A Quarterly Newsletter from Trout Lake Farm

Trout Lake FarmPO Box 181Trout Lake, WA 98650USA

I am so glad that I found Trout Lake Farm. Their focus on produc-ing the highest quality organic herbs lined up with my background and 20 years of experience in the regulatory and quality assurance field. As the new QA Coordinator I am inspired about helping align the com-pany with the compliance issues that are now required in the industry.

I have a BS Bachelor’s degree with my career focus being Quality Systems Management, with heavy involvement in Regulatory Affairs, and am a certified Industry Standards Organization (ISO) auditor. I hope to bring a level of increased of management expertise to our crucial QA team goals; Thorough review of all products to insure that Trout Lake Farm is always in compliance with present and future regulatory guidelines.

The people I work with here at Trout Lake are wonderful. My son and I are very interested in organics. Some of our favorite teas just hap-pen to be our customers. We love the community here in Ephrata, he

has a great school, and I am thrilled to be a part of this progressive company. Its a good match. Have a great summer, Deborah Noah, QA Coordinator

Growing Certified Organic Medicinal Herbs Since 1973

Trout Lake Farm, Trout Lake, Washington, USAToll free 800.655.6988, Fax 509.395.2645

www.troutlakefarm.com

“Consider the Source!”

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Deborah Noah Joins the Team

Disclaimer: None

Trout Lake FarmA Quarterly Newsletter from Trout Lake Farm

Summer Herbs

Trout Lake FarmSeasons

Summer 2011 SeasonsWell, after waiting on spring for such

a long time it has finally warmed up and summer is on us in a rush! After welcom-ing our new GM Lisa Spicka we have new goals before us and we are intensely pursuing them. We are planning for the future by up-grading equipment and processes to provide better quality. At the mill level we are pur-suing CFR 11 standards. Good manufactur-

ing practices for dietary supplements. This will enable us to guarantee the safest, highest quality product to our customers.

We also have as a goal to upgrade our GAP certification to the International level by applying the rigorous reporting we have at the manufacturing level to our farming practices. Regulatory improvement means more time on the computer. I must admit it is not the favorite part of my job. But what inspires me is how the whole team is getting on board to make these improvements so that we can provide our customers with the safest highest quality product in the industry.

I am excited about our Stinging Nettle crop this year. We are learning how to produce higher yields, and a cleaner product, through improved fertility and dry-ing practices. Harvesting our Valerian root this year may be challenging because of the late planting due to the wet spring. We are hopeful that we will get enough heat this fall for an abundant yield of high quality root.

One little story that touched me the other day was when one of our Amway distributors from Taiwan,who had won the chance to come to America to visit the farm, found a little frog in the field. He was so concerned for its safety that he picked it up and sprinted a quarter mile to the edge the surrounding forest to deposit the frog to safety. He ran top speed all the way back. All of us cheered him on. The precious majesty of nature that we interact with here everyday is just a fact of life for us. For our Taiwanese friend, who lives in the high-rise maze of the city, the precious frog in the field was a little miracle. Saving it was his duty.

Seeing him moved us all and reminded us how grateful we are for the little miracle we have here at Trout Lake Farm.

Have a great summer. Kevin Ernst, Farm Manager, Trout Lake Farm

Kevin’s view on the Field

Trout Lake FarmThe Highest Standard in Quality Assurance!

At the North entrance to Trout Lake Farm is a wonderful sea of pink. The Echinacea an-gustifolia flowers are in full bloom. Shorter and

less dense than their purpurea cousins their blossoms are more delicate and very photogenic. Angustifolia is native to North America and is currently culti-vated in the United States and Europe. Echinacea is also one of the most popu-lar herbs in use today in both North America and Europe. Echinacea’s name is derived from a Greek word, meaning “hedgehog,” referring to the sharp pointed bracts of the receptacles on the cone, giving the herb one of its many common names. In the past, Echinacea angustifolia was used by Native Americans for a variety of conditions, including venomous bites and other external wounds, and several American tribes used it in sweat lodges to help the participants en-dure extreme temperatures. Today it is used predominantly to support a healthy immune system. Our angustifolia has been selected for our microclimate and optimum constituency levels.

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Trout Lake Farm • Consider the Source Trout Lake Farm • Consider the Source

A Cat’s Best Dream: Catnip Fields Forever

“Summer afternoon...summer afternoon...the two most beautiful words in the English language” —Henry James

I am sure many of you can relate to the excitement and the challenge of a new job. There is all of that and more here as I take on the task of General Manager for Trout Lake Farm. This valley is so gorgeous and the community has been very welcoming in so many ways. I have already done some hiking with friends and looking forward to learning to cross country ski this winter. My goal in this column in Seasons is to give you a glance into the complex and wonderful operation we have at Trout Lake Farm and the efforts of the dedicated people that bring you these high quality herbs.

