Our founders, Sara Katz and Ed Smith, are community leaders in traditional Western herbalism.

Ed and Sarah

In 1979, Ed Smith and Sara Katz wanted to live a more natural lifestyle, so they moved to rural southern Oregon. There, they planted their first herb garden and founded a tiny company they called Herb Pharm. They soon developed a line of liquid herbal extracts and other proprietary herbal formulas.

Sarah Katz

“We started Herb Pharm because we were completely and utterly fascinated by medicinal plants. We wanted to know these plants intimately and to experience their healing magic as often and in as many ways as possible.”

- Sara Katz

Ed Smith

To procure a broad array of the best botanicals, Ed often traveled the world in search of medicinal herbs and knowledge of their traditional uses. Back at home, Sara and Ed tended their herb garden and learned to identify and harvest wild herbs in the surrounding Siskiyou Mountains. At night, Ed studied his collection of old pharmacy texts and started making herbal extracts in their kitchen, while Sara studied herbs, computers and bookkeeping to help grow their new company into a successful business.

“Having worked with herbs since 1979, we at Herb Pharm remain convinced that broad-spectrum liquid herbal extracts are the most effective way to administer herbs.”

-Ed Smith, Co-Founder

Ed and Sarah in the garden

Today Herb Pharm makes the most trusted liquid herbal extracts in the U.S.†

Our company is especially respected for over four decades of Certified Organic, sustainable herb agriculture, dedication to the botanical sciences and commitment to healthy environmental practices. Ed and Sara still serve on Herb Pharm’s board of directors. They also consult for the company and remain dedicated to their lifelong passions for nature, herbalism and environmental and herbal education.


†SPINS Natural Channel, Total US, 52 WE 12/31/2023