Gaia Herbs | plant intelligence

Farm Tours
Take a guided walking tour of our 250 certified organic farm, where more than 5 million herbs are planted each year. Learn about how Gaia Herbs got started and what led us to Transylvania County. Walk through our unique Ginkgo and Hawthorn tree groves. Visit our greenhouse, where 1 million seedlings at a time get their starts. Stand amidst vibrant medicinal plants like Echinacea, Nettle, Valerian, California Poppy and more. See how the pristine Cathy’s Creek feeds our farm and processes. Tours are hosted by Ric Scalzo, Gaia Herbs Founder, CEO, and chief formulator, and/or Jackie Greenfield, Gaia’s VP of Global Sourcing and Sustainability and are assisted by members of Gaia Herbs team.

Please note that this is a WALKING tour, and will last approximately 1.5 hours. We advise you to wear comfortable shoes and be protected with a hat and sunscreen. Those who have difficulty walking will be able to request a ticket to ride to the tour stops on a tractor-led haywagon. Tickets will ONLY be required for the tractor portion of the tour…walking tour participants will not be limited. Haywagon tickets are available first-come-first served at event day, and no fee is required. This is simply provided as a service to those who need a little more assistance with the terrain. The tractor led haywagon and the walking tour are consider one tour group and both parties will get to experience the same tour stops at the same time.

Farm Tour Schedule
1.5 hours in length; starting point at the Gaia Farmhouse above the manufacturing facility. Follow the guiderope path to the farmhouse
10:00 – 11:30
12:00 – 1:30
2:00 – 3:30
• Unlimited size walking group
• Haywagon transport limited to 20 people.

Facility Tours
Experience a behind-the-scenes tour of the equipment and processes used to make our more than 300 herbal supplements at our certified organic manufacturing facility, one of only a few in the United States. Extraction, concentration, encapsulation, laboratory analysis, and packaging will be explored. Gaia Herbs holds patents on its encapsulation process for supplements and has won awards for our unique MeetYourHerbs traceability program that tracks the purity, integrity and potency of all the herbs in our products. Tours will be led by Jamie Brandenburg, Gaia Herbs Plant Operations Manager, and assisted by members of the Quality Assurance and Marketing teams.

PLEASE NOTE: Gaia Herbs is an FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Compliant facility so be prepared to look gorgeous in a provided hair net, booties (if you have open toed shoes) and leg coveralls (if your legs are exposed) you’ll be asked to wear while on tour.

Facility Tour Schedule
Each tour is one hour in length; Limited to 40 people per tour; Starting point at the lobby of the Gaia Herbs main building
10:30 – 11:30
12:30 – 1:30
2:30 – 3:30

What to Bring/Wear
• Comfortable close-toes shoes
• Camera (for farm tour only – no photos are allowed in the manufacturing facility)
• Sunscreen
• Water bottle (refills available on site)
• Sunblocking hat

What NOT to Bring
• Pets
• Firearms
• Cigarettes

Directions
(GPS Location – 108 Island Ford Road, Brevard, NC 28712)
From the North and East (Brevard, Hendersonville, Asheville)
• Take Rt. 280/64 through Brevard
• Continue on 64 West from Brevard, toward Rosman
• Go 3 miles to Island Ford Road; Turn LEFT (watch for Gaia Herbs sign on Rosman Highway)
• At first curve, you will see large our manufacturing facility on right; continue following Island Ford Road to parking lot entrance (Gaia Herbs Drive).
From the South and West (Cashiers, Higlands, Rosman)
Take Rt. 64 East toward Brevard
• After you pass Harmony Corner/Marathon gas station (on your left) take a RIGHT onto Island Ford Road. (watch for Gaia Herbs sign on Rosman Highway)
• At first curve, you will see our large manufacturing facility on right; continue following Island Ford Road to parking lot entrance (Gaia Herbs Drive).

Handicapped parking is available near event site. Please watch for signs early on Island Ford Road.

Other Events and Offerings
Event Program – Be sure to pick up an event program, which includes a brief history of Gaia Herbs, a map of the facility, timetables for all activities, listings of Gaia top products and regional retailers, and a $2 off coupon for a purchase from your favorite natural products retailer.

Light refreshments – Organic cookies, apples, and assorted herbal treats will be available throughout the day, as well as our famous Black Elderberry Echinacea punch.

Plant Sale – Gaia Herbs will be offering certified organic Echinacea purpurea plants for sale as a fundraiser for one of our team members that is incurring significant medical expenses.

Storytelling – Nature themed storytelling performances by noted regional storyteller, Gary Green, will occur at 11:00, 12:30, 2:30 and 3:30.

Facepainting – Friendly facepainters will be here to add herbal and other art to your kids (or your!) faces from 10:30 – 2:30

Prizes – drawings will be held throughout the day for Gaia Herbs t-shirts, free product, and other offerings. A GRAND PRIZE of $100 worth of Gaia Herbs products will be offered to the winner of a random drawing from tour survey participants

Herbal Information Booth- Herbalists and naturopathic practitioners will be onsite to answer questions about Gaia Herbs products; consumer literature and product information will be available

MeetYourHerbs™ traceability platform demonstration – Kiosks will be available inside the manufacturing facility for you to test-drive the recently launched industry-first traceabilty program. Over 20,000 people have learned about the purity, integrity, and potency of their own Gaia Herbs product purchase through this innovative system.

Rainwater collection systems info area – Gaia Herbs has contributed hundreds of “rain barrels” to local residents who want rainwater collection systems. A sample collection system and how-to booklets demonstrating how you can do this at home will be available to interested visitors. Sign up on our waiting list to get a FREE rain barrel so you can make your own!

NOTE: Though visitors are not allowed to wander through the farm outside of the guided tours due to our Certified Organic regulations, we welcome you to picnic on the hill near the farmhouse and among the Ginkgo trees if you like. Just please be sure to honor our pack-it-in, pack-it-out policy and no alcoholic beverages are allowed.