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Our mission is to empower you with the time-honored knowledge of plants—offering handcrafted, herbal remedies that nourish the body, inspire connection, and root wellness in everyday life.

Why Red Root?

The name Red Root & Co honors Red Root (Ceanothus americanus), a North American plant long used in herbal medicine for its powerful astringent and lymphatic properties.The plant, Red Root, does not exist in isolation, but rather keeps dynamic company with its environment. Like this powerful herb we are each unique, recognized for individuality and contribute to a greater system. Red Root & Co is a nod to the beauty of individuality and kinship, and gratitude for the circles in which we thrive.

Meet Corey

I’m Corey, a certified herbalist in Harrisonburg, VA and the founder of Red Root & Co. My work is grounded in the belief that wellness begins with paying attention — to our bodies, our environment, and the plants growing around us.

Herbalism has been a lifelong path for me. I’ve been dreaming about food-entrepreneurship for the better part of four decades, tempting family and friends to indulge my experiments, while progressively discovering the niche I have come to embrace. 

Red Root & Co is my way of sharing what I’ve learned: that herbalism can be practical, beautiful, and part of everyday life. Whether you reach for our Fire Cider when cold season rolls around, sip a tonic to support your digestion, or simply want to add more plants to your plate, we’re here to help you reconnect with your health, naturally.

Find Your Roots

Red Root & Co is more than a collection of herbal goods. From our Herb House shop to seasonal recipes, hands-on herbalism education, and wellness inspiration, we bring the power of plants into every corner of life.

For your herbal journey

Red Root Wellness Guide

Hops & Citrus Bitters from Red Root & Co is a 2021 Good Food Awards Winner

Hops & Citrus Bitters from Red Root & Co is a 2021 Good Food Awards Winner

Red Root & Co, a modern herbalism food brand, has achieved national accolades with their recent win in the 2021 Good Food Awards. Their Hops & Citrus Bitters was selected as a winner among 25 other products in the Elixirs category. “We are beyond excited to be honored with a Good Food Award amongst such an impressive group of food crafters! Being selected as a winner validates our craft of herbalism and ethos in a truly meaningful way,” says Corey MacDonald, owner and founder of Red Root & Co, a small-batch producer of plant-based oxymels, shrubs, tonics, syrups, and bitters. The Good Food Awards are just one part of the mission of the Good Food Foundation, which is “to celebrate, connect, empower and leverage the passionate and engaged, yet often overlooked, players in the food system who are driving towards tasty, authentic, and responsible food in order to humanize and reform our American food culture.” Over 2,000 entries from all 50 states are submitted each year. 2021 marks the 11th year the Good Food Awards have taken place. By winning the Elixir category, Red Root & Co has proven they can make a great-tasting product while maintaining their position as a responsible food brand. The Good Food Foundation has stringent standards for entry, and winning a category puts the winner among a very select group of ethical food brands, along with national recognition. The Good Food Awards are unique, in that they are not just focused on responsible sourcing and business ethics, they are also looking for an unrivaled taste in each category. Winning first place in a category in the Good Food Awards can give a brand the boost it needs to become a household name. Generally used in fine cocktails, craft beverages--or just mixed with soda–bitters also have a delicious place as aperitifs and digestifs. Red Root & Co inspires their customers to consume creatively with their bright and citrusy Hops & Citrus bitters, made with care using high-quality and organic ingredients. The Hops & Citrus Bitters are made with infusions of natural botanicals, including the tart notes of hops & citrus balanced by softer edges of berries and tulsi. Red Root & Co uses the power of plants to elevate bitters and other herbal preparations as an integral part of a modern, health-conscious lifestyle. . When creating her products, herbalist Corey MacDonald takes all characteristics of each plant into careful consideration. "Bitters are a great place to start introducing the vitalizing power of plants to a modern diet. Taken just as a supplement, bitters are a helpful aid before and after eating a meal, or just to calm a rumbling stomach," says Corey MacDonald. "But we also love the role they play for the home bartender. Herbalists are people, too! And our bitters are part of some delightful cocktails and mocktails, and using our blends is a way to bring more of the plant world into your favorite indulgence.” In years past, the Good Food Awards were a part of a weekend-long bash celebrating excellence in American food crafters with the public. This year, the festivities were held online, kicking off with a live stream of the Awards Ceremony and culminating in a virtual pop-up shop where you can shop all the winning products, starting on 1/25 and running through. Learn more about Red Root & Co’s Hops & Citrus bitters and shop online to try them for yourself here. About Red Root & Co: Founded by a certified herbalist, Red Root & Co was established on the premise that plants change lives. Each Red Root & Co recipe is crafted in the herbalist tradition using quality ingredients responsibly sourced – farmer-direct, organic or fair trade. The company's herbal creations support healthy lifestyles with products for health & wellness, beverage, and culinary use. About the Good Food Awards The Good Food Awards celebrate the kind of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic, and responsible. Now in its eighth year, awards will be given to winners in 17 categories: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, cider, coffee, confections, elixirs, fish, grains, honey, oils, pantry, pickles, preserves, snacks, and spirits. The Good Food Awards Seal, found on winning products, assures consumers they have found something exceptionally delicious that also supports sustainability and social good. About the Good Food Foundation The Good Food Awards is organized by the Good Food Foundation 501 (c) 3, formerly known as Seedling Projects, in collaboration with a broad community of food crafters, grocers, chefs, food writers, activists, and passionate food-lovers. The Good Food Foundation is also the organizing force behind the Good Food Guild, Good Food Mercantile, and Good Food Merchants Collaborative.

