Root & soil to body & soul. 

We are two mamas who are passionate about sharing our love for natural and organic herbal remedies. We use the purest ingredients and infuse love and positive intention into every handcrafted item.

Each one of our products is handcrafted mindfully in small batches which is reflected in the superior quality of our salves, tinctures, teas and other herbal remedies. Many of our herbs come from  3 Rivers Farm in Deming, a local farm that focuses on organic and sustainable farming practices. We help run the herb farm which allows us to grow, harvest, and create. It’s the bee's knees! Whatever we cannot organically grow or sustainably wildcraft ourselves, we source from other organic & sustainable farms. 

By supporting local organic farms and businesses, and researching the best quality ingredients from start to finish, our small business promotes a worldwide atmosphere of sustainability, peace and joy.  We trust and honor ancient healing wisdom, as well as the magical medicinal properties of plants and all of nature’s gifts. Building on this trust we invite our clients to take part in our journey and to Be Well & Take Root. 

A little about us…

We started planting seeds for Take Root Remedies many years ago, each of us on our own journey with herbs and healing. As time went on, we developed a deeper relationship with plants and created many different homemade remedies for our community. With many of our products on high demand, we sowed the seeds for Take Root Remedies long before we consciously decided to. With the encouragement of our community we took a leap of faith and officially started Take Root Remedies because of positive feedback and results.

We met in 2009 while acting in a play together at the Bellingham Theater Guild. Since then, we have worked together at various jobs (teaching kiddos, working in theatre, making massive puppets, caregiving, performing, farming…and more) traveled together, attended the births of each others' children as a doula, danced, hiked, backpacked and created many memories with one another and our families. We have been creating herbal remedies together since 2011. In the winter of 2013 we completed the Herbal Apprenticeship at Living Earth Herbs with Michele Sanger. Since then we have expanded our families and continued to adapt our lifestyles and herbal crafting to the changing needs at home and in our community. We love learning, exploring and gaining knowledge about plants and their amazing properties and gifts they offer. Every day we are inspired to learn something new about herbs and we infuse that into the work we do. With trust and a leap of faith we decided to officially start Take Root Remedies in November, 2017. In 2021 (and really much sooner) our relationship with 3 Rivers Farm deepened and we started doing more farming, processing. You can find our products at their farm store! Stay tuned for how we continue to grow.

It’s one big adventure and we are so grateful to have a small business that utilizes our shared love for herbs, growing things, playing in the sun, being creative and always learning.

-Jessika Houston & Noelle Burns

About Jessika (she/her)…

My love for plants, insects, animals, rocks and all things nature started at a very young age. My father was an avid mountaineer, skier and nature lover and took us exploring as often as possible growing up. My mother, a dancer and teacher, was always excited to have her little garden patch and watch things she planted grow. She taught my siblings and I to have a deep connection with our bodies, listen to our intuition and follow creativity. Both of my parents were patient as I brought bugs in my bug collector into our houses, traveled with frogs and toads on road trips, and made potions and decoctions in my rooms with leaves, roses, and whatever else I could find  (and mayyybe started a very small fire in the process once...sorry, dad!). 

My passion for theatre, dance and music always was such a priority to me growing up.  It was a means of escape from the challenges that life at home or at school posed. Movement and performance allowed me to connect to my body and express myself in a way like no other. 

However reinforced I was to connect to my body, I was not provided many tools to be able to deal with issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma or significant physical pain and various injuries from dancing 35+ hours a week. I was told to take some IBuprofen, do some rehab and learn to deal with it. 

As I became more independent and entered adulthood I started discovering plant magic, the connection to our roots, our ancestry, astrology, and the deep interweaving in our bodies and chemistry...the deep rooted connection we have to nature, to intuitive healing through herbs, foods and movement. This discovery has served me in countless ways, but mostly I found empowerment and immense growth.

