Meet Brittany Osborn of Animas Botanicals

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Osborn.

Hi Brittany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My story begins when I was just a girl growing up in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Amongst the gamble oak groves, aspen forests, and my family’s gardens, I grew to love plants from a young age. When I was just a teenager I started my first herb garden.

In the late winter for 20+ years since then I have carefully chosen a handful of new plants to incorporate into my garden each year. It is in this way that I have learned to cultivate over 75 species that I work with in my apothecary. The knowledge of how to grow these many plants I work with has come experientially. But that is only part of the picture.

In my early twenties, I traveled to countries that still incorporated herbs into their mainstream practices of medicine. I was very inspired to see a culture that believed wholeheartedly in the efficacy of herbal remedies. During this time I was able to heal from an affliction I had been dealing with myself for years by incorporating herbal medicine in my life. These experiences really solidified the importance of reclaiming the ancient powerful practices of healing with plants.

To match the experiential learning in my garden I have relied heavily on many different online herbal schools over the years to round out my knowledge base. My business was born from merging my love of working with the plants in the garden and in the wild, with the knowledge that I have derived from school and years of working with the plants.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been a couple of major hurdles I have encountered as a business owner. First off, my skill set is in working in the garden, crafting herbal formulas, and working with people. My skill sets are is not in web design, graphic design, social media, accounting, etc. Being a small business owner has required me to push out of what I am good at and what I like doing. I have had to learn to be comfortable wearing many different hats and develop skills that don’t come naturally to me.

Secondly, sourcing quality herbs that I can’t grow myself in Southwest Colorado is a challenge. Over 90% of the herbs used in the United States herbal market come from overseas. The United States gets the poorest quality herbs on the global market. As someone who is used to working with fresh organically grown herbs, I have very high standards. When I need a plant I can’t grow it is really difficult to find fresh quality plants.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Animas Botanicals crafts quality herbal products that bring vitality to individuals, humanity, and the earth. We make single extract tinctures, a whole line for herbal formulas, flower essences, hydrosols, teas, salves, and infused oils all with the herbs we grow here in Southwest Colorado. Our formulas maximize the therapeutic actions of plants to increase your well-being in many different ways. Some of our best-selling remedies are Deep Sleep, Anxiety Ease, Deep Immune Support, Bitters, & Digest Ease.

At Animas Botanicals we ensure the highest quality products because we control every step of the process. From growing over 75 species of medicinal herbs using organic and biodynamic practices, to harvesting fresh plant material at peak potency and processing all products in small batch sizes to ensure quality.

This is unique in the herbal industry because most herbal products are made from dried plant material from overseas. Studies show that the United States gets the poorest quality herbs on the global market. This means that the majority of herbal products on the market in the United States are not the highest quality products.

Our farm is more than just a farm. It is a botanical sanctuary. In every decision we make we consider the well-being of the land, pollinators, wildlife, and vitality of the plants we grow. We use companion planting and grow plants that come from all over the world. When you step foot in our gardens you can feel the power and magic of all the plants! You can really feel this vitality in the products we make!

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
It is ok to go slow! In order to have a quality product and quality presentation everything takes time and that is OK. I have often hoped that things would happen much faster but the reality is that all good things take time. You don’t have to know how to do it all! It is ok to ask for help and reach out to other professionals for input.

Running a business you care about and believe in is so rewarding and worth the time. I can’t imagine not running this business. My life is so much better because of all the things it asks of me day to day. I am constantly learning and growing. Every night I look back on my day with a sense of purpose and fulfillment!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.animasbotanicals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animasbotanicals/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/animasbotanicals