Oregon Takes a Natural Approach

Oregon is a hotbed of naturopathic products and health supplements. A distinct, alternative approach to health, naturopathy focuses on a natural approach of healing the body, usually employing the use of botanical medicines, homeopathic products, a focus on natural foods and more.

Using plant-based medicine to nourish and heal bodies is simply a way of life for many health-conscious consumers. And as interest in these types of products has grown, so have Oregon-based companies that are producing them.

Supplementing Health

In 1994, Randy Buresh and his wife co-founded Oregon’s Wild Harvest (OWH), a grower and manufacturer of U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic herbal supplements. Today, this family-run company, which includes son Adam Buresh, is operating across multiple farms, taking advantage of Oregon’s varying climate to produce dozens of varieties of medicinal plants. “Our mission is to nurture healthy soil and clean water, save and replant our non-GMO seeds, and produce pure, potent and healthy herbal supplements,” Buresh says.

To accomplish this, OWH practices biodynamic methods or “regenerative farming,” leaving a smaller carbon footprint. OWH focuses on producing herb products and extracts, such as nettle, skullcap, holy basil and more, that are free of chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers and GMOs.

“The health of our land is directly connected to the health of our plants, which are connected to the quality of our herbal products and health of our customers,” Buresh says. “Our hands-on, closed-loop approach gives us maximum control over the identity, quality, potency and safety of all our ingredients, every step of the way.”

From Farm to Bottle

Similarly at The Eclectic Institute, co-founded in 1982 by Dr. Ed Alstat, every step of the process from farm to bottle is handled in-house. The Eclectic Institute started freeze-drying herbs in the late 1980s. Then, in 1990, it began to use organic non-grain alcohol for consumers with gluten sensitivity.

“Different than other herb companies, our herbs need to be fresh for freeze drying so we try to grow as much as we can ourselves,” explains Christine Alstat, co-owner. “One of the advantages to this is the ability to grow unusual or genetically unique plants that are not generally available on the open market.”

For example, the farm yields four varieties of echinacea, which all hold different medicinal properties.

“Also, in contrast to some types of agricultural farms that practice mono-cropping, we leverage the benefits of biodiversity by growing a wide variety of plants that thrive in the climate of the Willamette Valley,” like native ornamental flower species and cover crops
to attract pollinators.