Daring to be FairWild | Featuring Sarah Vito

Sep 13, 2025

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This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we are joined by the environmental steward and change-maker on a mission to make FairWild a household name in the herbal industry, Sarah Vito.

Join Sarah and Tommy as they explore:

What it means to uphold the FairWild certification
The seven key principles of wildharvesting
Upholding biodiversity and uplifting humans with the FairWild Standard
How plants have evolved alongside humans
Unique challenges wild harvesters face in the herbal industry

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are so honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are an invaluable piece to our podcast. Email us at podcast@mountainroseherbs.com to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism.

📺 Consider yourself more of a visual learner? 📺

Check out the video interview on YouTube!

🌾 Sarah Vito is FairWild's North American Business Development Representative, working specifically with US-based brands and wild harvesters. Her work has been instrumental in certifying the first wild-harvested ingredients out of North America. A long-time sustainability advocate, Sarah began her career at Greenpeace USA in Washington, DC, after graduating from Gonzaga University, where she worked in the fundraising department while completing her Master's in Organizational Management from the George Washington University. Apart from sustainability, Sarah has over 15 years of experience working in manufacturing, including dietary supplements, food, and personal care. Her work experience spans sourcing, production management, sales, and finance. Previously, she served on the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Board of Trustees. Currently, she is an active participant in the Sustainable Herbs Initiative and a co-lead for One Step Closer's Peer Women's Circles. Additionally, she holds certifications in Permaculture Design, Ecovillage Design, and Herbalism. Sarah also dedicates her time to teaching yoga at her local YMCA, writing poetry, tending her native and medicinal micro-forest in Salem, OR, and enjoying hiking and camping trips with her husband and two children. A native of Rhode Island, she and her family frequently return to her childhood home to enjoy New England's woods and shoreline.

🌿 Want to get your hands on FairWild ingredients? 🌿

Peruse certified FairWild ingredients!

🍂 Looking to get your business FairWild Certified? 🍂

Check out the FairWild for Business page!

📓 Can’t get enough of FairWild education? 📓

Dive into the FairWild Knowledge Hub!

📝 Learn more about our work with FairWild on the Mountain Rose Herbs Blog!

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Mountain Rose Herbs is a purveyor of the highest quality organically grown herbs and spices, teas, essential oils, & botanical goods. You can find our organic botanical offerings on MountainRoseHerbs.com.

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