Why Mountain Rose Herbs Chooses Oregon Tilth as Its Organic Certifier

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. 

Read More
Posted by Shawn

Small Gifts & Stocking Stuffers Under $20



Gift-giving can be difficult, especially during the holidays. Finding the right gift at the right price is hard enough, but then layer on crowded parking lots, long shopping lines, and inclement weather, and you have yourself a recipe for holiday stress! We just don’t need that added pressure in our already hectic lives.

With this in mind, I curated a simple list of budget-friendly gift ideas that you can have delivered right to your doorstep. You’ll find the perfect gifts for the health enthusiast, foodie, tea lover, or fragrance connoisseur in your life. (Or for yourself; you also deserve it!)

Read More
Posted by Jessicka

Goldenseal: Planting a Future for One of Our Most At-Risk Herbs

Although goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) was used by First Nations peoples for hundreds of years before Europeans arrived in the Americas, the first written source regarding goldenseal appears in an 1801 series of essays by botanist and physician Benjamin Smith Barton titled Towards a Materia Medica in the United States. Early colonists found a well-established trade network already in place for medicinal herbs, including goldenseal. Indigenous people used it as a dye and also for a variety of health issues, including as a bitter to support digestion, as a skin and eye wash, and as a dental rinse. By the 1830s, goldenseal was also a favorite of practitioners of Eclectic medicine, and demand was increasing exponentially. That demand has never let up and today goldenseal is considered to be one of the most at-risk herbs on United Plant Savers' At-Risk Medicinal Plants List. There is, however, a potentially bright future for goldenseal thanks to innovations in cultivation.

Read More
Posted by Heidi

Buy Nothing Day: A Stand Against Throw-Away Culture

For many years, we have celebrated Buy Nothing Day. Founded in Canada in 1992, the Buy Nothing Movement arose in protest of mass consumerism and the throw-away culture that accompanies it. The movement has grown and evolved over the past decades to include more than 65 nations. The biggest shopping day of the year—the day after Thanksgiving, or Black Friday—has become the movement’s international day of protest: Buy Nothing Day. Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we applaud this effort and wholly support Buy Nothing Day! Overconsumption eats up natural resources and puts our planet in peril. As the CEO and owner of Mountain Rose Herbs, I encourage you NOT to shop with us on Friday, November 24, 2023. The fact that we, as a society, have created a national holiday of shopping suggests that our priorities need realignment. Buy Nothing Day is our act of pushback.

Read More
Posted by Shawn

American Ginseng: A Forest Grown Future


As you know, we spend a lot of time thinking about at-risk herbs and what we can all do to support these botanical allies. The issue of overharvesting in the wild is a key reason why Mountain Rose Herbs is increasingly turning to cultivated herbs when possible and why we support certified organic forest farming, particularly for hard-hit herbs like North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). We know that to ethically procure these valuable botanicals, they must be consciously and mindfully gathered and harvested. We only work with growers and harvesters who have been fully vetted, who we can trust to cultivate, harvest, and handle our plant allies with the respect and care they deserve. With that in mind, we’d like to show you what successful forest farming looks like.

Read More

Mountain Rose Herbs’ Alternative-Fuel and Electric Vehicle Fleet

If you’ve been reading along on the Mountain Rose Herbs blog, you know we’re always looking for ways that we can make smart business choices that address climate change and invest in the health and wellbeing of our community and our planet. Committing to our alternative-fuel and electric fleet of company vehicles is one key piece to this commitment.

Read More
Posted by Shawn

Ethical Issues in the Herb Industry: Wildharvesting vs. Cultivation

At Mountain Rose Herbs, we have been in a years-long process of shifting our procurement policies away from wildharvested herbs in favor of cultivated ones whenever possible. This policy was necessitated by the increasing impact of overharvesting on some of the most popular herbs and spices around the world. In some cases, for instance with white sage (Salvia apiana), we have been able to source excellent organic, cultivated options, which means we can continue to offer this herbal ally with a good conscience. In other cases, however, as with false unicorn (Chamaelirium luteum) and trillium (Trillium spp.), we have chosen to discontinue carrying an herb because we simply cannot find an ethical way to procure it. As we are navigating an increasingly complex procurement reality, I want to give you a peek behind the curtain, as it were, into why and how we determine what we can sell while prioritizing the overall wellbeing of people, plants, and planet.

