Sourced from nature, crafted by hand
From each stage of the process, I try to start with the most raw form of my materials for my own hands to work with. I want to be the one to dig into the soil to plant the seed, find the wild medicine in the forests, harvest the abundance of the land. For what I cannot do myself, I try to find support from my local community for the best sources.
I take pride in using safe ingredients. Everything I use is nontoxic and I strive to commit to ecofriendly practices.
Herbal Teas
The Source: I harvest all of my own herbs in local natural areas. Most of my herbs come from the Great Lakes region, but I occasionally wildcraft while travelling.
Sheepskins
The Source: My Sheepskins are sourced from meat processors that would otherwise throw away the skins. Many of the sheep are raised by small farmers with only a few sheep in a herd who raise meat to feed their own family.
The Process: Sheepskins are preserved with citric acid and salt solution and then tanned using strong extracts of plants high in tannic acid. Sheepskins are tanned in small batches by hand.
Tallow Balms
The Source: Beef fat and Sheep fat are sourced from local farmers. I try to ensure that it is from organic and pastured raised animals.
I also use jojoba oil that is sourced from the US.
Herbs are wild harvested in my local forests from only clean areas. I harvest or grow all my own herbs.
The Process: Animal fat is rendered and then infused with herbs. Jojoba is also infused with herbs. and are whipped to a creamy texture.
My story
I have been wild harvesting plants and learning traditional skills to live along side my natural landscapes for almost two decades. I’m an herbalist, naturalist, illustrator, willow basket maker and hide tanner. Over the years, I’ve made a living outside in nature working as a wildlife technician and nature connection educator.
I’ve lived in many places in North America, but my roots began in Wisconsin, running in the woods with field guides drawing botanical illustrations of interesting plants. I knew from a young age I couldn’t imagine a life without being immersed in wildlife and natural places.
In every place I have lived or visited, I would be knee deep in river water with an armful of wild plants, ready to make medicine where people see a wall of green. I sought connection where ever I found myself, from the isolated wilderness of Alaska to ocean side of Maine, trying to play my part for creating a better world centered around reciprocity with the Earth. In each of those places, I learned a traditional skill or craft, be it hide tanning, basket making, herbalism, survival skills. Anything to feel connected to my landscape.
I am hoping to take all that I have learned and share it to those around me. I hope my offerings connect people to the root of what we need more than ever, a reminder of our relationship with nature.
No matter what people do, it still always comes from the ground, the air, or the water around us. Most of the things we own pass through many hands, travel long distances and change until its unrecognizable from its source, all at the cost of people and the land we live on. I want to play my part in disrupting that pattern and for people to share a relationship with their local landscapes.