When sourcing herbs for our extracts and teas, we prioritize locally grown and organically grown wherever possible, while highlighting and emphasizing bioregional herbs (herbs indigenous, naturalized, or invasive to the Great Lakes Bioregion) in our formulas.

Our local range extends from right here in Chicago out to the Driftless region in Illinois and Wisconsin, to Western Michigan (anything within a 250 mile radius from Logan Square in Chicago). Most of the herbs we use are sourced within this range from farms that grow their herbs organically.

The primary herb farm we work with is Golden Hour Farm in Potterville, Michigan just southwest of Lansing.

Wherever possible we try to source from:

• Four Star Mushrooms - Chicago, Illinois
• Patchwork Farms - Chicago, Illinois
• Closed Loop Farms - Chicago, Illinois

If we are not able to source certain herbs from our local growers, we source from small, family run farms in the U.S. and Canada:

• Oshala Farm - Oranically grown herbs in Applegate Valley, Oregon
• Healing Spirits Herb Farm - Organically grown herbs in Avoca, New York
• Sandhill Botanicals - Organically grown herbs in Saltspring Island, BC (Canada) - and occasionally wildcrafted from the Sonoran Desert near Tucson, AZ
• Maple Spring Gardens – Organically grown herbs from Orange County, NC
• Among the Oaks Herb Farm – Organically grown herbs from Beattyvile, KY
• Foster Farm Botanicals – Organically grown in Vermont
• Flack Family Farms – Harder to come by medicinal roots (organically grown) in Vermont
• Sustainable Sorcerers – Catskills Mettacahonts / Peekamoose watershed

In the past we have also sourced from:

• Black Locust Gardens - Dexter, Michigan

Some of the herbs used in our extracts we are not able to procure from within the United States at this moment, or at all (due to the necessary growing conditions of certain plants). For herbs that are able to grow within the United States we want to make sure the source is a good one, so we do our research before committing to a source.

An in effort for full transparency in sourcing, the following herbs are the only herbs we use in our products that are not sourced within the U.S., and are primarily procured from Mountain Rose Herbs:

• Cinnamon - Indonesia
• Chaga - Canada
• Damiana - Mexico
• Eleuthero - China
• Fenugreek - India
• Gentian - France
  
• Honeybush - South Africa
• Kava Kava - Vanuatu
• Licorice Root - Uzbekistan
• Rhodiola - Canada
  
• Schisandra - China

If you're a U.S. or local grower that can supply any of the above herbs for us, we'd love to chat! Send us an email at alex@firstcurveapothecary.com.

It is our mission to source as many herbs as possible from small, local growers, that work to steward the land they are on, and we appreciate any feedback or support in this regard. Reach out with any questions on sourcing, we'd love to answer them!