Farm practices

Growing and Harvesting

Our MEDICINAL herbs are carefully managed in proper organic conditions; we sow, plant and hand-harvest them and in this way, we can control the superior quality of our products. Herbs are harvested at the peak of their medicinal properties. We hand pick, in order to prevent damage to the leaves and as a result their valuable volatile oils are preserved, which means the herbs retain their freshness, flavour and healing power for much longer.

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Drying and Storing

The herbs then get bundled and hung up or put loose on to drying racks for air-drying in a well-ventilated shed. After the herbs are fully dried, we store them in 3-layered paper-bags or in air-tight (air-sealed?) glass jars. The paper-bags are stored in fifty-five gallon fiber drums with gaskets for the best sealing.

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Garbling and Packaging

The garbling (the industry term for separating herb leaf from stem) we do by hand just before we hand pack the teas and tea blends into environmental-friendly packaging, ready for orders shipped out or for the farmers market.

    

Weeding and Disease control

Most weeding is done by hand with Long-Handled Tools and with the ”Glaser” Wheel Hoe. We use “Neem Oil” for pest and disease prevention and control.

Irrigation

We use an overhead irrigation system, which works very well for us as we do direct-seeding for some perennials and for most of the annual medicinal and culinary herbs. After the direct seeding with a Single-Row Push Seeder, a constant moisture level is required for fast germination of the seeds.

Taking advantage of Cosmic Influences

Another way of meeting the challenges of growing wild plants in a managed environment is to take advantage of the influences that the moon, sun, planets and star exert on natural processes here on earth. One way we try to take advantage of these cosmic influences is to seed, plant, weed and harvest the herbs according to recommendations in the biodynamic calendar created by Maria and Matthias Thun.

The Unique properties of individual plants and herbs

What makes our products unique is that we only use certified organic herbs grown on the farm or wildcrafted from our land and woods.

Each product is carefully designed and has its special healing properties.

The teas are a combination of European and North American Medicinal and Native herbs and are designed to help repair damaged tissues, soothe the nerves and calm the spirit.