We are all Stewards.
Starting October we’re hosting a monthly series on stewards. We’re featuring stewards in all shapes and sizes. Those who steward the land, like Morning Myst Botanics (our hydrosol distillers) and Oshala Farm (where our regenerative herbs come from), and those who steward their stories and bringing their plant medicine to the public – our retailers. You’re going to hear from land stewards in the US as well as those in Ghana and Morocco. You’re going to hear from some of the biggest names in retail as well as some of the smallest.
Jud Carlton of Morning Myst Botanics with evanhealy Sales Director Jess Massey
When I started this journey, I thought of stewards in the traditional sense of those who revere and nurture the land. As I continued on, I began to realize that we are all stewards. For isn’t the act of being a steward simply the act of taking care. Of the land and plants, yes. But also, of our customers and our brands.
At the Farm Gathering, we gathered in a circle to draw on energy of past and present.
During a recent visit to Morning Myst Botanics along the Columbia River Valley in Washington, a couple dozen of us sat in circles to draw on the energy of the past and present. To declare that all voices are to be heard. We came to celebrate and recognize our land stewards. We started the day on the land. There we knelt in the fields touching soil and plants, harvesting plants. We were all touched as Jud and Anne Carleton, owners and operators of Morning Myst, shared with us their move to regenerative practices. How they no longer tilled the soil, rather they nurtured it. For tilling the soil cuts the life out of it, whereas caring for it with cover crops adds life to the soil.
How lovely was it when we gathered in the distillation barn. The fire had already been lit, water had been heated, now all we had to do was place plant material in the stills. With reverence – and excitement – we did. We sat back and let alchemy work its magic. By the time, the first blush was visible we were no longer a diverse gathering of land stewards, retailers, advocates, brand reps. Rather we were stewards of light and magic, of soil, of friendship, of community.
In the distillation barn from left to right: Jud & Anne Carlton
In our series, we’ll pick up on this sentiment of stewardship and explore the role of stewards. Both as a means to share with our collective community the importance of honoring the dignity that goes into plant medicine as well as how it all comes back to and weaves into the work of those who steward the land.
Here are some of the Stewards and their stories you will be learning about:
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Jeff & Elise Higley, Oshala Farm: The stewards who fought Monsanto—and won. Through perseverance and regenerative farming practices, they are restoring herbal traditions in Oregon.
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Julius, ORGIIS, Ghana: Building a green wall to stop the desert’s spread, transforming shea and baobab trees from firewood into life-giving abundance.
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Simo & Stefan, Al Amal Women’s Cooperative, Morocco: Planting one million argan trees, restoring ecosystems, and creating sustainable livelihoods.
Each story is a reminder that stewardship is both intimate and expansive, practice of attention, intention, and gratitude that weaves care into every part of our world.
Our first interview takes place on Monday, October 13th at 1 pm PT (invite link will come in the near future via our evanheay Newsletter):
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Jud & Anne Carleton, Morning Myst Botanics: Healing the land through regenerative practices in Washington’s Columbia River Valley. Together, they nurture soil with cover crops, bringing life back to the earth.
~ David Gordon Co-Founder & CEO
