Welcome to Foxglove Forest Farm: A Journey Rooted in Nature

Hello! I’m Michelle Richards, and I’m thrilled to welcome you to Foxglove Forest Farm, where dreams grow wild! My love for plants and gardening started early, as I spent my childhood following my grandmother around her garden, learning about nature. By the time I was in high school, I was trying to get my family on a yard maintenance plan to help manage our five-acre property along a beautiful river. While they saw it as an untamed forest, I envisioned something more—a space where nature's beauty and my gardening passion could thrive.

For years, I balanced my love for the outdoors with my career as a teacher, but I always found peace in foraging and crafting products from the plants growing around me. I started gifting these handmade creations to friends and family during the holidays, and soon enough, people were asking if they could buy them year-round. It wasn’t long before I realized this passion could become something more. So, I retired from teaching to dedicate myself fully to this work, helping people manage their symptoms and well-being naturally through what I create.

At Foxglove Forest Farm, we specialize in foraging and cultivating native, edible, and medicinal plants on my 13-acre property in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. The forest here is home to a variety of plants and trees, including Cedar, Mullein, Devil’s Club, Big Leaf Maple, and Cottonwood, to name a few. Beyond what grows naturally, I’ve also planted a garden full of medicinal and edible flowers like Calendula, Lavender, and St. John’s Wort.

Many of the products I offer are crafted from these sustainably foraged and grown plants, including Elderberry and Lavender Syrup, pain relief salves made from Devil’s Club and Cottonwood buds, and general skin healing salves with Calendula, Comfrey, and Plantain. My favorite might just be the solid dish soap bar that cleans wonderfully and smells divine. Along with these, I make floral smudges, simmer pots, Christmas wreaths, and more. For local customers, I also sell native nursery plants to help them bring a piece of the Pacific Northwest into their own yards.

Sustainability is at the heart of everything I do. I forage with care to protect not only my property but the environment as a whole, ensuring these natural resources are available for future generations. There’s an incredible peace that comes from working with plants, and I take pride in knowing that the products I create are free of chemicals and filled with the healing properties of nature.

I hope to connect with others who are interested in natural remedies and sustainable living—whether they’re looking to fill their yards with native plants or use natural products for their own well-being. My educational background fuels my desire to teach people about the alternatives to pharmaceuticals, and I believe we can all find peace, joy, and beauty in what nature provides.

Looking ahead, I’m excited for the future of Foxglove Forest Farm. My dream is to grow into a larger native plant nursery and bring more of my natural products to the retail market, spreading the wisdom and healing of nature even further.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. I invite you to explore foxgloveforestfarm.com and discover the magic of the natural world through the plants and products I’m so passionate about.