According to the tale, the fable of the Pussy Willow goes;
a mother cat was crying on the bank of a river, as her kittens had fallen in while chasing butterflies and were drowning. 

The willow trees along the riverbank wanted to help, so they dipped their branches into the water to save the kittens, allowing them to cling to the limbs.

​The kittens were saved, but they left their soft, furry fur behind on the branches. Since then, willow branches sprout tiny, kitten, fur-like buds every spring in memory of this rescue. 

As the old poem goes; 

Willow trees grow across much of the world, from Europe and North America to northern Asia and parts of Africa. For thousands of years people have turned to this quiet tree for relief from pain and fever.
Nearly 2,000 years ago the Greek physician Dioscorides recommended “willow leaves, mashed with a little pepper and drunk with wine” for lower back pain. During the Middle Ages, willow bark continued to be used throughout Europe to reduce fever and ease aches.
In 1899 the Bayer Company in Germany introduced a drug based on a synthetic compound similar to the active ingredient found in willow bark. That product eventually became one of the most recognized medicines in the world… aspirin.

Like aspirin, willow bark is a proven pain reliever, though it works more slowly and tends to last longer in the body. Traditionally it has been used for fever, colds, headaches, minor infections, and rheumatic aches.

On the farm, willow bark has found its way into several of our products including our Rosemary Hair Oil, Peppermint Hair Oil, White Fir Beard Oil, and our Easelixer ~ Create your own Elixer.

Willow contains a natural compound called salicin that gently exfoliates the scalp, helping remove dead skin, balance excess oil, and reduce dandruff. Its anti inflammatory plant compounds soothe irritation and help create a healthier environment where strong hair can grow.

​You will also find willow bark in our Easelixer blend, a plant that herbal traditions have long turned to when the body needs a little extra support.
​
Each spring we harvest the young willow shoots at the same time the maple sap begins to run. The days rise above freezing while the nights still dip below zero. During this brief window the sap moves through the trees as they awaken from winter’s sleep. This is when the bark is richest and most potent, and when we gather what we need for the oils and elixirs we craft through the year.

Our registered White Willow tree at Mingle Hill Farm, one of the largest in Canada.​

Recently, headlines began circulating about Starbucks facing a lawsuit alleging chemical residues in decaffeinated coffee.
Whether the claims are ultimately proven in court or not, the conversation has reopened something many people don’t realize:
Decaf coffee has long been one of the most chemically processed everyday foods.
And strangely enough… learning that years ago is what first sent us down the rabbit hole that eventually became our farm today.

Before We Grew Herbs, We Drank Coffee Without Question
There was a time when we didn’t think much about food processing.
Coffee was coffee and Tea was tea.

Then my husband Randy needed to switch to decaffeinated coffee.
We then asked the question, how do they remove the caffeine from the bean?

Why Decaf Coffee Is Back in the News
The recent lawsuit filed in the United States alleges that testing detected trace volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in certain decaffeinated Starbucks coffees. Starbucks has stated that its products meet safety standards, and the case has not been decided.
But regardless of the legal outcome, the discussion has reminded many consumers of something largely forgotten:
Some traditional decaffeination methods rely on chemical solvents.
For us, learning this years ago was a turning point.

How Conventional Decaf Coffee Is Often Made
Coffee beans naturally contain caffeine. To create decaf coffee, processors must remove it from green (unroasted) beans.
One widely used method involves solvents such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate, which selectively bind to caffeine molecules.
In simplified terms:
• Beans are steamed to open their structure
• A solvent extracts caffeine
• Beans are rinsed and dried
• Coffee is roasted as usual
Regulations limit residual amounts allowed in finished coffee, and manufacturers maintain that products remain within approved safety limits.
But discovering this process was the first time many of us realized:
Food could be technically safe… yet still heavily processed.
That realization changed how we began looking at everything we consumed.

The Swiss Water Method: Coffee Without Chemical Solvents
​Then we discovered the Swiss Water Process, a decaffeination method developed in Switzerland and now refined here in Canada.
Instead of solvents, this method uses:
• water
• temperature
• time
• carbon filtration
The process works by gently dissolving caffeine into water and filtering it out while preserving flavour compounds.
No chemical solvents are introduced.
It felt understandable. Transparent. Almost traditional.
And that mattered to us.

The Beginning of Our “Crunchy” Era
Looking back, decaf coffee was one of the first foods that made us pause and ask deeper questions.
If caffeine could be removed this way…
What about Teas? Skin care ingredients? Spice mixes?
We started reading labels differently.
Growing more ourselves.
Learning how drying, extracting, and preserving plants actually worked.
That curiosity eventually grew into fields of herbs, drying rooms, and products made as simply as possible.

Modern food systems are complex, and many industrial processes exist for efficiency and consistency.
The Starbucks lawsuit may or may not change anything legally.
But conversations like this remind us that consumers increasingly want to understand how their food is made, not just what it contains. 

Sometimes One Question Changes Everything
People often ask how we became so committed to growing and making things ourselves.
The truth is unexpectedly simple.
We asked one question about a morning cup of coffee.
And once you start asking questions about what’s in your cup, you begin asking them about everything else... your food, your skin care, your home, and your health.
Sometimes becoming “crunchy” isn’t a trend.
It’s just curiosity… followed by learning.
And occasionally, it starts with decaf.