Social & Environmental Values

Herb Pharm "Phamily". Click photo to enlarge.

As their company began to grow and prosper, Herb Pharm's founders, Ed Smith and Sara Katz, realized that they and their company had an important role to play in their local community, in the herbal and natural products community, and in the stewardship of the planet itself.

One of Ed and Sara's greatest joys is providing right livelihood, comprehensive health and medical benefits, and a profit sharing and retirement plan for employees and their families.

In recent years, Herb Pharm was awarded the Socially Responsible Business Award by a panel of leading natural products manufacturers, and received the Herbal Industry Leader Award from the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) for laudable business practices. Ed and Sara believe that the herb and natural products industry should be a model of social and environmental responsibility. Just as the industry has changed the way millions of people view their food and healthcare, we also strive to be an inspiration for how businesses can positively contribute to society and the environment.

Organizations & Programs We Support

• We offset 100% of our electricity consumption impact through our participation in the Blue Sky Renewable Energy Program. By purchasing our electricity from off-site wind generators and geo-thermal heat capture, we help minimize the release of carbon dioxide and other detriments to the environment.
  
  
• Our "Pharm Farm" is recognized as a Botanical Sanctuary by United Plant Savers (UpS) because of our work in the conservation and propagation of endangered native medicinal plants. We cultivate, rather than wild harvest, the following herbs on UpS's "At-Risk" and "To-Watch" list: Echinacea, Goldenseal, Black Cohosh, Blue Cohosh, Bloodroot, Gentian, Lobelia, Pleurisy Root and Stoneroot among others.
  
  
• Our "Pharm Farm" has received Salmon Safe certification for developing a long-term strategy to enhance and preserve riparian (stream and creek) areas on our farm and wild lands, and for our ecologically safe farming practices.
  
  
• We achieved Bee Friendly Farming certification for providing honey bee nesting habitats and for designating sizable portions of our cultivation acreage to pollinator-beneficial plantings.

Each year, Herb Pharm sponsors or donates a portion of our profits to a variety of national and local environmental, social and educational organizations.