For two years, I lived in a rural indigenous community in the wetlands of Paraguay. It was a profound blessing to be so deeply immersed in a culture centered on community care and earth stewardship. There, I built my first garden and began to understand the beauty of reciprocity. I’d exchange bell peppers for my neighbor’s eggs, tomatoes for mangos, and my time for the wisdom and friendship of those around me. Through these exchanges, I realized that caring for the land was a way of caring for myself and the people I loved. I felt a deep urge to share this reverence with as many people as possible.

I began teaching gardening classes in the local schools and loved seeing the light bulbs turn on in the minds of young students. When I returned to the U.S., I continued my journey as an experiential educator, traveling the world with young adults and spreading awareness about caring for our dear Mother Earth. This path eventually led me to Hawaii, where I deepened my connection to the land by stewarding a 64-acre food forest and education center on the Hamakua Coast. It was there that the path of Herbalism was laid before me, through the practice of Malama Aina—caring for the land so that it can, in turn, feed and heal our communities.

Nurturing the land and teaching others how plants can heal us has nourished my soul in profound ways. Once again, I felt called to share this reverence for plants and the gifts they offer to feed and heal us. From that calling, Word of Mouth Remedies was born—a way to honor the sacred reciprocity between the earth and ourselves. My goal is to provide high-quality herbal remedies that inspire people to heal the land by healing themselves. I envision Word of Mouth Remedies as a platform that centers the healing of our land and communities, fostering collaboration, education, and sovereignty.