A thriving farm sprawling from the Balkans to the Danube River Basin
The German Chamomile crop
“During all these years, I managed with a lot of work, perseverance and honesty... to build excellent and lasting relationships. The challenges over the years were big, but I did not give up.”
- Aleksandar, Founder of our Bulgaria farm partnership
As one of the oldest countries in Europe, Bulgaria has a rich history of agriculture and farming. Edging along the Black Sea, its farmlands extend from the mountainous terrain of the Balkans to the fresh waters of the Danube River Basin. Bulgaria’s temperate-continental climate makes it ideal for cultivating tomatoes, apples and grapes in addition to many plants that produce essential oils.
Growing and harvesting the crops that produce essential oils takes an incredible amount of patience and care. Our Bulgarian farming partner started small with only the help of his wife and two workers back in 2013. After doing extensive research into seeding and soil, he chose Melissa as his first crop.
Amazingly, the farm’s first production of Melissa was planted, sowed, watered and cut all by hand on just two acres of fertile land. After producing a healthy and thriving yield of Melissa, the family farm expanded the size of their crop and bought a tractor the next year.
As demand grew for the farm’s vibrant plants, our farming partner began planting vast quantities of Chamomile, Yarrow and Lavender. In 2015, the family built its own distillery to have full control of the essential oil yield from the seedling stage to oil production. The oversight ensures that all the aromatic and therapeutic benefits of each crop remain healthy and intact. Over the years, the distillery has gradually increased in size and capacity to produce a peak threshold of pure essential oils.
While discussing the lasting partnership we’ve had, our farming partner said, “During all these years, I managed with a lot of work, perseverance and honesty to my partners to build excellent and lasting relationships. The challenges over the years were big, but I did not give up.”
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Ethical, fair sourcing -
GC/MS tested -
Vegan & cruelty-free -
Eco-conscious practices
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We partner with passionate experts.
Our top-quality oils are a reflection of the hard work and expertise of our partner farms and distilleries. When sourcing our oils, we consider factors that make for optimal crops and therefore, premium oils. These factors include the altitude at which plants are grown, pH and nutrients of soil, rainfall and water quality, whether the oil is native to the country it’s grown in and more. We ensure that those we partner with are experts in these areas and that they provide consistently high-quality products.
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We support farms who put people first.
All of our essential oils must come from farms that value human life over profit. This means that workers must be adults, paid fairly and on time and have safe, healthy working conditions. Our farming partners must also prioritize the environment and sustainability. A sustainable farm is one whose crops are not being over-exhausted, but rather new crops are grown at a rate that is able to meet the demand. We also ensure that farms we choose to work with are not pressured to rush harvesting or sacrifice the quality of crops at any point, allowing farmers time to catch up and maintain the viability of their crops.
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We ensure utmost quality through rigorous testing.
We then measure the quality and purity of our products by performing a series of tests. These include organoleptic, refractive index, specific gravity and GC/MS testing through a third-party, independent lab. After these tests are performed, they are then analyzed by expert essential oil chemists and our in-house aromatherapists. It’s through these analyses that we’re able to put farms and distilleries to the test, ensuring that their product is of the highest quality available and that no additives such as synthetics, fillers, isolates, pesticides and preservatives have been added.
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Since their first crop, the farm has grow to a new distilling facility and multiple crops.
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The farm provides employment for local workers in the community.
