MEET OUR PARTNER FARMERS
We believe in FULL transparency in the essential oil industry. Our owner Michelle used to work part time for another essential oil company and had the opportunity to ask them why they didn't share their partner farms - and you'll be shocked as to what they said:
"We don't share our partner farms because we are afraid that another larger essential oil company will undermine us and go to those partner farms we've worked so hard to build professional connections with; those other companies could steal our farmers and force them to sign non-compete forms, having us lose out on getting our oil from those farms. Then we'd have to start over again - and that's not something we ever want to do."
While we understand from a business perspective why this might be important to some companies, we took a completely different approach when building our company - we formed and cultivated RELATIONSHIPS with our farmers before deciding to partner with them. By getting to know our farm owners on a personal level, we've been able to secure strong friendships and relationships with them first.
By building a professional relationship based on trust, we are confident that we will continue to work with our farmers long term. As we grow, they grow with us! Here are the main points that we used to build trust with our farmers:
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We Show Them We Care.
From the very beginning, we desired farmers that genuinely cared about and nurtured their land, their plants, and the people working with them. We looked for farmers that only harvest once a year (otherwise known as sustainable farming) as a way to show that they worked hard to protect the soil's integrity year after year. We also wanted to partner with smaller farmers so we could get to know them on a personal level.
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Our Farmers Dictate Pricing.
Instead of negotiating prices to get the best bulk quantity, we allow our partner farms to determine and dictate their own pricing. We believe they are the experts and they know what other farmers are charging for the same oils. We want them to determine fair market value, while still allowing them to grow their businesses and put food on their families' tables. This prevents us from undervaluing their hard work!
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We Pay Our Farmers First.
It is very common for essential oil companies to have long term payment plans with farmers. This means essential oil companies will receive oil and sell it, and then pay the farmer based on how much was sold in a certain amount of time. We do NOT support this approach because we wanted to make sure our farmers get the money they deserve without having to wait lengthy amounts of time. This helps support their families!
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We Refuse to Work with Middle-Men.
From the get-go, we decided to only partner with essential oil farmers that own their own land, plant, harvest, distill and ship themselves. We chose to go this route because we knew it would cut out any opportunities for middle-men and many different hands that the essential oils could pass between. Because our farmers own their own distilleries, they provide the third-party testing and GC/MS reports to us, that we then share with you!