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Introduction to Summer Foraging

Introduction to Summer Foraging

With fragrant honeysuckle dripping sweetness from the vine, we can feel Summer in the air and I can almost taste the luscious berries ripening in our local woodlands. June begins the flush of tasty wild things and deep medicine that sustains us throughout the year. Favorite plants that are beginning to flourish or will be in the following months include Nettle, Honeysuckle, Elderflower, Wineberries, Yarrow, St. John's Wort, Wild Rose, Mountain Mint, Reishi Mushroom, Sumac Berries, Elderberries, Bee Balm, Mullein and Plantain leaf. For an herbalist, these plants make juicy herbal brews and foods, or medicine for the present or to preserve for later use. Making herbal kombucha and teas with Wineberries, Rose, and Nettle are warm weather luxuries, and drying Elderflower, Honeysuckle, and Yarrow for fever remedies in Autumn and Winter are yearly activities in our household. Preparing desserts from wild plants is especially delightful, and we enjoy sharing this Nettle Mint Ice Cream with friends on warm Summer evenings. Summer flowers also can be made into flower essences which require very little plant material, typically just one flower. Summer Virginia wildflowers that make nice essences include St. John's Wort, Marshmallow, and Rose. Flowers transfer their healing energies to water, and flower essences are plant remedies that work with our bodies on an emotional level. Flowers have potent energy so it is no wonder we are all attracted to their beauty! *Note: Use caution when creating your own flower essences. Many homeopathic solutions rely on plants that can be toxic if eaten or prepared incorrectly. Flower essence remedies are based on vibrational energy of plants and flower essences can be prepared without using plant material. Always use a reliable reference for home preparations. If you are curious to learn more about flower essences or to make your own, check out The Essential Writings of Dr. Edward Bach: The Twelve Healer and Heal Thyself. Dr. Bach was a pioneer in the art and science of flower essences. When harvesting wild plants proper plant identification is of utmost importance, many plants have similar attributes at first glance but a deeper dive into specifics helps ensure you have the right plant. Local classes and plant walks are invaluable in learning new plants, and it’s always important to have a plant identification book in your back pocket. A few of our favorite ID books include: Wildflower Guide, by Lawrence Newcomb and A Field Guide to Wildflowers, by Roger Tory Peterson and Margaret McKenny. When seeking plants for harvest, make sure you have helpful tools. Garden clippers, harvesting basket, gardening gloves (for prickly plants) and if you are hiking a distance, a harvesting basket to carry on your back (a backpack can also work for this). Harvesting baskets are ideal for transporting plants, as plants don’t easily get bruised or crushed. We adore plants that grow in our garden, but it is something different to embrace and harvest a plant that is growing in the wild. When harvesting from Mother Nature, we only want to take what we need making sure we leave plenty for wildlife, other humans and for the plant to continue reproducing. After your harvest, you need to consider how to handle, prepare and use your herbs. This step is best contemplated prior to your foraging outing. How will you process the lovely plants you bring home? This question will guide your harvesting choices. For some plants, you may want to use them immediately in tea or for cooking. Others may need to be dried; drying plants on very low heat in a dehydrator is best to keep their integrity. Maybe your fresh herbs will directly begin infusing in vinegar to make an oxymel, or macerating in alcohol to make a tincture. As you consider how to incorporate your foraged goods, it is best to consult books such as The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook, by James Greene or Medicinal Herbs: A Beginners Guide, by Rosemary Gladstar for tips and ideas on best practices for caring for harvested plants. Often the herbal preparation options seem endless, and creative inspiration is always encouraged in herbalism.If you are new to foraging, but ready to start the journey, pick one plant that you can properly identify and settle on one way you’d like to experiment with this plant—adding to a meal, making an herbal vinegar, creating a solar flower essence or crafting a plant tincture. Embrace and enjoy the bounty of Mother Nature this Summer!

