008. Breakin’Bread
From a humble family recipe to becoming a deli favourite.
In the sunny Chew Valley, Somerset, Sebastian Pole and Ben Heron are applying their wisdom and experience to grow herbs and flowers with healing properties.
This is the story of Earthsong Seeds.
We created Earthsong Seeds to share something we truly love; sowing seeds, watching them grow into beautiful plants and enjoying their health-giving potential. And we especially want the seeds and plants we offer to encourage the tradition of the home apothecary; growing and making your own simple herbal health-remedies at home.
Looking after ourselves takes many forms, and growing healing plants and then making them into various teas and potions, is something that we find thoroughly nourishing.
We are Sebastian and Ben and between us have many years of herb-hunting and organic herb growing experience.
Sebastian, herbalist, gardener, and co-founder of Pukka Herbs and Herbal Reality, is passionate about herbal medicine and ecological conservation.
Ben, ethnobotanist, photographer, co-founder of Biolaya Organics and former head of sustainable herb sourcing at Pukka, is passionate about protecting endangered medicinal species.
We are both devoted to growing food and medicines in a way that nurtures Nature as well as ourselves.
One of the great things about growing medicinal herbs is that they are so attractive to many insects. For not only are they all beautiful in their own way, they weave an essential loop in the ecology and health of all life.
We both love seeds. Not just the fact that they hold the potential for life, or that something so small can grow into something so big and beautiful, but in every way imaginable; their special shapes, remarkable adaptability, and their potential for transforming health and wellbeing.
One thing our herbal journey has taught us is that when planted in the right place, cared for correctly, harvested at the right time and prepared in the right way, herbs have the power to bring something very special into your life.
Earthsong Seeds is a small land-based enterprise in the Chew Valley, in North Somerset in the UK.
It is a beautiful and quiet part of the world. The small team works from our seed shed where we manage the business, dry the seeds, pack the seeds, have our team meetings…a lot happens in the little shed.
We are surrounded by our herb beds that come alive in the spring with buzzing pollinators, vibrant colours and delicious aromas. They are all watered with our fresh water ponds.
All our seed packs are certified organic by the Soil Association. Approximately 85% of the seeds that we sell are grown in our own organic nursery. We are committed to the principles of agroecology and strive to improve the health of local ecosystems by increasing diversity of plants, trees and wildlife on our land.
Running a small business definitely has its highs and lows but we are so lucky to be working with and so close to nature. A memorable moment is when we found a snake in the compost bag and then it vomited a frog!
Plants have spent millions of years evolving ingenious ways of producing and dispersing seeds. Having given us so much, we believe one of the best ways to give back to the plants we love is to support them in their mission to disperse their seeds as far and wide as we can (or at least as far as Royal Mail will deliver them in the UK!).
As we mentioned above, we are on a mission to empower people to take greater control of their health and wellbeing by growing their own herbs and making their own herbal preparations.
We will continue to add wonderful herbs to our collection while encouraging our customers to turn their herbs into home remedies.
Whether crafting new forms from raw materials such as wood, willow, precious metals and clay, or transforming materials that are grown, dried, blended or baked into something wonderful, Artisan Founders use their skills to create the most beautiful items on our planet.
The care and attention that goes into nurturing the seeds and crafting these little packets of magic is the Artisan joy of Earthsong Seeds.
Thank you Sebastian and Ben for this little insight into your world and for sharing these wonderful healing herbs and flowers.
-Lyndsey
From a humble family recipe to becoming a deli favourite.
A pioneering founder story celebrating over 120 years of British craftsmanship.
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