Necessity is the mother of invention, we’re often told. In the case of Racheal Bidmead and Katie Smith, however, it was dog walks that led to the start-up of their Tumbleweed Apothecary. The two military spouses met in Columbus in 2013, brought together by the U.S. Air Force and Columbus Air Force Base.
“We found each other through our husbands’ squadron. We were instant friends,” said Smith, a native of Oregon. Bidmead grew up in a military family and frequently moved from place to place.
The girls’ mutual love for dogs and hiking led them to begin walking with the combined pack. On those walks, they realized they shared something else, a passion for plants and their beneficial properties.
“We would take our dogs out to nature reserves, parks, lakes, trails, anywhere we could be surrounded by plants — and we would talk,” Bidmead said.
They discovered they each had a favorite plant. (Smith’s is Stellaria media — chickweed. Bidmead’s is Ganoderma lucidum — Reishi, a medicinal mushroom.) They would discuss and admire the various ecosystems they explored and began incorporating herbalism and wild nutrition into their daily lives and that of their families. Before long, they noticed improvements in their health and well-being.
On those hikes with the dogs, a “what if” began to form. What if they could develop helpful and holistic products and provide education so people can support and nourish their health with simple, traditional remedies?
After a year of intense planning and research, Bidmead and Smith launched Tumbleweed Apothecary online Oct. 1 with an organic skin care line they produce themselves. Additional products will soon debut. The women interned with Sweet Gum Apothecary in Starkville and have been taking classes with The Human Path in San Antonio, traveling to Texas for a portion of their study.
As much as possible, they use plants they grow themselves, or can purchase from Golden Triangle sources.
“We’ve been fortunate to meet and work with local gardeners, food and fermantation people and farmers,” Bidmead remarked. “Once you become a plant person, you gravitate toward other plant people.”
The entrepreneurs describe their venture as a “labor of love” they hope can cultivate healthier living and introduce others to benefits growing “literally outside your door.”
Neither of the military wives expected to grow roots in northeast Mississippi, but are happy that they did. Tumbleweed Apothecary was founded in the people and plants of Columbus, they say. They will take that with them, wherever their next move may be.
Editor’s note: To learn more, visit tumbleweedapothecary.com, email [email protected] or call 720-295-4528.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.