Halley Roberts Strongwater
of Loam Earth
I first became a customer of Halley’s business Loam in 2019. Having tried so many of her products throughout the years, I honestly don’t remember what my initial purchase was, but what I do remember is how very special I thought those products were - something that still rings true now years later.
Since then Loam has become a staple in my life, both through teas and tinctures as well as oils and serums. Halley’s knowledge of the natural world very much shines through when using and reading about her products; a knowledge she is also very generous with sharing (even more so after launching her substack that I highly recommend following).
Tell us a bit about yourself
My name is Halley, and I am a naturalist, mother and owner of Loam Earth. I’m based in Santa Fe, NM which is my hometown and the foundation for everything I do.
Where are you from and where are you now?
I’m from Santa Fe, New Mexico which is where I live and practice, but I’m currently in Massachusetts. We are headed to Crane Beach in Ipswich, for a swim in the saltwater.
How long have you been running Loam?
I started Loam officially in October 2019, though I took a year off after I had my son Woods and almost closed Loam down. I reopened that winter and haven’t looked back since.
What was the path that led you to starting Loam?
In 2017, I became a parent to my first child. I went on a path of discovery after giving birth. I had to consider every aspect of my own values and how my choices would influence an entirely new human being. As I embarked on this path I started to realize how much I loved solving problems when it came to my daughter’s health. Our pediatrician, who answered every question I had with dignity and respect, encouraged me to pursue a career in medicine. This advice is what pushed me to expand my knowledge of herbalism and eventually led me to start making products.
I did two different certifications, one program in Santa Fe that was a 250 hour mix of Materia Medica and field work and another Pediatric Herbalism certification. While I was in my first program I started making a few things and selling them on Instagram, and they were selling out in a few minutes! Though I had no real knowledge of selling products online, I decided to go for it and I’m so glad I did.
Have you always seen yourself doing what you are doing today?
No, definitely not. I’ve always owned my own businesses and made my work what I wanted, but I didn’t see myself in medicine or health necessarily.
Santa Fe seems to have such a special and unique landscape, tell us about it!
Santa Fe, which is called Oga Po'geh or White Shell Water Place in Tewa, was once a system of farms and acequias (irrigation channels). We are at the base of the southern Rockies and only a few miles from our own watershed. The confluence of the high desert (at 7,100 feet) and the watery green alpine forests.
At 4,000 feet we have chaparral (creosote) oceans as far as you can see, and above 10,000 feet we have chanterelle mushrooms and wild blueberries. It’s one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world.
How does nature influence your work?
I wouldn’t say that nature influences my work as much as my own bio-region and New Mexico. We grow almost every plant we use in tinctures and glycerites, and if we don’t grow it we buy the plants from small farms as close to our bio-region as possible. I’m often inspired by plants growing in New Mexico and my business is small enough that I can experiment and try products to see how they work. I’m making a hair oil that is going to be Russian Olive flowers, locally harvested and infused in sunflower oil. Russian Olive trees are a non-native tree that most people try to remove but I really love them. They have incredibly fragrant blossoms!
What are some problems in your industry you wish the public was more aware of?
The convergence of "MAHA" (Make America Healthy Again) and wellness is one of the most frightening aspects of my industry. Mostly because what I see is the deep disconnection between actual community and public health, and individual health that doesn’t take anyone else into consideration. As an herbalist who takes the utmost pride in science and real data, I love when science and plant medicine come together and don’t want to see that lost to concerns over inconsequential things like seed oils.
You recently opened your new space! Do you want to tell us a bit about the history of the location and what your plans are for it?
My space is on Old Santa Fe Trail in Santa Fe, close to downtown. Ron Jacobs, who owned the building, had been operating Jacob’s Shoe Repair for the past four decades. I grew up with Ron’s daughter, and we attended elementary school together. As a child, Ron Jacobs worked as a shoe shine on the Santa Fe Plaza. After purchasing the building, he opened his business, repairing shoes of various types. He continued this business until around 2021 when he retired. We moved our entire operation to our new space and plan to eventually have regular retail hours there. The space itself is very small so we may end using it as just retail one day but we’ll see. It's a big step for me to have any retail space at all! One thing I'm very excited about is showcasing all the amazing local ceramicists in New Mexico as well as more things for home like tea supplies. I also have collected so much pottery and vintage pots from various places and have really enjoyed selling them in the store.
