Mountain Rose Herbs@@http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/@@ is more than just high-quality herbs, spices and teas. It’s more than just another healthy boost to your diet. Mountain Rose Herbs is unlike any other tea place because it shows the advantages of organic agriculture, funds nonprofit organizations and develops cultivation programs for endangered botanicals.
Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar@@http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/newsletter/07/meet_theherbalist.html@@ started the company in 1987 to provide materials such as herbal goods for her students. She then moved to the East Coast, where she split the company into a retail shop and a catalog-based, mail-order company. In 1990, the current owner, Julie Bailey,@@http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/about/beginnings.php@@ purchased the company and ran it out of her house for many years. From the beginning, Bailey was sourcing herbs from local organic farms and small producers of herbs and spices.
Shawn Donnille, co-owner of the company, took over the purchasing in 1999 as the company slowly started to grow. Donnille decided that the company needed to focus on certified organics so he had Oregon Tilth certify the company@@http://tilth.org/certification/certification-spotlights-folder/mountain-rose-herbs@@. Because of Donnille’s huge success with offering a greater variety of products, strengthening the sustainability pledge, introducing a “strictly organic” emphasis on all of the products and the creation of a full scale website, Mountain Rose Herbs quickly outgrew their location in North San Juan.@@http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/about/beginnings.php@@
They knew it was time for a change and a bigger facility, which is why they moved their location to Eugene in 2001.
And the success of Donnille’s emphasis on organics is what makes the company so unique. Not only does Mountain Rose Herbs specialize in organic bulk herbs, spices and teas, they are also a zero-waste company.
Spokesperson Erin McIntosh said that being green is what is most important to the company.@@http://www.herbcompanion.com/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=744&tag=Erin%20McIntosh@@
“We’ve been working on this project for years,” she said. “We have won a whole bunch of awards for our green efforts because we recycle everything, and the company actually produces no waste.”
The box for their new 100 percent certified-organic tea line is the best example of these efforts. It is 100 percent post-consumer waste newspapers, and there is a “sources saved” panel on the bottom that gives the consumers a good idea of the actual energy usage, water saved and trees saved by switching over to this packaging.
Besides the incomparability of their green efforts, Mountain Rose Herbs has a strict focus on certified organic. When the company cannot find certified organic herbs, it sources plants that have been cultivated without chemicals or ethically wild-harvested plants.
“We make sure all of our herbs are sustainably harvested on site,” McIntosh said. “We also have a lab that tests all herbs that come in so we know they’re free of pesticides and other chemical contaminations.”
In the world outside the company, Mountain Rose Herbs maintains a strong presence in the community through sponsorships and involvement in local events. It has allocated $100,000 for environmental and organic-farming nonprofit groups in 2012. Last year, they even hosted Rootstalk, a benefit festival for Cascadia Wildlands that raised thousands of dollars in donations.@@http://www.rootstalkfest.com/@@
Known for its uncompromising commitment to organic agriculture and steadfast focus on the pure aesthetics and freshness of botanical products, Mountain Rose Herbs cares about people and the planet before profit. The company has paved an unforgettable path in the business world where it continues to inspire its employees and customers.
“Mountain Rose Herbs is the ongoing fulfillment of all my dreams, experience and ambition to help people heal themselves naturally,” Bailey said in a press release. “It is my passion, and I love what I do.”