Botanical Extract and Essential Oil Industry Study and Development Recommendations, March 2000; by AG Consulting, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture & Food, Food Industry Branch.

Bowen Island Botanicals – A British Columbian Production Case Study

Elaine and John McLeod, proprietors of Bowen Island Botanicals Ltd., got their start in farming back in Manitoba in the mid 1960’s, putting John’s agriculture diploma from the University of Manitoba to work raising pure-bred breeder hogs (Landrace, Yorkshire) for export markets in Southeast Asia, Mexico, the Philippines, Korea, Thailand, and Japan. When a fire wiped out their entire operation in the late 1970’s the McLeod’s considered their options. Luckily for B.C., their search took them to Bowen Island.

Starting with the concept of an Island garden centre/agricultural supply store in the early 1980’s to support the Bowen Island’s (then larger) farm community – Meadowbrook Corner Nursery remains a thriving Island business owned/operated by the McLeod’s – the lure of farming remained. But what to do on a small island with a limited agricultural land base?

In one of those “isn’t it funny what directs us along life’s path?” kind of circumstances, the McLeod’s didn’t have very far to look for the answer. When their two young daughters developed serious food allergies and were subsequently diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (a condition related to immune system impairment), John and Elaine were fortunate to locate a naturopath and physician who were prepared to work together to provide some answers. The result? The two girls are now (thankfully) doing very well and the family’s intense introduction to botanical medicinal's has evolved into a serious farming/manufacturing/distribution venture for the McLeod’s.

From the very beginning, John says, the priority was on “What can we grow?” AND “What can we process ourselves?” John’s skills as a farmer and Elaine’s skills as a researcher helped answer these questions. And both knew from the outset – because of their girl’s experience- that quality was absolutely critical.

This fall, the McLeod’s will be harvesting certified organic Echinacea, St. John’s Wort, and Ginkgo from their 5.5 acres of land on Bowen and other 12 acres (a third of which is so far planted) in Abbotsford. The organic Goldenseal is still “in the ground” and plans are afoot to add other crops such as Licorice and Wild Indigo. Having the two farms allows them to specialize in varieties that do well in each location.

Key to the economics of this operation is a shiny new laboratory located on their Bowen farm where John and Elaine will add crucial value to the crop through processing (tinctures, extracts, powders, etc.) and packaging.

A marketing consultant who specializes in introducing new products and with considerable herbal marketing experience is credited with giving the McLeod’s the “leg up” they needed to develop what has all the earmarks of a successful, Canada-wide marketing and distribution system. “We know enough to know that you don’t go into what you don’t know” says John. With the ongoing help of their consultant, Bowen Island Botanicals will soon be distributed to professional and retail (pharmacy, health and grocery stores) markets across Canada.

John is quick to credit the skills that Elaine, a university-trained researcher with a degree in early childhood education, brings to the partnership. “Research is key in this business. Staying on top of the market, knowing where to look for information, knowing what questions to ask makes all the difference. We started with a thousand unanswered questions. And went after the answers one question at a time.”

Bowen Botanicals is one of only a few herbal companies in Canada which are fully integrated; taking the crop from planting through to processing and packaging and final distribution to retail.

Both John and Elaine support the Agricultural Land Reserve, which they also credit for helping them into the herb business in the first place: “Growing traditional crops on Bowen Island’s thin, rocky soil would not carry a residential mortgage on seven acres. Herbs combined with processing was pretty much the only economic option open to us.”

Good luck. Good skills. Good discipline. Good teamwork. Good farming background. Good Sense. And a very personal incentive – the health of their daughters Christine and Erin – “to get it right”. All have combined to turn the McLeod’s hard work into a successful enterprise.