As a backpacking guide and wilderness therapist in Oregon’s Mount Hood area, Melissa Mutterspaugh, AKA Mountain Mel, was almost horrified when the group would stop and people would pull out artificial snacks in the middle of a perfectly natural environment. The experience gave her the motivation and mission to create natural foods and food products to replace the “toxic” ones they were using. A clinical herbalist, Melissa has a use for most of nature’s plants. Take nettles, for instance. They sting, trust me, but Melissa will tell you that you can pick the top of the leaves with your bare hands, and if you chew the leaves from the top, the small hairs on the bottom side will crumble and you won’t be stung by them. And if you have chronic pain from some old injury, you can rub the underside of the leaf – the stinging side – and after you endure an hour or so of discomfort, you’ll find your chronic pain may be gone! Her clinical background was achieved by attending the Elderberry Botanical Studies school in Portland, Oregon where she learned the chemical properties of plants and how to harvest. Feeling the background was helpful but a little “hippie dippie”, Melissa wanted to know more about the human body and the mechanics of interacting with the beneficial elements of plants. She next attended Portland School of Traditional Herbalism, where she heard from some of the best herbalists around how natural elements dance with the human body to help heal itself. Mountain Mel’s herbal products include herbal teas, body and lip balms, hand sanitizers and special tea blends for mothers and expectant mothers. They are available online and at certain Oregon stores currently.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky