About Us

Hi, I’m Laura! I’m an herbalist, permaculture farmer, and natural skincare maker dedicated to helping you connect more deeply with the earth for personal and planetary wellness. Through my work at Swallowtail Ridge Farm & Botanicals, I create products and educational content that empower you to explore the healing power of plants and make sustainable choices for your life and landscape. My goal is to guide you in building a fulfilling, earth-centered lifestyle that nurtures your well-being while contributing to a healthier, thriving planet.

I've been on this mission for the past decade to help people connect with plants for a greater purpose: the flourishing of all. It started with my first permaculture homestead in Southwest Ohio, Juniper Meadow, in 2015 where I fell in love with growing food and medicine for my family while creating a thriving landscape. I began making soap, salves, and other herbal products in 2018 to help fund my plant purchases. Then, I took a permaculture design certification course through Cincinnati Permaculture Institue in 2018-2019 which fueled my passion for permaculture and equipped me to use the ethics of Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share to develop my homestead.

In 2021, our family moved to a beautiful mountain property in northern Virginia, where I set up Swallowtail Ridge Farm & Botanicals. I got big into medicinal herb growing and product creation, which allowed me to expand my knowledge and connections with like-minded people. A highlight of this time was partnering with Kinloch Farm in The Plains, VA, to use their grass-fed beef tallow in my soap and products. Not only are they wonderful people to work with, but their commitment to regenerative farming is also truly inspirational.

In 2024, we moved back home to southwest Ohio where I'm continuing my work in permaculture, herbalism and earth-connection. I'm seeking to weave together all I've learned at my previous farms to create a regenerative landscape that feeds our family, produces healing remedies for us and herbal self-care products for our customers in a way that also creates more life, healthy and diversity for our local ecosystem. I'm so glad you're here. Thanks for joining me on this journey!