Holistic Health

If you’re looking for high-quality herbal remedies, stop by Wild Hearth and Home at the Texas Farmers Market at Mueller on Sunday. You’ll meet an informative couple selling an array of products curated to improve your health and protect your skin. 

Andrew Herrick, who graduated in 2014 from the Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine, and his partner Jaren Shears, started Wild Hearth and Home in 2020. Their focus is on providing the community with organic, handmade herbal remedies and deeply nourishing whole-plant skincare. Herrick says, “Our formulas largely use native Texas plants to increase sustainability, freshness, and efficacy. We want our customers to experience a wealth of health because they’re receiving an herbal preparation that was lovingly tended to from seed to bottle.” 

Many herb companies outsource ingredients overseas, often purchasing stale plant material at a lower price point. In addition to increasing the carbon footprint, this produces deficient products that lack potency. Herrick and Shears wanted to change that model. Their products are fresh, ecologically responsible, and effective. “We want people to fall in love with the healing power of fresh herbs that are grown locally and harvested at the perfect time. So much love goes into farming, extracting, and bottling our products so we can bring high-quality herbal remedies and medicinal skincare to our community.” 

All plants used in Wild Hearth and Home products are organically grown in a farm plot run in collaboration with Simple Promise Farms. This ensures permaculture principles are implemented to achieve high yields while supporting local populations of birds and pollinators, which is key to both maintaining balance in nature and protecting the environment. The remedies Wild Hearth and Home formulate target specific holistic needs, such as stress support, immune and respiratory health, and balanced skincare. 

Building a Business 

Wild Hearth and Home joined the Mueller Market in 2021 to reach a wider audience with their fresh, native-plant remedies and skincare. Since joining the Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller, they have experienced steadfast and enthusiastic support. “Not only are our customers some of the kindest people in Austin, but the staff at the market also cares deeply about uplifting the hard work of local farmers.” 

Herrick and Shears plan to continue expanding their holistic line and have worked tirelessly to build meaningful relationships with local Austin businesses like The Herb Bar, Earth Commons, and Wheatsville. One top-selling item, Return to Self, can be found at these retailers; the formula contains several herbs that gently cleanse and detoxify the body. Another popular product during allergy season is Sinus Support, a blend that opens nasal passages and relieves congestion. As far as their skincare products go, their Daily cleanser, made with a base of rose and freshly harvested cactus hydrosols infused into African black soap, is a top seller. Rose gently tones the skin while cactus hydrates, detoxifies, and nourishes with high amounts of vitamin C. The plant ash from African black soap works to balance pH and heal dry, inflamed skin. 

Herrick and Shears also offer to share their unique knowledge of plants with their occasional plant walks, which you can sign up for on their website. On a recent one that took place in April, they led clients through the Southwest Greenway to discover the medicinal herbs that grow wild locally and explained how to respectfully cultivate and harvest them. 

Wild Hearth and Home intend to continue to expand their product lines and share the healing power of fresh, native, locally farmed plants for the long term. To request their products at a local retailer or place a wholesale order, visit wildhearthandhome.com.

Carmen Gray has lived in Austin since 1992. She is a retired teacher, published author, and freelance writer.