Our story is beautiful.
Us at our local rodeo.
I began on my own…
I’m Leilani Díaz McKay, and I’ve been making and sharing whole plant extracts, self-care, oral health, skin care, herbal tea blends, wildcrafted & homegrown offerings since 2015.
Originally from Illinois, I spent 8 years in Tennessee cultivating my botanical & herbal knowledge—focusing on the plants of the midwest and southern Appalachia. A whole new world of flora including the coastal range and Mediterranean chaparral of Northern California was introduced to me as a consequence of falling in love with my now husband Taj, and relocating to the west. I now create herbals utilizing the native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, berries, and herbs of our local/ native ecology.
Taj on a moss-covered oak slope, on our mountain.
Roland is a fully grown male German Shepherd and he helps keep us safe as there are more wild animals here than people!
We currently live off the grid with our German Shepherd, Roland, within a remote coastal mountain range— tucked in between National Forest land in the Sanhedrin wilderness of northern California. This area is known as the “empty west”, as the terrain is too rugged for infrastructure. We wander the wilderness studying plants and the relationships that exist throughout the natural world.
A handful of fresh homegrown Calendula blossoms.
Preparation, nature skills, and knowledge of the terrain are necessities for our daily life. We like the quiet, and are surrounded by a vast range of wildlife (including black bear, mule deer, quail, bald eagle, wild hare, fox, raven, rattlesnake, and tule elk)—human sightings are much more of a rarity.
Life can be lonely but somehow loneliness seems like a small price to pay for the gift to the soul that living in nature brings. Clean air, no telephone poles or artificial lights, coyote calls, and the brightest starlit skies you’ve ever seen. It’s a trade-off, and we LOVE both visitors and traveling. Living here has allowed us to fully dedicate ouselves to the lifestyle that feeds our souls.
Rebellious by today’s current societal norms, we tend wild spaces, a garden, cook daily, forage often, ferment, and roam these wild lands gathering wild medicines. We are just beginning our hunting adventures. We value family, and are passionate about protecting and advocating for natural and free living. Our craft is an extension of our life and my art. We aim to infuse our integrity and unique approach to life into all that we create. We are very grateful to have the support of people who find value in our natural creations, lifestyle, and herbalism craft.
Where we live now; off-grid in the Sanhedrin Wilderness of Northern California. This image was taken after a 2 minute walk from our front door.
I (Leilani) have been hand-crafting whole-plant herbals professionally since 2015. I was using tallow in creams and body butters back when the vegans were attacking me for it.
Throwback to 2015 when I first went all-in on my own small business adventure!
Needless to say I’m quite insouciant in regards to public condemnation or opinion. I am led by my heart, intuition, and the lessons that the years have provided. Making potent, small batch herbals with fresh, whole plant material (and cultivating tangible relationships with the land) is the only way I roll.
Freshly harvested flowering Chickweed for salad, infusions, and tincture.
Everything that arrives to your door from our shop begins with the land, passes through our own hands, and finds a home with you and your family.
Albeit an ambitious endeavor we grow and sustainably wildcraft the herbs and plant materials that go into each of our offerings (outsourcing only a small fraction of certain roots and berries while maintaining our focus on organic wildcrafting, gardening, ethics, and sustainability).
We design and cut out each and every label by hand, do all of our own website work, and process shipping and handling myself. Our dear local mail ladies brave our mountain weekly to deliver our packages to the world. Bless them. I’ve always bottled in glass (never plastic). We create with integrity and that is why I believe that we are still here— successfully sharing with you today. We are grateful.
Ekko (left—Roland’s local partner in crime), and our dog, Roland (right)
Wildcrafting Fresh Hypericum perforatum near the Summer Solstice.
In our shop you will find potent herbal extracts oils, thoughtfully devised wellness blends, traditional and effective salves & balms, natural skin care for face and body, herbal oral care, wild mushroom extracts, intentionally blended teas and infusions, and an ever growing array of carefully and lovingly-crafted herbal goods.
We are happy doing this work and walking this path which we find to be incredibly rewarding and unique (although it is our belief that it shouldn’t be niche at all). Our goal is to help others weave the beautiful threads of nature through their daily lives. We hope to help others regain a sense of purpose, confidence, and solace through nature connection.
Thank you for your visit, your support of what we share in our shop, and for all that you share with us in return. We do truly appreciate each and every single soul that crosses our path along this beautiful experience of life.