Read More
Posted by Shawn

Bloodroot: How We Can Create a Bountiful Future for an At-Risk Herb

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is one of those herbal allies that has been with North Americans for as long as anyone can remember. For thousands of years, First Nations Peoples used different parts of the plant for a wide variety of issues ranging from skin problems to respiratory and gastrointestinal complaints, and also used it to make dyes. European immigrants, eclectic medicine practitioners, and others learned from the local indigenous peoples and by the early 19th century, bloodroot was officially listed in the United States Pharmacopeia. Today, literally tons of bloodroot are wildharvested every year. Lets talk about the challenges this herbal ally is facing and how we can support its bountiful future.

Read More
Posted by Heidi

How to Protect At-Risk Plants & Ecosystems While Enjoying Nature

Read More
Posted by Jessicka

Black Cohosh: A Powerhouse Herb to Use and Source Mindfully+ Recipe for Hot Flashes

Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) is one of the top-selling herbal supplements in the United States. According to United Plant Savers (UpS), the harvest of black cohosh in our nation is as much as half-a-million pounds in dry weight per year—and 97% of that harvest is wild-sourced! This level of massive-scale wildharvesting has repercussions and raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of this powerhouse herb. Fortunately, unlike some of our other favorite forest-farmed botanicals, black cohosh is easy to cultivate. While this doesn’t address the immediate issue, it does give us hope for a bright future. Let’s take a deeper look at what we can do to support a sustainable future for black cohosh.

Read More
Posted by Heidi

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.

Read More
Posted by Jessicka

WELCOME

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

Why Mountain Rose Herbs Chooses Oregon Tilth as Its Organic Certifier

Sustainable, equitable food systems require alliances and healthy working relationships. We invite you to learn more about Oregon Tilth Certified Organic.
WRITTEN BY Shawn

January 5, 2023

Small Gifts & Stocking Stuffers Under $20

If you are looking for budget-friendly gift ideas for the health enthusiast, foodie, tea lover, or fragrance connoisseur in your life, then look no further than our 2023 small gift guide. All items are between 3 and 20 dollars, making them ideal for small gifts or stocking stuffers!
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

December 2, 2022

Goldenseal: Planting a Future for One of Our Most At-Risk Herbs

Goldenseal is one of the most at-risk plants in North America. Learn more about a new method of cultivation for goldenseal's sustainable future.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

December 1, 2022

Buy Nothing Day: A Stand Against Throw-Away Culture

Black Friday sales promote overconsumption that impacts our earth. Learn how to participate in Buy Nothing Day and push back against throw-away culture.
WRITTEN BY Shawn

November 21, 2022

American Ginseng: A Forest Grown Future

We are increasingly turning to cultivated herbs and certified organic forest farming to procure at-risk herbs like North American ginseng.
WRITTEN BY The Mountain Rose Herbs Team

September 22, 2022

Mountain Rose Herbs’ Alternative-Fuel and Electric Vehicle Fleet

Committing to an alternative-fuel and electric fleet of company vehicles is part of our commitment to invest in the health of our community and our planet
WRITTEN BY Shawn

September 21, 2022

Ethical Issues in the Herb Industry: Wildharvesting vs. Cultivation

Learn more about why we are in the process of shifting our procurement policies away from wild-harvested herbs in favor of cultivated ones whenever possible.
WRITTEN BY Shawn

August 16, 2022

Bloodroot: How We Can Create a Bountiful Future for an At-Risk Herb

Bloodroot is an herbal ally that has been with us for as long as anyone can remember. Learn how you can help support its bountiful future.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

August 3, 2022

How to Protect At-Risk Plants & Ecosystems While Enjoying Nature

Each step that we take and every river stone we turn has an impact. Here are nine ways that you can be good land stewards while hiking, biking, camping, and enjoying nature.
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

July 22, 2022

Black Cohosh: A Powerhouse Herb to Use and Source Mindfully+ Recipe for Hot Flashes

Black cohosh is a powerhouse herb known for helping with hot flashes and night sweats that go with menopause. Learn how you can help create a sustainable future for black cohosh.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

June 20, 2022

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