Honoring our Farmers…Those Hard Working Souls who are the Backbone of the Essential Oils Industry!



Honoring Our Farmers…the Backbone of Wisdom of the Earth and the Essential Oils Industry



I had an amazing exchange  recently with a gentleman on LinkedIn (a business networking group on line) Dr. Prabodh Satyal, who is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Aromatic Plant Institute in Utah, and a leading authority on Essential Oil Chemistry.   The topic of his post was “The Harsh Reality Behind that Bottle of Essential Oil.”  He was speaking about the fact that more than 80% of essential oils on the global market are adulterated.  However, unlike most people who discuss this topic, he addressed the impact on the farmers of the proliferation of synthetic substitutes and the increasingly dominant role of the “middle man”, the essential oils broker/trader, who takes advantage of the system, diluting oils, cutting corners, and pushing products that appear natural but are chemically manipulated.It was the first time I had seen anyone tie this situation in aromatherapy to the plight of the farmer.  Dr. Satyal also highlighted the effect on the end user…you, the consumer of essential oils for health and well-being.  He noted how many people experience skin rashes, headaches or hormone disruption without realizing it is due to impure oils.  As he concluded his post with the call for transparency, advanced testing, fair trade practices…and, he also included “a voice for those at the source.”

And then he posed the $25,000 question:  If you are in the EO, fragrance or wellness space, ask yourself…do you really know what’s in that bottle?  And at what cost it came to your hands?

It was the first time in years I was moved to comment on an EO related question or post.  They are usually dominated by scientists who are pretty much solely discussing the chemistry of an oil, and how that explains its aroma and medicinal properties.  However, in this case, I strongly felt to share Wisdom of the Earth’s philosophy…which has been our philosophy since Day 1…and that is to know the source of the oil, and when at all possible, to know the farmer him or herself, personally.  Here is an excerpt of my reply to his post:

Thank you for addressing this point.  I have invested over 25 years developing relationships with farmers and ethical essential oil companies.  I just returned from France and was fortunate to connect with a 4th generation  lavender and helichrysum farmer.  I have also made a few incredible farmer connections here on LinkedIn.  Nothing substitutes for personal relationships.  I use COAs (Certificates of Analysis) and other analyses, but I am always careful, remembering the words of one of our mentors in the US who likened the analytics business to the “Wild, wild West.”

His answer is why I am telling this story…to those of you who have made it this far…

Thank you, Audre , for sharing your beautiful journey.  Your deep bond with the farmers and commitment to ethical sourcing truly touched me.  

Every drop of essential oil carries a story of the soil, the hands, and the heart behind it.  When we apply these oils, we are holding someone’s hard work, someone’s hope.  It is our quiet responsibility to honor that.  If we can bring even a small smile to the farmers who make this possible, we have done something  meaningful.  Because healing is not just what oils do for us…it is also what we give  back in return.

Only those who’ve walked with real farmers, seen their eyes, their cracked hands, and the soul behind each drop of oil, truly understand what these plants carry.  Too often, the people visit the fields, but only meet brokers.  They miss the heart, the generations of love, labor and sacrifice poured into each bottle.

Your journey reminds me why I do what I do.  I am truly honored to share this mission with you.  

So there you have it.  A scientist whose open and true heart  informs all of the analyses he undertakes.  His words clearly convey why a pure, single essential oil, undiluted, unadulterated, is truly different than those that have been compromised.

The picture which introduces this article was taken in France a couple of months ago.  It is one of the distillation stations in a small company run by the fourth generation of lavender farmers.  The  great-grandson has branched out into the production of Melissa, Rosemary and Helichrysum, as well.

His helichrysum was HEAVENLY…I have purchased some for
Wisdom of the Earth, and it is on its way from France, as we speak.  I have requested a sample of his Melissa oil, once it is harvested and distilled, and will likely add that to our portfolio as well.  There is nothing like seeing the pride and joy in a farmer’s face when you share your joy at discovering his or her products; it is a little like saying “Your baby is beautiful!”  Ha, ha…as I typed those words, I realized where the phrase,  describing your child as your “pride and joy”, comes from.

So, I’m sorry for this “long-winded” newsletter, but this recent exchange on LinkedIn really served as an important affirmation for me of one of the cornerstones of Wisdom of the Earth.  As I always say….If I don’t like a farmer’s or a business’ way of interacting with their clients or employees…they don’t get my business.  But when it is clearly a labor of love, and their interactions are thoughtful and caring, well, I am a customer for life.

Announcements:
June 27-29, 2025  Our June promotion will run the last weekend of this month.  Our theme is “Sacred Oils of the Himalayas”.  You will be receiving an announcement in your email or on social media next week.

Wisdom of the Earth Level II Advanced Sacred Retreat
We have chosen a lovely Sedona Retreat Home for this offering…it is spacious, filled with lots of things to enjoy, and is surrounded by Sedona’s beauty and energy.  We can’t wait to host you there!!

Five days of expanding your horizons and deepening your connection to the Earth, and her emissaries — the pure plant essential oils.  Please go to our description of the information covered in this 5 day immersion, and see if this opportunity to dive deeper into your relationship with the essences, and where your love for them can take you, is for you.

Cynthia and I will be joined by others in our circle of aromatherapy experts to guide you on a gentle, but profound, exploration of what all of this means to you, and how you can make this calling an even greater part of your future.

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