I admire the staff for their patience and their willingness to “get on board” with not only a new boss, but a new direction as well, as Trout Lake is more fully integrated into the Nutrilite system. It is an intense double paradigm shift. I have only praise for the team and the courage and cooperation they have shown in taking ownership for our new goals during this transition.

What I hope to accomplish through this and the coming year, with the help of all of the team, is to build upon our reputation by working toward a constantly improving standard for quality products, efficiency of operation, and GMP compliance. As GM my focus is two fold. First is to incor-porate our budgetary needs into Nutrilite’s strategic plan for capital management. The team and I are considering our projected growth, crop mix, the capital needed to maintain or purchase new equipment, and what the personnel structure will be to accommodate that growth. Another area where we are focused is in the efficiency of tracking orders from planting through delivery to the customer. Our group is creating and implementing a new tracking process in the coming months that will improve communications between all the processes it takes to get our product shipped. We will be much clearer on harvest dates, testing and processing timing, so that our customers will not only be able to depend on us, but will be able to better plan on their end as well. There is a lot to do. And it is very exciting.

So you might ask, what do I do for fun...? Well, I am an avid outdoors person, and a yoga practitioner for 10 years. One of my favorite discoveries about yoga practice is that flexibility is about strength and alignment. Hmm...I guess that’s not a bad recipe for management. Well, I look forward to exploring the incredible beauty of the region and meeting many of you as time goes by. I guess my only beef about being here is, where do you get your dry cleaning done? Seriously,...please let me or the staff know if there is anything we can do to serve you better.

Warmest regards for a great summer,Lisa Spicka, General Manager, Trout Lake Farm

Lisa Spicka: Our GM’s Corner

So many people today have pets and want the best for them. Pet health is important to us at Trout Lake Farm. This year we have har-vested over 100 acres of the highest quality Catnip. It is a beautiful crop and our East farm supervisor Phil Hintz is very happy with it.

Some of the history of Catnip is ancient. The name Nepeta (Nepeta cataria) is derived from the Etruruan city of Neptic where the plant had become prominent. Etruria was a region of Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany and Umbria. The ancient people of Etruria are called Etruscans, and their powerful and complex culture was centered on numerous city-states that rose in the ninth century BC. The Etruscans were the dominant culture in Italy by 650 BC.

The French call catnip herbe aux chats and often made a tea from catnip prior to the arrival of Chinese teas. Cats are actually so at-tracted to catnip because the smell is similar to pheromones of cats of

the opposite sex. The scent is also similar to mint which is why catnip is often called cat mint. In a small irony, rats absolutely detest catnip which can be used as an effective barrier against them.

Some believe that, when chewed, catnip root can make a person fierce and quarrelsome. One legend tells of a hangman who had trouble finding the courage to conduct his profession and was known to medi-cate himself with catnip to complete his task.

Catnip is often used as a bee forage and is why open areas are often planted with catnip. At one time catnip leaves were used in sauces, but milder flavors have supplanted it’s place in the culinary kitchen. In their folk healing lore, the French believed that Catnip was effective for infant flatulence. Catnip oil is believed to be a natural insect repellent. But today, as you know, catnip is grown to share with cats so that cat lovers can enjoy their antics after catnip exposure causes a somewhat drunken state. And, of course cat’s love it!

Well, we just try to keep it simple out here in the fields. Since Cat-nip prefers dry, open places, the East Farm is a perfect place to grow it. We take our own seed year after year and that en-ables us to select for the best traits for our micro-climate. We add the perfect blend of organic soil amendments and time irrigation to ensure the most vibrant crop.

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Despite the unpleasantness of its sting, the nettle has been highly regarded in Europe as a health powerhouse for hundreds of years. Both the Greeks and the Romans used it for a wide variety of health building purposes. As you know the hairs, or spines, of the stinging nettle are normally very painful to the touch, however, when they come into contact with a painful area of the body they can actually decrease the original pain. Scientists think nettle does this by reducing levels of inflammatory chemicals in the body, and by inter-fering with the way the body transmits pain signals.

Nettle supports balanced nutrition, being rich in chloro-phyll, beta carotene, vitamins A, C, E and K, several of the B vitamins, tannins, volatile oils, flavonoids, iron, calcium, po-tassium, phosphates, and various other minerals, especially silica. In 1835 the herbalist Vogel believed, after a visit to the Native Americans, that eating the Stinging Nettle plant

cured patients from scurvy. Nettles can also be lightly steamed and make great cooked greens for culinary dishes.

Nettle is believed to support urinary tract and prostrate health, healthy muscles and joints, skin, and blood health. It also believed to be beneficial in compresses or creams for joint and respiratory health.

Danielle, our Operations Supervisor, wanted to show how tall and vibrant our Nettle crop is this year so she decided to step right out into the middle of the field. She has a smile on her face but I wonder if she is getting stung? It just shows that she really gets into her work. In the picture above the Nettle is being harvested and will be immediately taken to the dryers.

Stinging NettleThe Prickly Health Powerhouse

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Echinacea angustifolia with bee