...walking our talk, "no matter what the market demands..."
The following illustrates the point rather well: a decade or so, ago, the root of the wild plant we now call Eleuthero was being over wildcrafted in its native soil of Siberia. Such excess ,
when unchecked, can bring a wild population to endangerment,
on its way to extinction.
Our longtime reliable supplier of Eleuthero, known at the time as Siberian Ginseng Root, chose to stop buying any wild root till they were absolutely certain that the wildcrafting was done ETHICALLY thus no longer presenting danger to the plant populations.
As a result, Garden of Eden was out of Eleuthero root for approximately 9 months: not because we could not procure the wild root but because we CHOSE not to buy any from uncertified sources in order to support the WILD ONES' LIVELIHOOD.
Many of our clients were "hard put" without the support of Eleuthero, a fine ADAPTOGEN, in their lives. However, their
RESPECT for the plant, their APPRECIATION for its GREAT MEDICINE, their VISION and HEART BASED LIFE STYLE that knows to GIVE BACK , sustained their spirits and beings .
Together we were able to REJOICE , thanks in part to our "abstinence" and that of many others, as it became known that the wild POPULATIONS HAD RETURNED TO HEALTH and were available to us once more, ETHICALLY WILDCRAFTED, the only way we would have it!
Another success story is that of potent and widely used GOLDEN SEAL ROOT, -Hydrastis Canadensis- . It grows wild in the Eastern United States. Due to excessive wildcrafting it reached the point of being listed as ENDANGERED.
Different supplier, similar story. In the case of GOLDEN SEAL however, the only way it could again be available to herbal consumers was to attempt to raise it domestically: the "endangered" status of the plant made it clear that the wildcrafting days of Golden Seal root were over.
It took great love, determination, patience and creative genius , along with many years , for folks in the Midwest to actually succeed in creating the proper shady, sun-dappled conditions the plant so loves and needs. Today, 15 years or so "down the line", the Garden of Eden offers an organically grown Golden Seal Root from that area.
During those interim years, we did not carry any of the Endangered root. The medicine from Hydrastis is very potent and many rely upon it for a healthy life. We are very fortunate to live in a coastal area in California where another
BERBERINE rich plant grows in the wild .
Known as OREGON MOUNTAIN GRAPE ROOT, it grows profusely along the California/Oregon coast. During the Golden Seal "dry years", we wildcrafted Oregon Mountain Grape Root locally and had many successes with our tinctures.
The roots make a gorgeous dye.
To this day I prepare a blend named "ECHINACEA SUPREME" which is rich in the potent ANTI-MACROBIAL properties of Oregon Grape. Many in this area rely on that blend for their family winter health
