Leaf, Bud, Petal & Thorn
THE BEGINNING OF WILD ROSE
I started my botanical skincare company, Wild Rose, by accident. I had no business plan, no marketing strategy or even an agenda beyond desiring a creative outlet and, at most, a side hustle. I wanted to make effective and entirely natural botanical skincare products with a manufacturing process that reflected my personal ethical standards. At first, I didn't intend to sell my creations. I made them as an alternative to store-bought synthetic products for myself, family and close friends. But it wasn't long before I was selling my first herbal salves to the local health food store, writing labels by hand and making deliveries on bike. These first few years of selling formulas funded my hobby while I improved my skills as an herbalist.
In early 2011, I compiled my most cherished recipes that I was making for myself and my community to start Wild Rose. I initially hoped to make enough sales to supplement a part-time job and allow more flexibility in my schedule. However in my first year of business, I had to quit my job in elder care to keep up with demand. From that point on, Wild Rose was a full time endeavor as I learned the ropes of running a business while continuing to improve sustainability.
THE NAME
The name Wild Rose was conjured from memories of one of my earliest experiences with plant identification. At age sixteen I acquired my first field guide to wild edible and medicinal plants. I confidently wandered through the alpine meadow close to my home, determined to identify every shrub, grass and flower in sight. The book was large, and the technical language was difficult to understand. I hesitantly identified a handful of herbs, though I wasn't certain of any. I began the walk home, feeling insecure about my future as a botanist.
The edge of the meadow lead me to a group of low, unimpressive shrubs that I had passed many times before. As I walked by, I spotted a few small, pink flowers beginning to bloom. Call it instinct, or inter-species communication, but I knew at first glance that this modest shrub was definitely a useful plant. A few flips through my guide led me to the Wild Rose (Rosa woodsii or Wood Rose, in this case). I returned to this spot in the fall to harvest rose hips for tea. Being the first herb I learned through intuition, I will always be drawn to the beauty and usefulness of this humble bush.
WILD ROSE NOW
Today, all items are handmade, packaged and shipped from our homestead workshop located on Kalapuyan land in the so-called Willamette Valley near Eugene, Oregon. I have now studied as an herbalist with an emphasis on topical applications for seventeen years and use this background to formulate Wild Rose products. Wild Rose is my response to an economy where the ecological, political and social costs of manufacturing are veiled. I strive to track down raw materials and packaging to their source. My goal is to minimize the social and environmental toll of our products by choosing sources that are non-GMO, sustainably harvested, organic or fair trade. Many of the fresh botanicals needed for our recipes are grown just outside the workshop in our organic permaculture gardens. We offset the inevitable environmental impact of our business by donating a portion of our annual profits to environmental and social justice groups. Past donations have gone to Cascadia Wildlands, Northwest Indian Language Institute, Unete Center for Farm Worker Advocacy and the Women’s Crisis Support Team.
