At Mountain Rose Herbs, “planet before profit” has long been the motto.
Founded in 1987 as a small herbal business, MRH has since grown to a staff of 210 under the leadership of co-owners Shawn Donnille and Julie Bailey. Their vision: meeting an increasing demand for sustainably-sourced herbs and teas.
Over the last 30 years the Oregon-based company has cultivated a nationwide customer base devoted to their environmentally-friendly business practices. Despite its rapid growth MRH has maintained their commitment to responsible sourcing, and now offers one of the largest selections of botanical products on the market-all certified as organic, produced without chemicals, or harvested ethically in the wild.
“Our goal is to provide a new model for business,” says co-owner Shawn Donnille. “As a large company our decisions can have major impacts, not only for our products but also in driving a broader trend of environmental stewardship.”
Over the past decade MRH has also launched ambitious initiatives like a Zero Waste program for company facilities and production, as well as efforts to restore local watersheds–a focal point of volunteer hours and conservation grants.
Not only do we want to try and mitigate that impact, we want to actually improve watersheds as
we grow.
“One of the agricultural industry’s worst side effects is pesticide runoff,” says Alyssa Bascue, Director of Sustainability. “Not only do we want to try and mitigate that impact, we want to actually improve watersheds as we grow. That’s why we’re committed to organic farming and sustainable harvesting practices.”
MRH’s environmental ethic also drives its philanthropy. Today, the company contributes over $200,000 to more than 50 environmental nonprofits each year. In 2017, MRH made a special grant in support of WSC’s coalition effort to keep the Elliott State Forest in public hands.
“By supporting groups like WSC, we’re able to take our environmental efforts even further,” says Bascue. “Together we can really move the needle on issues of habitat and water quality, and hopefully inspire other companies to follow our lead.” Learn more at mountainroseherbs.com.
