The Work

Our Mission

So Below Apothecary supports the earth through regenerative agriculture, focusing on native perennials to promote pollinator density, soil health and improved air and water quality. The result of good land stewardship is a healthy environment and high quality botanicals that provide beauty and nourishment to our thriving community through food, art, and aroma.

  • Farming decisions are made based on how I can best tend the land while producing botanicals, which is why I farm not just organically, but regeneratively.

    Crop diversity, minimizing (with the hope of eliminating) tractor use, and planting perennials are a few ways I help ensure the land remains healthy.

  • I grow nearly 100 varieties of plants that can be used for food, art, aromatics, and medicine. A large portion of land is dedicated to native perennials, including anise hyssop, slender mountain mint, wild monarda, new jersey tea, and purple coneflower.

    As a perfumer and trained aromatherapist, having quality ingredients is paramount, so growing and distilling my own aromatics is a large part of my farming operation. Similarly, as a multi-media artist with a focus on regenerative art, I grow many of my own dye plants to make paint, ink, and pigments.

  • I grow on two spaces in Southern Minnesota. The biggest area of production is located in Northfield, Minnesota, on rented land. I have also set aside a large portion of land on our small homestead for long-term native perennials and shrubs.

    I frequent art fairs and farmer’s markets in Northfield, Faribault, and occasionally, the Twin Cities.

Guiding Principles

There are many things that guide the decisions I make, but the three that are most important to me are Regenerative Farming, Waste Reduction, and Connection.

  • Decisions made on the farm boil down to what is best for the environment, healthy plant growth, and wildlife. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m committed to improving my process every year!

    🝊 high perennial to annual ratio: perennials build soil, provide pollinator habitat, and sequester more carbon than annuals

    🝊 non-GMO, untreated, open pollinated seeds: plus, I opt for organic if they’re available

    🝊 organic farming practices: no herbicides or pesticides, ever - including neem oil, which negatively impacts bees!

    🝊 minimal till: working towards no-till, which is best for the soil

  • 🝊 Whole Plant Utilization: this refers to using the whole plant, so nothing is thrown out. I develop product lines around what is traditionally considered “waste,” or use it around the farm. More information on this process coming soon!

    🝊 Non-Native Annual Production: I grow many varieties of annuals that are hard to find locally-grown, such as ginger, hibiscus, patchouli, and more. This helps reduce emissions from transporting produce long distances.

    🝊 Local Sales Preferred: While I sell online, I focus most of my effort in my region, which helps conserve fossil fuels.

    🝊 Recyclable and/or Compostable Packaging Preferred: I do my best to source compostable and/or recyclable packaging, that also won’t degrade too quickly. There are a lot of improvements that need to be made in this industry, but I re-evaluate new packaging solutions constantly.

  • 🝊 to self: the first pillar of my work is to foster connection to the Self - who we are, or who we are becoming. Understanding, respecting, and loving ones authentic self allows us to thrive.

    🝊 to others: the second pillar of So Below Apothecary is connection to the people, plants, and animals that create community.

    🝊 to the environment: the final pillar is connection to Place. Learning how the wild and domesticated spaces we live in shows us how we all fit together.

There is an old maxim you may have heard - “As above, so below; as within, so without; as the universe, so the soul.”

The “above” refers to the macrocosm, the universe, that is reflected in the microcosm, the world, “below.”

One summer day I was pondering this maxim while tending the flowers in the field. The beauty of the ever-changing sky could be witnessed in these fields, always shifting in color. The diversity of plant and wildlife illustrated the multitude of celestial bodies in the heavens. The stars surrounded by darkness were like microbes in black, fertile soil.

It is my goal for So Below Apothecary to mirror the splendor of what is Above us. I want the plants nourished by this soil to pass its nourishment onto others. I want the flavors, aromas, and colors of these beautiful botanicals that regenerate the environment they grow in to revitalize minds and spirits.

I believe the land I work on is more than just a farm, and I approach farming as a spiritual practice. It connects me to myself, to the cycles of nature, and to the cycles of life and rebirth in a way I can’t quite put into words. I hope my love and care translates into my work, and I hope you - the reader, consumer, neighbor, friend - can feel it, too.

As Above, So Below

“I believe one cannot gain true ecological literacy without a great empathy with, and understanding of, nature and how it functions. Thus one’s heart also needs to be involved.”

- Charles Massey