Herbal practitioner makes natural teas

By Rick Garrick

Pic Mobert’s June Desmoulin recently promoted her Breathe Easier natural tea blend at the 15th Annual Aboriginal Fine Arts and Crafts Christmas Gift Show and Sale in Thunder Bay.
“It’s goldenrod, spearmint and cranberry,” says Desmoulin, an herbal practitioner and owner of Sacred Elements Teas. “It’s good for you if you have a cold. It’s soothing, it’s good for your breathing.”
After completing the Herbal Practitioner Program in March through the College of the Rockies, Desmoulin opened her business in July.
“I did it all online, which is very tough,” Desmoulin says about the program. “It took me a year so far but I’ve been practicing for six years on my traditional ways too.”
Desmoulin started making natural teas for herself after coming down with an illness. She sells each of her natural tea blends for $10 each, while her gift packages range from $20-$30.
Desmoulin says her customers prefer the locally sourced ingredients in her teas. She harvests her ingredients from across the Robinson Superior Treaty Region, from Thunder Bay in the west to Armstrong in the north to White River in the east.
“I locally forage all the tea ingredients,” Desmoulin says, noting that summer is her busiest time for harvesting. “I buy from local farms and I buy from local businesses for all of my ingredients.”
Desmoulin says each of her teas has its own unique taste and flavour. She sells her products at local trade shows and gatherings and online through her Facebook page at: facebook.com/sacredelementsteas. She is also developing a website at www.sacredelementsteas.com.
“I can’t keep up,” Desmoulin says about the demand at the arts and crafts sale. “I’ve been closing every day because I can’t keep up with making the product.”
Christmas Tea and Fruity Birch are among the different varieties of tea that Desmoulin offers for sale.
“Christmas Tea is one of my big sellers right now because of the holidays,” Desmoulin says, noting it contains balsam, cranberry, apple and cinnamon. “That is a teapot special this month; it tastes a little tart but you can still taste the Christmas spirit in it.”
Fruity Birch is a mixture of birch leaves, twigs and bark combined with strawberry and blueberry.
“You get the taste of the strawberry as you drink it, but as it goes down then you can taste the birchbark,” Desmoulin says. “It’s very good. There’s no sugar added. These are all naturally done.”
Desmoulin tests each batch of tea for flavour and taste before offering it for sale. She has received a good response from her customers, with many returning to buy more tea.
“With the Christmas Tea, they all want to take it for Christmas for gifts,” Desmoulin says.
Desmoulin also makes natural oils for massaging and other uses.
“They’re all naturally done by solar,” Desmoulin says. “You let them sit for months; you babysit the oils.”
Desmoulin says her cedar oil, lemon balm and lavender oil and calendula and self heal oil are “very popular.”
“I’ve been running out of the cedar oil,” Desmoulin says. “It’s very nice. It’s very smooth and relaxing.”
Desmoulin plans to put out a balsam oil in time for Christmas. The oils range from $20-$60 per bottle.
Desmoulin’s future goal is to set up her own natural tea shop.