From Soil to Salve: My Journey to Columbia Naturals.

I’m Katie, a sixth-generation farmer from the Columbia Basin of Washington, a place shaped by the Missoula floods and known for its rich soil, resilient people, and deep agricultural roots. My family was one of the pioneering families who settled here, carving fields out of scab ground once covered in sagebrush and jackrabbits. 

Five generations later, here I am still in the same place, walking on land soaked with my forefathers’ blood, sweat, and tears. I grew up running along rows of corn, matching my stride to the rills and hoping I didn’t trip over a siphon tube. 

I even started dating, and eventually married, the neighbor boy down the road after helping him change water on his bean fields. Our “dates” looked a little different: siphon tube races from opposite ends of the field, moving equipment down dusty roads, and long days under big skies. 

This land raised generations before me, and today my husband Mitchell and I carry that tradition forward with our family, growing apples, cherries, pears, beans, corn… and eventually, hemp. 

But Columbia Naturals didn't begin in a boardroom or a business plan. It began with uncertainty, exhaustion, and a leap of faith.  

The Beginning: A Farmer's Pivot   

When the 2018 Hemp Farm Bill passed, like many farmers, we saw an opportunity. We planted 30 acres of hemp, hopeful and a little nervous, not quite realizing how few places could actually process it. So we did what farmers have always done: we adapted. We built our own hemp processing lab from the ground up.  

Those days were long, physical, and uncertain. Markets crashed. Prices disappeared. Buyers were scarce. But we kept going, learning, pivoting and refusing to quit.  

I still remember one day vividly. Sweat was cooling on my brows as I sat back on my heels after hand scrubbing the floors of the hemp lab. Exhausted, but driven, one thought pounded in my mind: How are we going to make this work?  

Where Columbia Naturals Was Born 

It was during those long, grueling days in the lab that Columbia Naturals truly began.  

After hours of physical labor, my back would ache and my body felt worn down. I began experimenting with the CBD I spent hours extracting and refining, creating simple CBD salves and lotions to soothe my own pain. At first it was just self-care. But when I shared them with family and friends, and it helped them find relief too, that's when I realized this might be something more.  

Somewhere along the way, I realized this was no longer just about me. It became about the tired mom with aching shoulders, the farmer finishing a grueling day, the woman craving a quiet moment, the body asking for relief. I’ve always believed in natural remedies, herbs, plants, simple solutions, the kind of things passed down through generations. Creating these products felt like everything in my life coming together: farming, nature, healing, and care. 

The Heart Behind the Brand 

Over time, this little idea grew. What started in my kitchen became real products like River Plunge, Lavender Breeze, and Farmer’s Helper, each one reflecting a commitment to quality and the natural power of the land I love. Every formula begins with CBD grown from our farm and is crafted in small batches using thoughtfully chosen ingredients.  

To me, Columbia Naturals isn’t just skincare. It’s comfort. It’s relief after a long day. It’s something made with intention and real hands, not mass produced and rushed. Every bottle is something I truly care about. I make it with purpose and prayer, hoping that it helps you to feel your best. 

If you have ever needed comfort, restoration, or a natural way to feel better, this is why I make what I make. I pray that when you open a bottle, you feel the care behind it. That your shoulders soften, your breath slows, your body feels supported and the pain eases. I hope that small moment of relief becomes part of your daily rhythm.  

Columbia Naturals creates small batch CBD topicals designed to support natural relief, comfort, and plant based wellness. Everything we make is rooted in our Washington farm and shaped by a belief in simple, effective, natural care. 

Motherhood, Creativity, and Legacy 

Building Columbia Naturals has been more than just an answer to our problems, it's been deeply personal and enriching. Becoming a mother awakened a creative part of me I didn't even realize was waiting. As a little girl, I would spend hours in my mom’s beautiful yard picking flowers and making potions in old pots. Always creating, always mesmerized by the beauty that God gifted us in herbs and flowers. My daughter is the exact same way. Seeing her marvel at nature and create with her little hands gave me the spark of inspiration. Each new product I created, each formula refinement, each small step forward felt like I was returning to myself. I know it's overplayed, but the saying rings true: Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life. 

One of my greatest joys has been watching my young daughter, and now my toddling son, take part in the process. Seeing their tiny hands rolling up bottles in paper to protect them during shipping and helping stick postage stickers on, has filled me with so much pride. It reminds me that this journey is bigger than business, it's hopefully a legacy.  

My Hope 

My hope and mission is simple.  

That when you use Columbia Naturals, you feel cared for. That it brings comfort, relief, and a little bit of nature into your daily life.  

Rooted in sustainability, guided by nature, and crafted with care, every product reflects the passion of generations before me and the belief that natural solutions can support real wellness.  

From the soil to the salve in your cabinet.

If you are here, you are part of this story now. And that means more to me than you know. 

With love,  

Katie