Herbalist & Alchemist

Then&Now–Starting H&A David Winston RH(AHG)+ H&A

“When I started practicing as an herbalist in 1976 there weren’t any decent herbal products in the marketplace, so I started to make my own for my patients.“But, when you make tinctures, oils or ointments, there's a certain volume of scale that's necessary. Tiny batches simply don’t work. I would have to make a gallon when I only needed a pint, so in 1981 I started a business to sell all the “extras”.“The name Herbalist & Alchemist actually came to me in a dream. I felt that vision accurately reflected how plants are transformed into the best and most effective medicines.”

“David and I had complimentary goals— his to run a business that made clinically effective products and mine to work to grow a business that was good for people and good for the earth.”

Evolution of H&A to a Business

“My lifelong study and love of herbs led me to start this business, but I realized that if we were going to grow I needed someone who could take the business to the next level.” David Winston.

Beth Lambert’s unusual career path from Wall Street to Permaculture entrepreneur connected her to David and she joined H&A as David’s business partner.

“I was attracted to the integrity and authenticity of the products. David and I had similar goals—his to run a business that made clinically effective products and mine to work to grow a business that was good for people and good for the earth.” Beth Lambert.

Herbalist & Alchemist

40 Years Later

“In the early 1980’s you could start a company on a shoestring, which we did, in very humble conditions. Now the amount of regulation (FDA, FTC, USDA, DOT and TTB) is much more significant.“We started off with one little 512K Macintosh®. Now we have computer systems and manufacturing systems. Production is on a much larger scale, but the biggest changes are the costs and complexity of regulatory requirements and quality assurance.“Many start-up companies don’t last, so I am very proud that we’re still here producing products that I’m as satisfied with as when I made everything with my own hands. The basic premise of wanting to produce the best herbal products I could for my patients is still the guiding force behind what we do today.“Whether it’s for a customer in a health food store or a practitioner in their office, I want to know that we’re producing the best quality product that we possibly can. And we are consistently looking for ways to improve and enhance products, even if they have been successful for 35 years.

“I believe that there is always room for improvement, for growth, and that is part of our company culture. I hope when we’re celebrating our 50th anniversary we will hear people say, ‘they are one of the great Herb companies of all time.’ ”