Our Values
Local & Sustainable - Healing Herbs - Ethical Wildcrafting - Joy
At Sweet Belly Farm we believe that even as a small business we can make a big difference in our community and to the health and well-being of our customers. We make sure that we are encouraging pollinators and soil biology by planting perennial herbs and flowers, using as little tillage as possible and never herbicides or pesticides. We only use healing herbs and fruit from our local area that have been grown in a sustainable way or wildcrafted ethically. Other ingredients are sourced just as carefully, using organic and fair trade products whenever possible. Lastly, we practice JOY, infusing FUN into our daily life just as carefully as we infuse healing herbs into oil!
Local & Sustainable - Obtaining food and medicine from our local area makes sense in so many ways. In Idaho we are blessed with both cultivatable land and accessible wild areas, meaning we can grow and wildcraft an amazing amount of different plants. Local products have a lower carbon footprint because they don't have to travel miles and miles. We also have a lot more knowledge of how ingredients are produced, and how the land is being taken care of. At Sweet Belly Farm we grow or source all of our herbs and fruit from the local area, and other ingredients such as carrier oils we source from companies that are full of integrity, such as organic and fair trade.
Healing Herbs - Plants are the oldest, most diverse, and a readily abundant form of medicine in nature, no matter how developed or remote. Herbs used for medicine have dozens and sometimes hundreds of bioactive compounds - which often work better together rather than isolated compounds produced in the laboratory. As a whole, plant medicine produces less side effects and a more even path to healing. At Sweet Belly Farm, we believe that plants are a safe, effective, and sustainable way to promote healing. We actively seek out herbs that grow wild in our area, and choose to grow others that we feel are important to our health. We recognize that some herbs that we use may not be safe or effective for certain groups of people, such as women who may be pregnant, small children, or people taking medications. We ask that you consult a doctor before use of herbal products if you are concerned you may be affected adversely.
Ethical Wildcrafting – Un-cultivated, wild land is by far it’s own best ecological regulator. By tapping into natural by-products of this healthy ecosystem, we are simply another harvester on the landscape, one more bird, bear, or elk. We aren’t cultivating land that is meant to be unbroken, or planting a different composition of species than the native vegetation. We wildcraft the same kinds of plants that the indigenous peoples of the area used successfully for generations, never taking more than a small percentage of each population. We follow the abundance, and chose plants that are quick to grow back or are slightly invasive, such as Mullein, St. John's Wort, and Cottonwood. Some of the other plants that we typically find in the wild are Elderberry, Arnica, Rosehips, and Yarrow.
Joy - All the products we make are inspired by a joyful process, whether it be searching for plants out in the woods, mixing up the salves, or simply the wonderful taste of a pure jam. How great it is to see these plants spring from the soil and transform into beautiful flowers and yummy smelling and tasting herbs! We have a ton of fun growing herbs, finding them in the wild, drying them just the right amount and especially love using them for our own medicine. Laughter and smiles infuse into each and every day for us at Sweet Belly Farm!