OEN NewsInspired by the beehive: Mickelberry Garden’s journey from farmers’ markets to cGMP certified manufacturing
The honeybee, though a tiny creature, is a vital partner to humans in ways many of us don’t see. They’re important to pollination of our food systems, and the honey they produce can be used in traditional health remedies to support us in times of illness. Honeybees are also something of a model for a healthy business, showing us what efficiency, productivity and dedication look like.
These amazing insects are the driving force and inspiration behind Mickelberry Gardens, an herbal remedy business created by Madelyn Morris and her husband Matt in 2011. Fresh off a Master of Science program in Sustainability Education, Morris found herself struggling to land the right full-time position due to lingering effects of the recession. Leaning in to her background in garden education and botany, Morris used her time in between looking for a role to dive deeper into herbalism and experiment with creating her own formulas. She and her husband also added a few beehives to their backyard as a hobby.
“Unfortunately, I learned that I had reactions to bee stings, but we didn’t want to totally give up exploring beekeeping,” Morris says.
Morris sought out a local organic farm to relocate their hives to, giving Matt the chance to continue expanding the operation. With their new home established, the Morris’ hives quickly grew to 20+. They ended up with a surplus of honey, wax, and propolis, and began thinking of ways to merge Morris’ growing herbal experiments with the honey production.
“We started sharing what we were making, starting with a salve, a lip balm, and an elderberry tonic,” Morris says. “We knew this idea had potential, and things began to grow from ther.”
Morris started with a small booth at a local farmer’s market selling her initial products. As Mickelberry Gardens has grown, their tonic line has become front and center. The tonics are oxymels, a traditional remedy that extracts herbs in raw vinegar and raw honey to create a tangy, sweet concoction that offers targeted health benefits. The company also offers oxymels in spray form. Mickelberry Garden’s tonics address challenges like stress, colds, and digestive issues.
Morris’ previous experience working for a small herbal company came in handy as production scaled up, particularly with compliance. Herbal products like oxymels, capsules, tinctures and in some cases even teas are classified as herbal or dietary supplements, which require following current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) and FDA regulations around sourcing, labeling, and selling.
“It took us several years to really nail down our manufacturing system,” Morris says. “It’s easier to start small, doing things correctly, and grow slowly versus rapidly expanding and trying to course correct later.”
One of Mickelberry Garden’s first expansions came when they were able to buy a semi-automatic bottling machine for $500 from another business. Moving from hand bottling every product to a more automated set up gave Morris more time and space to craft new product ideas and fulfill larger orders.
“It solved what our literal bottleneck had always been: how quickly you can get the product in the package and get on to the next thing,” she says. “That’s what enabled us to scale.
The company has since upgraded to fully automatic machines and evolved their product line to include bulk honey and beeswax, propolis tincture, and more skincare items.
Morris’ dedication to getting the company’s cGMP processes right opened an additional line of business as a contract manufacturing facility for other supplement companies. They’re now helping other companies scale in addition to launching Mickelberry Gardens products on local and national shelves.
“In the last few years we’ve gotten into Natural Grocers and Sprouts, which is very exciting,” she says.
As Morris looks ahead, she sees continued steady growth nationally and regionally. She says Oregon’s climate, both in terms of weather and people, has been instrumental in Mickelberry Garden’s success. Both herbs and bees thrive here, and a culture focused on health and wellness is a good fit for an herbal supplement company.
“I also credit organizations like OEN along with the many farmers and beekeepers we’ve gotten to work with,” Morris says. “I’m proud that over the years we’ve grown while staying true to quality ingredients.”
Produced by A.wordsmith for OEN
