As a certified herbalist and aromatherapist, Melissa Farris has been revealing the secrets of nature’s healing power for more than 15 years. She founded Veriditas Botanicals in 1995 and a year later Simplers Botanical Company, LLC, located in Forestville, California. Her companies were the first to introduce ECOCERT organic essential oils to Whole Foods and the U.S. marketplace, and the first to provide education on how to use them medicinally. After selling Simplers Botanical Company, LLC in 2002, Melissa returned to her hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she has established Veriditas Botanicals as one of the Midwest’s leading providers of pharmaceutical-grade, organic essential oils.

Extracting the most out of a plant’s healing potential requires a human touch. Melissa is committed to using only organic products from small, independent farms and distilleries. Through annual visits, she has developed strong bonds with and a deep respect for the growers and producers of the essential oils sold by Veriditas. She is a member of an organically certified cooperative of 5 distillers and 50 farmers in Provence, France. Sustainability through organic and biodynamic farming is at the core of her mission because she knows firsthand how much land and care are required to produce each drop. Melissa is proud to reveal the sources of her products, which is a rarity in the usually tight-lipped market of herbal extracts and essential oils.

When she isn’t inspecting the lavender fields of Provence or perfecting her latest formula, Melissa uses her expertise to educate the public about the role of pure essential oils in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications including msn.com and Alternative Medicine Magazine (now called Natural Solutions). She conducts annual seminars at the prestigious Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington and around the world, including Greece, Czech Republic, France and Japan. In the Twin Cites area, you can find her teaching classes at Lakewinds Co-op and the North Country Herbalist Guild. Melissa is currently working on a new comprehensive aromatherapy guide that she plans to publish in 2013.