Today we’d like to introduce you to Alenka & Michael Kosacki.
Hi Alenka & Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 2015, we decided to get out of the city and buy a small 2 acre plot of land so we could farm together. Michael brings skills from volunteering, interning and working at a variety of small farms. His German-Estonian mother was an avid gardener who’s sparked his love of all things pickled. Inspired by the beauty of natural systems, he has taken numerous permaculture and soil biology classes. I grew up farming, canning, and making mud pies. I am now a Certified Clinical Master Herbalist. I bring my creative design skills to the farm along with my love for growing herbs and making plant medicine. I am inspired by my extensive travels and artistic experiences that inspire my creations at the farm.
We specialize in sustainable and regenerative farming practices and believe that food should be grown with love and care, so we focus on producing plants of the highest quality. Our primary focus is growing heirloom garlic, apples, blueberries, herbs and cultivating western natives. We have a small nursery where we offer medicinal herb starts and natives by appointment.
Frux Farm (Latin for Fruits of the Earth) is a proud member of the United Plant Savers organization, an organization which raises awareness of native species, permaculture, and herbal medicine. Our farm is dedicated to the preservation of indigenous plant and herb species and is an official Botanical Sanctuary. Our products are made with many of the native species we support.
I (Alenka) offer evolutionary herbal consultations that promote holistic health and well-being. I believe that natural, holistic approaches to health and wellness are essential to living a balanced, fulfilled life. My goal is to provide clients with the tools they need to live a happier, healthier life. I believe in the power of nature and the use of plant medicine to help find balance and improve overall well-being.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Farming is not an easy way of life but it is a fulfilling one. Some of the challenges along the way have been going wholeheartedly into a canning business making pickles of all kinds from the veggies we grew to sell at the farmers markets around Portland. After working very hard for several years and making the investments required the bottom line was met but not well exceeded. Needing a full time employee to help with harvesting and selling at the markets, while Michael did soil, compost plus field prep and I was in the kitchen canning seven days a week. The time came to go bigger or go home and so we decided to pivot and think about where to put our time and energy. I had finished her Clinical Herbalist certification and decided to go full time as an herbalist and Michael decided to focus more on the apple orchard, sauce boxes and the garlic.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Frux Farm grows heirloom and open-pollinated vegetables and herbs because we believe biodiversity and natural intelligence will bring more flavor and nutrients to your table and plant medicine. We offer delicious gourmet garlic, and medicinal herbal products. All our products are handcrafted, small batch, farmed with organic practices and made with attention to detail.
We strive to provide you with the most potent food and medicine that nature has to offer. We believe in the power of plants to foster growth, healing, and transformation. Our goal is to make natural healing accessible to everyone and to empower people to take charge of their health and well-being with plant medicine and healthy delicious food.
We offer seasonal sauce boxes filled with all the ingredients and recipes to make your sauces and salsas. We offer single herbs and proprietary formulas to bring you a selection of potent plant medicines from our farm to your medicine cabinet. Our goal is to provide our customers with the highest quality of herbal supplements, tinctures, oils, and other organic products. From our farm to your home, we strive for the utmost quality and safety for your health and well-being.
I (Alenka) am a community herbalist and passionate health advocate in a mindful co-practice of herbalism, somatic practice, nutrition and embodied astrology. I offer holistic herbal consultations tailored to individual needs. With my knowledge and experience, I can help individuals empower their journey towards improved mental/physical health and well-being.
Stolas Botanicals, under the umbrella of Frux Farm, is me (Alenka) embracing my more mystical side where I incorporate astrology into my herbal consultations. I will look at your astrological birth chart to see what planetary influences, elements and modes are at play to assist in herbal remedy choices. I will help align your practices to care for your body as a temple and to understand it’s rhythms and patterns as reflected in the rhythms and patterns of the planets and stars. I formulate planetary oils for Stolas Botanicals to use for ritual and daily mindfulness practice.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters to us begins with soil health and sustainably growing all the ingredients for everything we make, including the herbs for our tinctures and oils on the farm, and harvesting with planetary cycles. We are committed to social and environmental justice, knowing community resiliency increases when we preserve the medicinal traditions of our ancestors. We believes health care begins all around the world at a community level. Alternative healing methods that go deep into the whole person, delving into the mental, physical and spiritual aspects as well as providing high-quality delicious flavorful heirloom fruits and veggies grown with organic practices and harvested with intention. What also matters to us is cultivating native hedge rows and riparian spaces to feed and protect the pollinators and birds.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fruxfarm.com
- Instagram: @fruxfarm, @stolasplantmagick
- Facebook: Frux Farm
