Selling Out

I thought for a long time how I would title this post. There is no real way to sugar coat it, when someone sells out they sell out. This is the case with a supplement company that I truly valued. They started out with a truly innovative concept, food based vitamins. Nutrients derived from whole, organic foods that were then fermented and the end result was a highly bio-available supplement that was healthy for everyone to take: young, old, sick, well, it didn’t matter, New Chapter was the go-to for several years.

Then I did the training with another company: Megafood. They shone the light on the fact that although New Chapter was producing a live food based supplement, their process of drying the slurry was above a live food temperature (130 degrees) henceforth killing most of the live nutrients they created. Huh. That didn’t seem right to me, I continued on my path of research and realized that yes indeed this was true. The live, enzymatic rich food based vitamins that they were advertising weren’t really live after all. First level of disappointment for me.

Second level of disappointment came during the annual health food trade shows. A colleague at the time went to the show in Vancouver and encountered the New Chapter booth. The level of salesmanship was corporate to say the least, not the sustainable based company where I would want to put my money. I won’t go into details but lets just say the report to me was that ‘hard-sell’ was on the menu as the main entree.  This left a bad taste in my mouth.

Yesterday came the third level of disapointment. The sell out. New Chapter has now been bought out by Proctor and Gamble the same company that brings you Tide laundry detergent, Pringles potato chips, Dawn dishwashing soap, and Bounce dryer sheets (can you even think of a more offensive chemical laundry product?) will be bringing you New Chapter supplements, too.

Three strikes, your out! Well New Chapter has been out for a while for me, but I really needed to share this. Where do you want your hard earned money to go? Its really time we put our buck where our ethics lie.

Learn more at Natural News. 

Upcoming Events at Emery Herbals

Its a very exciting time here in the valley, spring is beginning to show itself bit by bit, in fact just today I realized the onslaught of ants into the yurt has begun. (For the those who aren’t in the know, its true, me and my little family are living in a yurt).

Lots of events are coming up in the next while, I am pretty stoked. I feel like I have been having an idea brainstorm extravaganza. First thing that is happening is I am guesting at the Network for New Moms event next week. I guested at this event in the fall and it was so much fun. A free lunch is put on for all the young families in the valley, there are tables of free clothing where you can either donate to or take what you need, there is outreach service information but most of all you get to meet lots of really dynamic families and their cute babies and young toddlers. I am giving away tea samples as I did last time but this time around I am doing mini-iridology check ups and there will be a draw for a free consultation with me!

The next exciting event planned is the After School Kids’ Herb Club that starts on April 4th. Once a week I will meet with my mini apprentices to go for a little herb walk, draw in our materia medica sketchbooks, complete a herbal blending project/craft and learn of a herbal folklore tale. This has been such a wonderful event to plan for! I can’t wait to show the kids all the fun stuff I have planned.

There are also several workshops on the horizon: I am teaching an Intro to Essential Oils through the Slocan Valley Seniors Organization, I am going to teach my Radiation Protection for the 21 Century again (hoping to have it be a tad more uplifting this time!), other workshops in the midst are double extraction mushroom medicine making, fun fermentation and family foundational wellness but these will be taught closer to the end of summer.

Finally, and I mean finally, I am getting my Etsy Shop up and running. This has been a super long time coming and for those of you who have been patiently waiting (I haven’t forgot!) I will be making it worth your while. Keep checking the blog for the official grand opening day, most likely in the next week. Yeah!

Happy end of winter/early spring everyone! Till next time, as my friend William would say: Be Well.

Open for Business!

I did it! I successfully opened up my business here in Winlaw. I am so happy to be here, in this little mountain village. Everyday that I come to the studio, open the doors, get the aroma diffuser running and the tea brewing I am reminded I am here at my long term goal realized. Its a truly humbling and gratifying experience.

Here is a few shots from the apothecary and studio.

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