Local businesses promote natural products that nourish the mind, spirit and body.
Brooke Rankin got into herbalism seven years ago when she began studying plants.
“I've always been a nature kind of person, but I became really interested in herbalism when I moved to Vancouver Island in 2016, and that's when I started studying herbalism there,” she said. “I met my partner Scott there and he was also really interested in plants, so it was a very natural progression to get onto this path.”
Rankin's motivation for starting the project came when she was still studying herbalism and developed an interest in creating natural products for her family.
“We started off making skin care products and natural household cleaners, then we started making a range of aim creams and products that families needed,” she said. “It's always been a journey that's just snowballed from one thing to the next, and that's what has brought us here to Merritt.”
The couple decided to officially launch their own natural foods store, Earth & Soul Collection, which will sell everything from body care to shaving and hair care products, candles and botanical products.
“These are all products that are inspired by the earth and are made from the soul – they're all about nurturing the spirit, nurturing the mind and nurturing the body, and that's the beauty of it,” Rankin added.
“We make tinctures for internal use. We also make topical skin care products for people with sensitive skin. We use almost all natural ingredients, essential oils, herbal oils, everything is naturally derived.”
Soon after moving to Merritt, the couple became involved with the Nicola Valley Farmers Market.
“We thought this would be a great way to connect with the community and find out what's going on,” Rankin added. “Moving to Merritt really started to put our roots down here and really started to spark other passions in the direction that everything is pulling now.”
“Since moving to Merritt, I've noticed an increased interest in herbology. It's not just in Merritt, it's everywhere now because we're at a time when we need to turn to herbology,” she added. “Herbology gives us a space to enhance our own health and wellness, and the knowledge we share in the community is appreciated by many.”
She said her business stands out in the natural foods market because of the educational aspect that comes with it.
“We want to inspire people to reconnect with Mother Earth, to get grounded and feel more grounded, and we do that through a lot of our products,” Rankin added. “Our products allow people to get in touch with the energy of our products, rather than just using them up and buying more, because our products are there to touch the mind, body and soul.”
Rankin hopes their business will continue to inspire all generations around it.
“That's the beauty of our business, we don't just supply products, it's our lifestyle. That's the beauty of our business, because we manufacture a lot of things that we use on a daily basis and we manufacture them in bulk and provide them to the community,” Rankin said. “We can see that they appreciate and embrace (our products) just as much as we appreciate (our products), and it's wonderful.”
“We feel so blessed to be in the Merritt community and to be surrounded by people who are so interested in this lifestyle, and it's really helped our business grow. It's great to see our influence really impacting people's lives in this way, and that's why we're doing this.”
