We’re Strictly Medicinal, located in the town of Williams in Southern Oregon. Back in 1985 our family (the Cech family, pronounced “check”) started Horizon Herbs, LLC, growing gardens of diverse medicinal herbs. Because we were fascinated by seeds and medicinal herbs, and at the same time couldn’t find seeds for many of the herbs in which we were interested, we started collecting the seeds from our gardens and selling them through a homey hand illustrated catalog. The first catalog featured then 8-year-old daughter Nadja’s drawing of a Calendula flower on the front. We still have a copy of that catalog kicking around somewhere!? Many seasons have come and gone, always moving us a bit closer to our goal of understanding the appropriate habitats, germination requirements, life cycles and uses of this totally diverse offering of fascinating medicinal herb, permaculture and vegetable plants.
Our children have grown and now that they have children of their own. By the grace of Great Nature, we still work together here on the farm, making use of the talents of each member–design and construction, gardening and seedwork, drug plant analysis, art and photography, writing, poetry, laughter, crying–it’s all there! “Mayche” is the Mom. She has a warm heart and a sharp mind. Richo is her sweetie, the main guy, who sometimes goes by the grandfatherly name of “Pops”. He has travelled extensively (China, Africa, Central and South America, the USA) to find rare and unusual medicinal herb seeds and grows them out in our state certified greenhouses and intensively cultivated and cover cropped fields and gardens. In time, the Strictly Medicinal team will harvest, winnow, clean, weigh, lot number, germ test and package the seeds.
Now that the farm and business have grown (started as Horizon Herbs, now called Strictly Medicinal), Richo and Mayche rely on a really great team of local folks to help them get the seeds and herbs out to the people, seeds nourished by homegrown compost, pure mountain air and water, love and breath. All of us here at Strictly Medicinal Seeds believe in what we do, and we believe in you, too! May you eat yummily right out of the garden, and heal yourselves always with good wholesome herbs. In the light of the sun and the glow of the moon, may you love and be loved. Consider the tree, growing from the soil of its own making, offering its shade, its wood, its oxygen, its fruits to all beings that come into contact with it. The tree does all this without asking for anything in return. It gives forth this bounty into the universe, and in exchange the universe gives the tree its place on earth. May we all be like the trees, and give without asking for anything in return, and thereby receive–our place in the garden. Love to you and welcome, oh welcome, to our diverse plant offerings.
Love, the Cech Family and the local people here at Strictly Medicinal Seeds
