The Name: Willow Bark Botanicals

Fact: Willows are a symbol of fertility and new life. A willow branch can be planted in the ground and from it, a new tree will grow in its place. Its ability to grow and survive is powerfully symbolic and shows how we can thrive even in challenging conditions. Willows teach us to grow where we are planted regardless of the soils and conditions we find ourselves in. In the midst of this adversity, they also teach us to heal others while we heal ourselves. We (Wendy & Kaitlin) spent 9 out of 12 months in 2021 on VIVA Student Farm where we met, and where we learned about caring for plants and for the soil. While we learned how to heal the Earth, we learned that the process of farming could be healing and that things that we grew could help heal us as well. Willows were constantly lending themselves to us on the farm, and from them, we formed bean trellises, garlic drying racks, wreaths, and our farm's name: Willow Bark Botanicals.