Organic Ingredients
It has long been told… A product can only be as good as what went into it...

Wildcrafted Herbs
All of our wildcrafted herbs are ethically hand picked from their natural environment.  Where stands are abundant herbs are picked in our local Cascade mountains, otherwise plants come fresh or dried from where they are abundant in their natural habitat.  Here in the still lush mountains of Oregon we are so blessed with hillsides of some of our finest plant allies.  All of our wildcrafting is done with the sustainability not only of the plant’s stand in mind, but of the greater ecosystem in which it is intricately interwoven.  Our stands are tended and monitored each year for health, impact, and various other considerations in an attempt to understand the microcosmic ecosystems playing out, but more certainly to watch the all the plant species in the forest and help them survive and flourish.  To ensure a plant is not being widespread over-harvested, and in an effort to encourage responsible wildcrafting, we thoroughly document the ecosystems we visit and watch all the flora present for signs of things like disease or over impacting an area.  Wildcrafting is more than picking plants; it’s just sitting and watching them throughout all the seasons, understanding their mysteries, as well as getting to know their friends.  To the strictest sense we advocate and demand ethical, sustainable, restorative wildcrafting. We pick most of our herbs with our own hands, but if we do not, much care is taken to ensure the ethical, ecological sustainability of our wildcrafter’s picking methods.

Organically Grown Herbs
Many botanicals are organically grown on one of our two Certified Organic Farms near Eugene, Oregon.  We take care to nurture each plant’s therapeutic qualities from seed to extract.  We keep a congruent consciousness through the seasons by saving seed from our patches where many plants will not only grow to amazing size, but produce hearty, viable seed.   Some plants that are/could be wildcrafted are also or exclusively organically grown to take pressure off of wild stands.   Connecting ourselves to the land through tending the plants, building the soil, relating to the people, and understanding the ways we all fit together is the way we weave our lives on a daily basis.  Growing good food and herbs for the better health of all of life is the basis of who we are.

Organic Alcohol
There is a lot of debate about whether it is that important to use organic alcohol when what is left over is pure neutral spirits.  While it is true that very few chemical contaminants would make it through the distillation process used to obtain a neutral spirit, we feel that the essence behind that spirit must be clear and clean to have a truly healthful solvent.  A major factor is the effect of the agriculture employed to produce the raw grain on the surrounding ecosystem.  We must bear in mind that the local environment is where the plants are coming from and they can only be as clean as their air and water allow.  For this reason we use only pharmaceutical grade, certified organic neutral spirits in support of organic agriculture.  As each herb’s specific phytochemical profile dictates, each menstruum batch is diluted with filtered water and glycerin if necessary to the appropriate proportion for extracting and holding in solution the desired constituents of each botanical.  All labels are marked with the alcohol content by volume and are within +/- 5% of the real volume. 

Organic Oil
All of our Herbal Oil Extracts use certified organic olive oil to extract them.  We use a low heat and constant stirring system to extract each botanical into the oil.  Olive oil is preferable for its ability to extract the constituents from plant material better than other oils and for its natural preserving effects. .  Most of our infused oils sold individually have vitamin E added to help preserve the freshness.  We recommend refrigerating your oils when not in use to prolong their life. 

Vegetable Glycerin
Herbal Glycerites are made with a base of vegetable glycerin when it is necessary to extract the proper constituents, and for compliance by alcohol sensitive individuals and children.  Some alcohol based tinctures have glycerin added to help in the synergistic effects of multiple constituents and prevent precipitation of active constituents.  While we have not found a certified organic supplier, we use the highest quality glycerin available, derived from coconut and palm sources.

Essential Oils
We take great care in sourcing the essential oils we use in making our products.  Some herbal glycerites are preserved with essential oils and they are in our Herbal Oil Extract Formulas for therapeutic activity and as a mild preservative.  We only use pure, edible, therapeutic grade, certified organic essential oils in our products.  We are in the early stages of producing our own essential oils exclusively for use in our products.

All contents © Copyright American Herbal Dispensary, Inc. 2009
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