Trust in the Field, A Sourcing Journey Through Bulgaria

When our CEO Brian and VP of Supply Chain Kai boarded a plane to Bulgaria this summer, it wasn’t just another business trip. It was a reunion with people we’ve been building trust with for decades, the kind of suppliers who treat every herb, every flower, every berry like a responsibility.

The week started inside their facilities, which somehow felt both industrial and deeply personal. These partners never stop upgrading the way they protect plants. We geeked out over the giant green bags, imagine oversized Ziplocs that get sealed, air sucked out, then filled with CO₂. Why? Because medicinal herbs are like candy for bugs. With transit times that can stretch to six weeks, this simple innovation means herbs arrive intact, without unwanted guests.

But the details go even deeper. One of our favorite moments was watching their water activity testing. If moisture is too high, above 0.7, mold becomes inevitable, even if the herb was sterilized. Keep it below 0.6, and you’ve got stability that can last. These are the kinds of quiet, behind-the-scenes steps that make the difference between herbs that look good on arrival and herbs that stay vibrant for months. It’s also why they hold certifications like GFSI and BRC, layers of assurance baked into the way they work.

Of course, not all of the trip was inside. The team wandered fields of mullein flowers and leaves, ran fingers along juniper berries, and held up St. John’s Wort leaves to the sun to see the tiny perforations glowing through. A farmer grinned as he showed us that trick, and it was one of those simple reminders: nature always leaves its signature.

There was raspberry leaf, chicory herb and root (yes, the same chicory that’s been a coffee stand-in for centuries), and white yarrow.

By the end of the week, what lingered wasn’t just the photos or the certifications, it was the people. Farmers teaching us old tricks, partners showing off the quiet innovations that make herbs safer, cleaner, more reliable. These trips are about reconnecting with that human side of sourcing, and bringing back stories that make every bag of botanicals feel a little more alive.

And as we look ahead, that’s what excites us most: knowing that the herbs you’ll hold in your hands tomorrow are the result of trust built in fields halfway across the world.