Your connections with farmers and your sourcing are a large part of your business (as well as growing a lot of your own plants), why is it so important for you?
We take our sourcing very seriously and it honestly prevents our business from expanding in many ways but the quality and effectiveness of our products is purely due to our stringent sourcing and growing. When I first started Loam I wanted to grow every single plant and realized that probably wasn’t feasible, but I’ve kept the same north star when it comes to where our herbs come from. Even our oils and alcohol are from the United States!
The products we grow herbs for are usually our medicinals like all the California Poppy for Peaceful Poppy and every ingredient for Healthy Kids. Certain products feature wild harvested plants like our new hair oil.
When we do buy plants, we purchase exclusively from local farms and small herb farms in the United States. Rhubarb Botanicals is one of our suppliers I love to highlight. Emma grows the red raspberry leaf we use and it is so fresh it smells and tastes like raspberries.
What are some hardships you’ve had to overcome?
I’m a very privileged person, and have been successful in ways I couldn’t imagine. Our customers are so devoted to us, and that is beyond what I could have expected. I will say that growth is very hard, it’s difficult to stay at the same place without making enormous sacrifices in quality and trying to filter the requests from influencers can be overwhelming.
Your favorite place to just be?
I have a few favorite sit spots but I love to recharge in the mountains under the Engelmann Spruce and aspens next to the Rio Nambe.
What do you wish more for the world? Less?
I wish more people felt the deep reverence for this planet, instead of holding onto the idea that the Earth is a resource to be taken from. Our ability to tell the difference between needs and wants is distorted when we see the world as a place that exists solely for our benefit. Seeing the world only in terms of what it can provide us, like water for our lawns and oil for our cars, keeps us from seeing the magic of where we are lucky enough to live.
Has there been someone or something that occurred in your life that affected who you are or the path you are on today?
My MFA mentor in Portland, Oregon Peter Schoonmaker who recently passed away was one of the most influential people in my adult life, though I don’t think I recognized it until recently. The author Craig Childs, my mother Bobbe Besold both come to mind as well.
Is there something that you’re currently hopeful about?
My children keep me really hopeful, but also compassion between strangers and community makes me feel like we all may have a chance. I like to believe, however innocently, that the Earth is resilient and that it can survive anything.
Is there an artist, maker, small business, or similar, that you admire that you’d like to tell us about?
One of my favorite artists, Orlando Allison comes to mind. He is a Hopi artist who moves between Arizona and New Mexico and makes the most incredible contemporary paintings. I have also been reading “The Light Eaters” by Zoë Shlanger and even though I knew that plants were amazing this book has really been blowing my mind wide open!
When you’re ending the day, what’s one thing you’re always looking forward to the next day?
Sleep is so difficult for me and has been such a struggle for so long, any parent who has small children can probably relate. I co-slept with my now four year old until very recently and went to bed as early as possible knowing I wouldn’t sleep! When he moved into his own bedroom, I started a night time skincare routine that I really look forward to. A close friend of mine inspired me to create an evening ritual (believe it or not it's been impossible for me to have one) and I really love it. I love the way I feel the next day after a good night's sleep and I look forward to exercising in the morning, which is crucial for my mental health. I also love walking my dog Miso and seeing my kids when they wake up first thing in the morning. My son Woods runs to me every morning and we snuggle and read books on the couch.
Thank you so much Halley! Click here to find Halley’s wonderful products and follow her on instagram here.
(These interviews will always remain free but if you have a means to become a paid subscriber that would mean the world. I’ve started this series of interviews to highlight and promote small businesses, so you can either learn more about a business or be introduced to a new one. Your support means so much!)
Aw yay, love Halley and her work! A treat to read!
Love this!