach of supplying free seeds to those able to plant them will help rebuild populations of these special plants.
WRITTEN BY Buck

July 13, 2023