About us

 

Who are we? Well, allow us to introduce ourselves... Vance and Rachel Nordaker, a husband and wife team who knew a lot about herbs but very little about running a business and through trial and error, the help of sweet friends, many late nights, and the grace of God are here today. We are here today because we care about you and your families and want to share with you what has been so very helpful to us.

Herbalism is a passion of ours that began a number of years ago with a few simple health questions. We have always been questioners and lovers of learning and those few questions led to some light research and then more questions and hours of study and then whole books and shelves of books and eventually completing the coursework to become certified Family and Nutritional Herbalists and pursuing degrees as Master Herbalists. It kept being more and more to us because everything we learned about the intricacies of the human body and how all the body processes worked together in a perfectly designed balance enthralled us so deeply we had to know more. And as we learned about these seemingly simple plants - just leaves and roots and barks and flowers - that were so precisely balanced to nourish and heal the body processes, we just couldn't stop with knowing the basics.

So we started using all this knowledge to make some things for our own little family to use and then extended family. And then friends started asking us if they could have some for themselves and their loved ones. And to be honest we couldn't afford to keep giving away all that quantity of herb! So we started a little business. And it has grown, and we started to see that maybe this is something bigger than we thought. Maybe we can help further out and further out circles of people. And I guess that's the case because here you are today, curious enough to read a lengthy about us page. :)

Our philosophy of health is that of Modern Vitalism which we define as:
"The evidence based practice of reinforcing the body's natural healing processes.

Much of modern medicine today comes from an Atomist philosophy. They look at the body not as a whole working together but as individual atoms which they believe they need to control. In contrast we believe the body is perfectly designed and balanced and is trying to work toward wellness. This is evidenced in as simple an example as what your body does when it contracts a common cold. All the body systems work together to eliminate the sickness and bring the whole into wellness. So when we look at any health situation our question is not "What do we need to control?" but "What is the body trying to do to fix it, and how can we help it?"

One of our favorite things about herbs is that the body recognizes and know how to use them. It understands herbs much the same way it understands foods. It breaks it down into its components and directs those to where they are needed. Everything the body needs is fully assimilated. Everything it does not need is easily eliminated. It is so very safe for your body - so very natural. :)

We wish we were having this conversation over a cup of tea at the kitchen table and could talk a few more hours. But maybe someday. For now thank you for your interest and your trust. We hope what we have learned and made can be a blessing to you and your family.

Vance and Rachel