With a 20-year career in the organic herbal industry, specializing in the procurement of medicinal and aromatic plants on a global scale, I take a special interest in understanding the complexities of the supply chain required to bring high-quality herbs, spices and oils to market in a sustainable way. Through domestic farm visits and international travel, I have grown to understand the barriers in collection and farming practices and have committed myself to development and outreach.
Previous efforts have led me to work on a UpS Forest Grown verified ginseng project with intention to stimulate domestic interest in American Ginseng with a vision to protect it. Currently, I am working with a UpS Forest Grown verified Goldenseal project in Appalachia as well as partnering with FairWild foundation for Eastern European botanicals. Transparency and ethical sourcing have been the root of my procurement practices while forging a future for the communities responsible for the botanicals the industry relies heavily on.
From an early age, I’ve gained knowledge and appreciation of plants and their origins. Farming, botany and plant conservation through cultivation have become lifelong pursuits. After earning a bachelors in Plant Science from Rutgers University, I specialized in propagation and agribusiness management, tropical agriculture, bioremediation and tissue culture, then continued doing research for the university and the EPA.
I have studied under various herbalists over the last two decades and am currently Alumni at the School of Spagyric and Alchemical Arts, practicing in the tradition of Paracelsus, Jean Dubois and the Philosophers of Nature.
Residing in rural Oregon I am employed by Herb Pharm LLC where I have the honor to source for a truly sustainable business model with showcase regenerative organic farmland dedicated to the cultivation of medicinal plants.