In 2007, I graduated with a BFA in Theatre and Performing Arts from Cornish College of the Arts. Following that, I was a Teaching Artist intern, apprentice and staff member at Seattle Children’s Theatre and worked various jobs in Seattle. I then ventured on to teach Theatre and English at a school in Kathmandu, Nepal for several months, and continued the journey around SE Asia. While there I hiked in the Himalayas for over a month and studied yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. I practiced performance art and went to as many local theatre and dance performances as possible. I also visited many local tea and herb farms, furthering my love and deepening my connection to herbs and mother earth.  

While traveling on motorbike in Vietnam, I survived a very intense and traumatic accident. I suffered a lot of neck, shoulder and pelvic pain but did not receive proper treatment at the time. Upon moving back to the US, and then to Bellingham, WA, I was experiencing chronic migraines, full body spams and pain, lack of appetite, depression, anxiety and fainting spells. Naturally, I was very concerned and decided to go to a Western Medical doctor. After a series of tests, I was given inconclusive results and prescribed Paxil (an anti-depressent) and a migraine medication. I left confused and heartbroken by our medical system that did not support me, provide any resources or real guidance toward healing. 

I knew deep down there was another way. 

The next day I went to the local herb shop, Living Earth Herbs, and the owner, Michele Sangar, gave me a tincture of Cayanne, Ginger and Cinnamon (I still have the bottle for nostalgia reasons :)  ). I started regular massage (with several massage therapists, including Anneka Deacon), acupuncture (with Rand Denis) and chiropractic (with Dr. Carolyn Cory). Through this process of care I discovered the structural damage caused by the accident which was also impacting every other system. I came back to my body, to nature, to the interconnectedness of it all. Within a few weeks of this practice and taking the tincture I was feeling back to myself.  I was able to integrate a daily yoga practice again, dance and do the things my body and soul need to for further healing.

Many dear friends helped along this journey, Noelle being a key player. Together we honed in on our love for plants and discovered tea, tincture, salve and body cream blending and creating. It’s always been such a joy for us to learn herbalism, to feel empowered, connected to nature, and able to share that with ourselves, family and friends. We decided to continue the journey at the LEH Apprenticeship. 

Shortly after completing the apprenticeship, March 2014, I became a main tea blender for Flying Bird Botanicals for 3 years. Continuing my learning from Scout Urling and working with so many amazing herbs on such a big scale was incredible. Another sign to continue the work.

Continue to learn, heal, play, create, craft, share, live in joy, love and good health. To be well and take root.  

During pre/post covid times I continue to teach dance with my program, Movement Matters: An Inclusive Dance Community as well as perform dance, music and aerial arts. In 2018 I became a mama, which has been the most rewarding job to date. I continue to learn about herbs on a daily basis for my family, our community and for the journey with Take Root Remedies. I am also a birth and postpartum doula. Within the transformative pregnancy/birth/postpartum times the support herbs, movement, meditation and yoga can provide can be immense and I love being a part of that for folx.

I am dedicated to learning how herbalism and alchemy interweave in our planet and our bodies, from birth through life, and how we can glean knowledge from the ancient wisdom of plants. I am dedicated to listening to all of the callings in life and to how they intersect and support each other in mysterious ways.

As a community advocate and teacher for people of all abilities, races and backgrounds, as well as a mother, I hope to help build community, resilience, inclusion and creativity through art, movement, performance and spreading love and appreciation of healing herbs and natural healing.  I am so grateful to call Van Zandt home (E. of B’ham) and am forever grateful to my giving, patient, and hilarious husband TJ and our adventurous 4 year old, River Wylde; and for all our family and friends, all of the teachers and guides I have had along the way, and this amazing earth we find ourselves on.

About Noelle (she/her)…

I grew up homeschooled on a small hobby farm in the midwest. My American Momma and German Dad were followers of Maharishi and the Transcendental Meditation movement which had a small community of peace lovers in southeast Iowa. I am the oldest of a gang of 5 kiddos and I can remember picking herbs and berries and exploring nature together. My German grandmother would always send us herb packets to make Krauterbitter and Mama would give us a spoonful whenever we felt under the weather.

