High Thyme Herb Farm & Apiary

Sitting in the northwestern base of the Great Smoky Mountains, High Thyme Herb Farm & Apiary is quickly becoming a flourishing, modern (albeit small) farm. Specializing in organic and sustainable herbal skincare, High Thyme FARMacy grows a variety of medicinal herbs that are harvested and made into salves, balms, toners, and more. In addition to the Herb Farm, High Thyme also operates as an Apiary - meaning we keep bees! 

Our love for growing and using fresh herbs in our cooking inspired us to make our products unique by adding herbs (and/or herb-infused oils), flowers, seeds, spices, grains, and purifying natural clays to our products, as well. These additions provide cosmetic benefits, as well as color, texture, gentle exfoliation, and aroma-therapeutic benefits. 

Herbs have incredible properties that can be used for a multitude of purposes, and a low amount of toxicity, which makes them ideal for use in maintaining the health of our skin. Herbs can keep our skin balanced, clear, and nourished, which leaves us looking radiant, luminous, and healthy. Plus, we reap the benefits from the herb’s medicinal properties. Herbs contain natural antioxidants, vitamins, and emollients that make their way to your skin from underneath, and from the outside. 

People have been using herbs to improve their skin for centuries. Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, is said to have used herbal preparations as part of her beauty regimen. During the Middle Ages, women would bathe in herb-infused water to soften their skin and make them smell nice (the first aromatherapy). Queen Elizabeth (the 1st) had a bathtub made of solid gold so that she could bathe in milk, rose petals, and lavender.

While High Thyme doesn't have an organic certification (yet), no toxic chemicals are used anywhere on the "farm." High Thyme promotes healthy soils that produce healthy plants that contribute to the health of all living things. By choosing to grow without pesticides and chemical fertilizers, High Thyme is helping to prevent honeybees and other pollinators from being exposed to these toxic substances. Of course, honeybees are important because they are one of the major pollinators of flowering plants. They help to spread pollen and enable plants to reproduce. Honeybees also produce honey, beeswax, and royal jelly - all valuable products.

We're proud of the sustainable practices we use here at High Thyme. Our practices help us reduce our impact on the environment while providing for our needs. Some of our practices include:

• Using organic methods to grow our herbs and produce our products
• Keeping bees for honey production 
• Recycling plastic, cardboard, glass, and metal
• Composting organic waste

Composting adds things like microbes and slow-release nutrients which hold water and improve the growth of the plants around it. Additionally, compost helps lighten clay-based soil, helps balance the soil's PH, and controls erosion. Organic waste in landfills generates, methane, a potent greenhouse gas. By composting wasted food and other organics, methane emissions are significantly reduced.

We are also proponents of using natural pesticides. One such method is companion planting. Companion planting is a form of organic agriculture that uses specific plants to repel pests or attract beneficial insects to the garden. The theory behind companion planting is that if you plant certain herbs and flowers near your vegetables, fruits, and flowers, the pests will avoid those plants because of the smell or because they don’t like the taste of the herb. Beneficial insects will be attracted to the garden by the herbs and flowers, and they will help to control the pests.

High Thyme Herb Farm & Apiary is home to beehives filled with over 80,000 healthy bees (and growing). The diverse selection of flowering herbs at High Thyme provides the flower-rich habitat these bees need. High Thyme grows over 60 kinds of medicinal herbs that contain vitamins, antioxidants, and antimicrobial properties that strengthen the immune system. The hope is the nectar and pollen from these plants will help strengthen our immune systems, as well as those of the bees.

Not only do the bees help pollinate our crops, but they also produce delicious honey! The benefits of honey have been well known for centuries. Honey is a natural antibacterial and antiviral agent. It has been used to treat wounds, burns, and other skin infections for centuries. Honey also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to reduce the inflammation associated with acne and other skin conditions. Recently, researchers have found that honey may also be effective in treating psoriasis and eczema.

Our goal is to create high-quality organic products with all-natural ingredients that will benefit your skin. The fresh herbs we grow for our skincare products help benefit the bees, and the bees help pollinate our herbs. It's a win-win-win. 

We are excited about the future and expanding our product line to include more traditional herbal remedies, soon. Visit our website to learn more about the benefits of herbs we grow, and how you can use them to improve your health.