Extraordinary Health Magazine EH Magazine VOl 34 | Page 57

used by Native Americans for over a thousand years as a
sedative. European Folk Medicine doctors started growing the
Passionflower and incorporating it as a relaxing drink before
surgery. Nearby he is growing Organic Valarian with a long
history of use for similar purposes. He celebrates with me as I
tell him that we are finally ready to bring his herbs to market
in our unique mykind Organics Sleep Well products.
Next Stop—Leon
his community into an Organic, Biodynamic region is fueled
by his passion to leave his region cleaner and healthier for his
young children.
The feeling of joy that we both share over the project finally being
ready to launch is powerful. We share the vision. Through this
vision, patience, and a lot of perseverance, we know we are about
to create something new, something wholesome and healthy. In
celebration, his wife brings us an organic sparkling wine created
from organic grapes grown in the region and some fresh baked
sweet breads made with our herbs. We had a picnic in the middle
of the farm, simply enjoying the moment together.
Moving on to the Bordeax Region of France
My next stop was in
the Bordeaux region of
France where our farmer
is one of a handful of
world renown experts
in the Passionflower. In
fact, his graduate degree
focus was specifically in
this plant and its unique
compounds. Again, this is a generational farmer but his family
lands date all the way back to King Louis the XV, he proudly tells
me (late 1700s). He is the first in this long family line to dedicate
land for organic production and the first to plant organic fields
of medicinal herbals. He shows me the healthy fields full of the
wandering Organic Passionflower vines, and then takes me to
other fields full of Organic Lemon Balm and Valerian, all grown
for our upcoming Sleep Well Spray and Sleep Well Tablet.
He lights up as he tells me the story of the Passionflower.
Beautiful and othe rworldly, the Passionflower was named
by Franciscan monks, he explains, who thought the flower
perfectly depicted the Passion of Christ. The flower had been
My final stop is about
an hour outside of
Leon. This was my
favorite visit. There’s
something about this
farmer, Frederick, that
connects with me in a
personal way. Maybe it’s
seeing his sons playing
in front of his home,
(I have three boys) or
maybe it’s something
more spiritual. When we
arrive, he’s set a table
in one of his barns to
welcome us and it’s full
of local organic wines,
cakes and fruit. We
speak through an interpreter, but the more I listen to him, the
more I understand him without anyone telling me what he’s
saying. He’s telling me his story and it reminds me of my own.
He began farming organic after the birth of his children. His
great, great grandfather founded this farmstead on tobacco
shortly after WWII. When he inherited the farm, he knew he
could not spend his life building the tobacco industry, so he
planted various fruits and herbs. But they started to think
more about not only how to help people live healthier lives,
but also about his environment in his village. He wanted his
life to be an example for his sons that you can live every day
filled with passion for your work, and to show them that it
was possible to live well by doing good.
As he walked me through our Organic Lemon Balm and
Echineacea fields, his eyes filled with joy. Here was a man
who loves what he does, and who not only shared my vision
to bring to market an entirely new type of product, but he was
part of the mission. He was fully invested. Somehow, every
time I taste our Sleep Well Spray and Elderberry Gummy,
I feel like I taste his love for these herbs, and his passion for
our shared mission coming through.
Passion, Vision, Perseverance and Love
The mykind Organics herbal products are all like that, for
me. They are the product of many people’s passion, vision,
perseverance and love. As I head home to my family, I’m
inspired once again by the farmers we work with. I’m also
filled with such deep gratitude to be on this mission with
these people.
Vol 34 • Extraordinary Health ™ 55