As little nature explorers and were taught to be kind and respectful to each other, these values naturally included respect for Mother Nature and the environment. We were always encouraged to observe, research, and write about our natural discoveries. Each of us carried a little bag for cleaning up litter along any trails we trekked, following Mother Teresa’s motto, “Leave the place a little better than when you found it.”

Later the family moved back to Mama’s roots in California to be closer to our huge family, including cousins our age. We settled in the high desert plains of the San Gabriel Mountains on the edge of LA county. There we snowboarded in the Angeles forest, rode horses, and  rock climbed. We visited Venice Beach whenever possible as it was just 40 miles away. Since my parents loved cultural involvement, their enthusiasm spilled over onto the family. We attended a variety of public events ranging from Cesar Chavez marches and Conscious Life Expos, to classical music performances at the Hollywood Bowl, and of course meditation and spiritual centers. We were taught to love learning and discovery, and to respect and appreciate all of the beautiful cultures this world offers. We were always reminded to question the norm and blaze our own trails. Once I was able to drive myself to community college, I immediately started working towards a college degree, studying in the fields of Sociology, Fine Art , and Theatre.

 I moved up to Washington state after my college with my childhood friend and now husband, Rick, after his military contract was finished. All the while I tried to uphold a close and reverent relationship with Mother Nature and the wonderful natural environment in which we all exist.

 Shortly after relocation to the PNW, I met Jes, my amazing friend and herbal partner. She and I have so many interests in common like theater, dance, working with kiddos, and our love for plants, etc.  One of our many co-activities we got into was making herbal salves and tinctures for ourselves and loved ones. We did loads of research and found so much joy in learning and sharing new things about herbal healing and so on. In 2014 we completed an Herbal Apprenticeship locally with Living Earth Herbs. A month later I had my first child, Oskar. Jessika helped me during each of my 3 children’s births, and I got to be there to help Jes bring her son into the world. As we were growing our families we realized how much we cared about natural, non-toxic, body products and herbal remedies. We decided that we wanted to grow on that and we started another journey together, the journey of starting a business together so that we could share our love and herbal passion with our community at large. 

Special thanks to Rick and my kiddos for all of their patience, love, and support. And to my parents who have given me so much in life. Also I would like to say thank you for all of the influence that the following people have had on this specific path of natural discovery and herbal study. Thank you Grossmutter Kurzen, Grandpa Litwin, Charlie, Sabine, Vera, the Jacoby family, Toad, Michelle, my sister Alexandria, Jessika, and again my momma!

Equity & Justice

Take Root Remedies is committed to the equity and justice of Black lives, Indigenous lives, and the lives of all regardless of gender, ability, or any other identity. We are deeply concerned about the state of racial injustice and social inequality in the U.S. and across the globe. We are committed to looking deeply at these issues and confronting difficult situations because of the need for change and equality. At Take Root Remedies, we take action by:

· Empowering our community to stand up and take action. No one is free until we all are. Spiritual bypassing is unacceptable and it’s up to each of us to do the work necessary inside and out. 

· Educating ourselves about BIPOC history, experiences, and stories, and sharing those resources & stories.

· Recognizing that there is always more to learn.

· Contributing to our community and supporting the herbal path for all ages and backgrounds and supporting other local businesses and programs also working towards equality and justice.

· Promoting BIPOC businesses, herbalists and educators through our social media channels. 

· Not stopping - continuing the work - learning - listening - keep advocating for change.

· Donating a portion of profits to BIPOC supporting organizations.  To start, we will be donating to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. This incredible organization is doing critical work.

“Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance. We center Black mamas to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice.

We envision a world where Black mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy.”

They work to change policy, provide resources, research throughout Black communities to help improve Black maternal health, advocate and advance care and shift the culture.

Learn more about what they do, and how you can support this non-profit: https://blackmamasmatter.org/

_________________________________________________________

Be Well. Take Root.
We believe everyone has the right to be well. We hope to be a part of you and your family's journey with wellness and balance.

Contact us for questions about our products and custom orders handmade just for you.

takerootremedies@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook @takerootremedies
#bewelltakeroot