It’s been a few years now that Sari’s products have become a daily staple in my life. I became friends with Sari when I was still running my shop and I don’t think I could’ve made it through the shop days without her. Not only did her teas and tinctures aid me through the wild and crazy that is running a small business, but our growing friendship as small business owners meant the world to me. Sometimes you just have to let it all out and Sari was always there to listen. If anyone out here understands what it’s like to run a small business, then you also understand what it’s like to have someone who is also going through it and someone you can just openly talk to about how you’re feeling. Even past the shop days now, Heilbron Herbs continues to grace my days every day and I’m so grateful for the friendship Sari and I have.
Sari Bellmer is an herbalist and the founder of Heilbron Herbs (pronounced hile-braan), making teas, tinctures, and natural skincare in Western North Carolina. Inspired by the belief that true wellbeing encompasses care for oneself, care for each other, and care for the planet, Heilbron's mission is to make beautiful and effective, ethically sourced botanical products for the modern body.
Where are you from and where are you now?
I grew up in a sort of halfway New Age / halfway rural farm town in Southeastern Iowa. My parents are from the Sierra foothills in California and they moved back there to take care of my grandmother when I was in my 20s - so that also feels like a part of where I'm "from". I now live in Asheville, North Carolina, after bopping between here and the Bay Area throughout my 20s.
How long have you been running Heilbron Herbs?
I started working on Heilbron in 2017 and made it official early in 2018. So I guess we're coming up on 8 years!
What was the path that led you to start working with plants?
I have always been drawn to plants - they were very important for me even as a small child. My grandmother was very knowledgeable about the wildflowers out West and I learned a lot from her. My mom was also a gardener and interested in herbalism and my love for these things seemed natural growing up.
Have you always seen yourself doing what you are doing now?
I actually never thought I would have a career in herbalism, but after several years working in the art world after college, I followed a crazy whim to start a business... And I guess here we are!
What excites you about your work?
I love that I get to keep learning and knowing plants - many of my friends would say that I know a lot about plants but the incredible thing is that there's always so much more. Every season I fall in love with something new - even things that we've worked with for years. I form a whole new relationship with a plant and in the process come to understand new layers of myself and how to care for myself, too. I love that I get to share this with other people and it's really exciting when others find new ways to feel taken care of in the process.
Your connections with farmers and your sourcing are a large part of your business, why is it so important for you?
I guess it's why I started the business in the first place. We're all familiar with the Slow Food movement, we're used to shopping at farmer's markets, paying attention to where our food is coming from and how it's produced. There's not really an analogue in the botanical industry, which is unfortunately very exploitative at large. Medicinal herbs are mostly produced in Asia and Eastern Europe where cost of labor is cheaper, and there's very little connection or transparency for the consumer. A lot of popular botanicals are threatened because of overharvest, and herbs that are traveling around the world from warehouse to warehouse are inevitably less fresh and potent, and therefore less effective. The most accessible and personal way for me to solve this problem in my own business is to have real relationships with our growers and limit the distance between where the plants are grown and where we are making them into products. It is limiting in a lot of ways, but what we end up with is a very transparent and uncomplicated supply chain, a real understanding of the growing practices and social impact that we're contributing to, and a very fresh and high quality product.
What are some aspects you wish people understood more about your business?
I've spoken to this a little already, but I hope that we're entering an era where people are becoming more interested in having a connection or understanding of the things we're filling our lives with - the last 100 years or so humans have been increasingly distanced from our stuff and there's so much harm that comes along with that. I hope to play a small part in creating more transparency within the botanical industry. There are so many plants that are threatened or endangered because humans over use them, not to mention dangerous or exploitative labor practices - and I want consumers to have more access to that information so that we can collectively make better decisions when we buy something.
What are some hardships you’ve had to overcome?
Running a small business is always a wild ride but last September our studio and production space was completely destroyed by Hurricane Helene - the nearby river rose 27 feet and we had 8 feet of water up our walls, our windows were all smashed and we lost pretty much everything that was in our space. That was very hard! Having said that, we had incredible support from our customers and community and were able to replace most of what we lost and move into new spaces so we could keep operating. It was a really shitty time but through it all I feel exceedingly lucky!
How are you engaging with the current season?
We're in the thick of harvest season but I am also just kind of emerging from hurricane recovery mode. After such a stressful and disorienting winter I promised myself that this summer would be as relaxing as possible... So I am trying to do that while scheduling harvests in a way that feels as enjoyable as possible. Luckily I have an amazing production manager who processes most of the bigger harvests we get from our farms - so after years of very busy summers I get to mostly cherry pick the plants that we wild harvest. In that way, I am sort of spoiled at this point.
Your favorite place to just be?
By a clear cold river! Preferably with some wildflowers growing on the banks : )
What do you wish more for the world? Less?
More care and connection. There's so much that's sad and out of control in our world right now and I truly believe it would all be so much better if we all felt more cared for. How do we do that? That's the question - which obviously has many, many answers.
Has there been a particular someone or something that occurred in your life that affected who you are or the path you are on today?
So, so many, but my grandmother, after whom my business is named, is definitely one of them. The way she prioritized kindness and her love of the natural world above pretty much anything else - I think that deeply shaped my personal values.
I also have been thinking a lot lately about how much my undergraduate studies in Globalization have informed my business and the way I designed it. I ended up in this department sort of accidentally and I didn't think it would be useful for me professionally - but it really opened up my mind to the ways everything and everyone in the world is tied together by the exploits of capitalism. Heilbron still operates within that system, of course, but I'm always asking myself if there are boundaries we can draw around our practices to prevent harm.
Is there something that you’re currently hopeful about?
Honestly it's really hard for me to feel hopeful right now. I think the biggest hope I'm clinging to is that we are collectively hitting rock bottom and the backlash will be so strong that we may finally achieve some of the things our world needs so badly right now. Certainly I will be doing what I can to fight for a better future for my kid, for all the children of the world, and for our beloved Earth.
When you’re ending the day, what’s one thing you’re always looking forward to the next day?
My daughter! Sounds cliche but it's true.
Is there an artist, maker, small business, or similar, that you admire that you’d like to tell us about?
Yes, hi, you! Also my friend and favorite ex-boyfriend Rob Wilson - his paintings always make me feel a little more carefree and I could always use that. I also really admire my friend Laura Schoorl who has Pansy - I know you love their undies! I believe that Laura has been quietly defining what it means to run a truly values based business since 2013. She has been unwavering in her commitment to always do better - socially and environmentally - for over a decade and I just think that's really rare. Okay lastly, and I know this is another connection we have in common, but I have to shout out Kara Duval, who is a movement teacher that so many admire for her personal, honest, and irreverent approach to exercise and business. I guess the throughline I see with all these people is that they're finding success not in spite of, but because they're being themselves and stubbornly pushing back against any sort of playbook or status quo in business or practice. I'll always strive for that.
Thank you so much Sari! Click here to find Sari’s wonderful products and follow her on instagram here.
Adored every word.