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Good Stuff botanists Maranda and Michael Johnson say their business ideas follow a common ethos: We all come from nature, so most of what hurts us can be solved by it.
It’s hard to see this in a storefront you find on Grand Drive in Bigfork in 2020. The shop is packed with mini jars and bottles, skin care, makeup and rollerball perfumes, among many other products. Everything Johnson’s makes is sustainably sourced and all natural – no synthetic chemicals, GMOs or artificial colors. As their products grow in popularity locally and across the country and world, the Johnsons say sourcing sustainable and ethically sourced materials is more important than ever.
“Everything we source is certified organic unless it’s sustainably sourced, wild-crafted. We are conscious of where we get our supplies from,” said Maranda.
The business was inspired in 2012 by Michael, or MJ’s, psoriasis and a family recipe. Maranda says it’s something he’s struggled with for a long time, taking steroids to relieve symptoms.
Over the course of two years, the couple prepared a family recipe by adding various oils until they were placed on cold hemp seed oil and mineral water from a Montana hot spring. This made a huge difference in MJ’s situation and soon they were asking for their Gypsy Cream Jars for their friends and family – more.
“His parents really encouraged us to do business. So we quit our day jobs and started going to the farmers market. Then two weeks later, we found out I was pregnant with my first. We wanted to raise babies so we decided to put everything into it,” says Maranda.
They started going to the local farmer’s market, scrambling five days a week. MJ then made one of their first big wholesale accounts: selling their products in Roseauer supermarkets in Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. It continues to grow and now their products are available in 130 stores across the country.
They also donate some of their products to veterans and hospitals, and when the pandemic hits in 2020, they partnered with Whistling Andy Distillery to be among the first to provide hygiene kits to first responders and the public in the state.
The couple He also continues to develop new ideas for products. Recently, they have been working on creating rollerball scents and said they would like to sell more loose leaf tea blends in the future. MJ said that they also get inspiration from customers, but the couple looks at their own life and what they want when they think about creating a new product.
“The whole business started from there. We make it the way we want it and use it, just like how the Gypsy Cream thing was born,” MJ said.
After many new residents took up the need for foraging, the couple became more mindful of their sustainability practices. Finding their own patch of herbs like arnica, devil’s circle and swinging net. Maranda is important to be careful who is looking for the plant in nature, there are less invasive ways to collect the material during feeding.
“When we harvest cottonwood buds, we wait to come out after a winter storm because the buds start growing in the winter – producing the resin and filling the resin and the leaves turn into leaves. These cottonwood branches that we can reach, the deer can reach. It’s one of the first leaves to come out in the spring and a great valuable deer food. It is,” said Maranda.
Their system follows the principle of 80/20 forage, which means they can harvest 20% and still keep most of the rest to keep the plant healthy. They rotate through different foraging areas, looking at certain surfaces to find what will grow on their return.
“Our mesh patch has come out of nowhere and we’ve been growing it quite a bit over the last few years,” says Maranda. “When we went to our Devil’s Club patch, we replanted some of the trunks, there was no place we couldn’t go back,” Maranda said.
“We’ll go through and trim the netting and some small things here and there, then we’ll watch it grow and stay healthy for years,” MJ said.
There are some ingredients not available in Montana, such as shea butter, which the couple sourced from a group of organic, fair-trade women in Ghana.
Apart from that By stocking their shelves and dreaming up new products, the Johnsons want their storefront to be a welcoming place for community members. They’ve been working outside in their garden area and anyone is welcome to come in and sit – without having to buy produce to stay.
“It’s a great place there, there’s a sandbox for kids to hang out. “We’re going to have more workshops and a bit of fun like Friday’s feet dripping with fire,” said Maranda.
Maranda grew up in Bigfork, and says it’s important to her to keep the local hangouts alive and well.
“When downtown Bigfork gets so crazy and hot, there’s something mysterious about that little place we go to, all that grit and shade…so I want to make sure it’s still there, especially as it gets bigger. And there are a lot of people and maybe some of the secret places are not so secret,” said Maranda.
Good Stuff’s herbal products are available in stores throughout Montana, especially in the Flathead Valley. Find full retailers and their online store at thegoodstuffbotanicals.com.
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