Earlier this month, I was fortunate to be able to take a two-day farm tour to experience what Gaia Herbs is truly about. I was blown away by the integrity and passion that stemmed from all of the Gaia employees and reps that I encountered while there.
The owner and president of the company, Ric Scalzo, who is a also a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and Master Herbalist, was present on the tour the entire time. He shared his perspective on his company’s commitment to sustainable, organic farming and for creating herbal supplements that are unmatched in their purity and potency.
My stay at Gaia Farms was one of the most rewarding and enlightening experiences I’ve had while working in the natural health field. I can say with absolute certainty that I feel extremely honored to promote and represent their vast line of products.
The Gaia Herbs Farm
During my two-day farm tour I learned a lot from Ric Scalzo. He taught us about the therapeutic actions and traditional and modern uses for more than 34 different herbal plants. I spent time learning about the herbs in their locally grown fields of Blue Vervain, Dandelion, Echinacea, Ginkgo Biloba, Hawthorn, Lemon Balm, Milk Thistle, Valerian Root, Stinging Nettle, and Wild Oats.
My most memorable experience was when Ric stung us with the leaves of Stinging Nettle in areas of our body where we experienced pain and inflammation. After our dermatitis disappeared, we were shocked to have all experienced major relief from our osteoarthritis symptoms. Ric explained to us that Nettle leaf contains natural antihistamines and anti-inflammatories. When they come in contact with the skin, their medicine is released into the body.
We were also able to tour the processing facility to see how the herbs were extracted using a super-critical process (hexane free) that ensures that you are getting the purest, most potent herbal extraction possible. All plants used at Gaia are laboratory tested for purity and are free of heavy-metal contaminants. While on the tour, we got to sample several Gaia products including their Black Elderberry Syrup, Adrenal Health Formula, Sleep Thru Formula, Gelatinized Maca Powder, Liquid Plant Iron, and their new line of Organic Herbal Energy Plus Shots (available in Immune Support and Stress Support).
Since I work at Natural Healthy Concepts, I have access to numerous brands and different varieties of products. I tend to be rather picky when it comes to the quality of supplements. But Gaia Herbs does not disappoint!
Their new line of energy shots were my favorite and a must try for anyone who needs immediate and sustained energy without caffeine jitters and the crash that accompanies many other popular energy drinks. The shots are made with a highly concentrated herbal blend and sweetened with organic honey. After seeing how the products were grown and processed, I knew I was putting the highest quality herbal medicine into my body.
While at Gaia I was treated with the utmost respect from the reps that greeted us and who answered all of our questions about the beautiful organic, vegan meals we were served daily. Gaia was more than hospitable to all of us throughout our stay. I am very thankful for the opportunity to visit one of my favorite herbal companies that I can truly represent with integrity.
More About Gaia Herbs
Gaia Herbs is an organic herbal farm and supplement processing facility located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Brevard, North Carolina. The farm is located on over 250 acres of land in one of the most unique and bio-diverse growing regions in the United States.
It is easy for a company to claim to be all natural on their packaging, but Gaia Herbs really went the extra mile to fly in 38 different individuals from the health and wellness industry in order to show how their supplements were actually grown and processed.
Unlike other supplement companies, Gaia actually grows close to 25% of their herbs directly on their farm. The remaining crops are imported in from other organic herb farmers in both the United States and outside countries.
If Gaia is unable to get an ingredient that is fair-trade or sustainably sourced, they will no longer use the herb in their formulations, even if this means losing revenue or needing to reformulate a product. This is where integrity comes into the company’s mission statement – because Gaia is dedicated to preserving the earth in the most sustainable and ethical ways.
Gaia also offers a unique Meet your Herbs option on all of their products that allows you to enter an ID off your supplement box at their website to access where your herbs were sourced and grown. They also stand behind their motto, Purity + Integrity= Potency – meaning that all herbs must be cultivated in accordance with nature’s content by adhering to strict certified organic cultivation practices, meticulous crop monitoring, and by promoting growing practices that protect land ecosystems and indigenous communities.