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Medicine in the Natural World

Medicine in the Natural World

Writing has been a reliable and steady way to stay connected during the pandemic, whether it’s pen to paper, email or text. I find myself leaning into these ways of sharing, more so than I would have envisioned a year ago. I’ve always appreciated the practice of writing. My formative years were the days of postal pen pals and passing scribbled notes to friends at school. As a kid who moved around a lot while growing up, writing to and receiving letters from friends to whom you said goodbye, was a gift to my spirit. It linked me to my people no matter how far geography separated us. Starting this blog strikes a similar chord, creating a link to keep us connected and to grow our connections. You’ve all come to Red Root & Co for various reasons--learning more about plant medicine, crafting delicious foods and beverages, building your kitchen apothecary. I’m sure there is a resonance within, a thread that weaves us together, and I’m so glad you are here. May we grow in knowledge and heart and be inspired by plants, herbal cookery and botanical medicine. The natural world has been a steadfast presence in human lives since the beginning of time. We co-evolved with plants and we could not have grown without nature’s generosity and wisdom. It’s quite a journey that humans have had with plants and our natural surroundings.  The relevance may at times get lost or be a second thought in the 21st century, but it is very much a forethought because it is the source of sustenance and growth for all human beings. The story of plants and people is as old as any tale can be. On a physical level, plants are a source of deep nutrition with minerals, vitamins, plant proteins, carbohydrates, and fibers that give us vitality and health. Used in concentrations, some plants bring antidotes that bring our bodies back to balance during dis-ease, or keep us closer to balance with plant constituents in our daily tonics. Plants go beyond supporting the physical body. They also have an effect on the mind, emotions and our spirit. Each of our senses interacts with the plant world. The scent of Pine needles grounds us when we are out of balance. Chewing on a fresh root of Dandelion or taking a tincture of Dandelion, the bitter flavor connects to our primal mind and helps us relax. Gazing at a Cherry tree in full bloom, our spirit is lifted and eased. Rubbing a fuzzy Mullein leaf between our fingers soothes and comforts the mind. The gift of plants to the sense of hearing may be the most unfamiliar initially, but after you start listening, you’ll hear the call of a Rose to open your heart and spread love. Our natural surroundings are daily medicines. Often when we think of the word medicine, it conjures visions of capsules or a funky pink antibiotic of our childhood, but medicine is not just something we take when we are ill.  Another concept of medicine is a daily practice or experience that sustains us. Medicine is the plant that connects to our senses and tends our physical, emotional and mental body. As you bring more plants into your health practices, grow seedlings, make botanically inspired drinks for your friends, work in a community garden, cook weeknight dinners for your family, or however you embrace natural goodness into your life, may you recall and connect with the age old relationship you have with these plants.

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