What we're all about.
Marjory Wildcraft, founder of The Grow Network, may be best known for her DVD series Grow Your Own Groceries, which has over a half million copies in use by homesteaders, foodies, preppers, universities, and missionary organizations around the world.
While growing most of her family's groceries (and teaching other's how to do the same) was her main intention when she set out on this journey in 2008, she quickly learned the value of the healing properties found in many plants. She found that a small selection of some very special plants enabled her to care for 95% of her family's health care needs.
However, as she progressed along this path, she uncovered ugly truths many herbalists don't want to talk about . . .
You see, conventional herb farming is much like conventional food farms. Most are grown in massive, mono-crop fields. Far from the conditions Nature would grow them in.
Shipped in from foreign farms. (And irradiated at all ports of entry, thus neutralizing the most helpful constituents found in these herbs.)
Plus, the "organic" and "natural" labels on herbs come with all the same questions and loop-holes as those found on food . . .
So, as she had done years prior for her family's food, Marjory began growing some of her own herbs. She learned to carefully wildcraft others. And set out to find farmers she could trust would grow to her standards, and allow her to share this bounty with you here.
Her requirements were simple. But strict.
Herbs deserving to be called "the finest herbs in the world" had to be grown in rich, bio-diverse soils, far above and away from populated watersheds. Super-premium, better-than-organic grown, no chemicals of any kind. Allowed to grow freely among companion plants and small-batch gathered, by farmers who deeply understand how to work with Mother Nature.
And, she didn’t have to look far.
Right down the road from her, the West Elk Valley of Colorado, she found a farm called Sustainable Settings, and a renowned herb farmer, Stephanie Syson. The quality of Stephanie's Biodynamic herbs instantly blew Marjory away. It wasn't long before Stephanie agreed to grow a field of herbs exclusively for Marjory. In that instant, Marjory Wildcraft Herbs was born.
Since that first agreement, Marjory has recruited a select few Organic (or better) farmers from her community in Paonia, CO. They've agreed to to set aside portions of their farms to grow the most premium-quality herbs in the seasons to come. Making a significant economical impact in each of these small farms in the process, and bringing healing to the Earth as more land is taken out of mono-crop rotations and partnered back with its original Nature.
In addition to the farms on Colorado's pristine western slope, Marjory is working to expand our herb selection to include rare, tropical herbs grown by Stephanie and other small farmers in the top of the mountains of western Puerto Rico.
Only herbs grown as Nature intends can offer the most potent healing potential. For us, and the Earth. These careful farming methods lead to noticeably more fragrant, potent, nutrient rich herbs. Each of our farms are held to Marjory's better-than-organic standards.
Who is Marjory Wildcraft?
The Grow Network’s founder, Marjory Wildcraft, is featured in "Who's Who in America" for her work in building deep community resilience, restoring heirloom genetics in gardens and livestock, and advancing the return to natural medicine across the nation. National Geographic featured Marjory as an expert in sustainable living, and she has hosted Mother Earth News' online "Homesteading Summit." Marjory also hosts the annual Home Grown Food and Home Medicine Summits, which reach hundreds of thousands of viewers every year.
Beloved for her humorous, non-judgmental, get ’er done style, Marjory raised two teenagers in Central Texas and currently splits her time between Paonia, CO, and Puerto Rico. When she’s not building an online network, being “Mom,” and tending her family’s food supply, Marjory loves playing, running, doing gymnastics, skateboarding, acquiring skills from the Paleolithic era (yes, she is part cavewoman!), and experimenting with anything and everything related to food production, home medicine, and sustainability.