What's happening with Suntrap?
a restructuring
“What are you doing with Suntrap right now?”
I get this question a lot. (Skip to the end of this section if you want the tldr)
It usually catches me off guard but doesn’t altogether surprise me. I know I haven’t been communicating about the big changes in the way that Suntrap is in the world. I know if I loved a brand and they stopped stocking their shop regularly and posting on social - I would need answers! So, I am here to provide some and to share my roadmap for moving forward.
2024 was a year that I moved away from reactionary sharing, I allowed myself to let ideas simmer and reveal themselves to me before I moved on them. It has not felt urgent that I explain the change immediately and I can’t help but pat myself on the back for being patient with my process. I’m also grateful to you for being patient with me as I have taken my time to sit with all of this.
I knew I needed to take a beat from Suntrap for a few reasons: the first being that I moved to a new state, returned to school full time, and got immersed in a home and land renovation project - in other words, I have been very busy settling into a new world. The second, perhaps bigger, reason is this: I wanted Suntrap to take a new shape in my new world. I wanted to evolve the business model I have been working with, but I haven’t been entirely sure how to restructure. I have realized that sharing about herbal medicines online while marketing them in a never ending cycle is not how I want to engage with my vocation of being an herbalist and an earth tender. I don’t want to attempt to mass produce magic or feed a vapid content machine.
I watched a lot of small businesses close this year. I related to the scope and struggles of the business owners and thought - should that be me? I sat long with the idea - am I holding onto something that needs to be composted? Do I just need to let go?
But I don’t want to let Suntrap go and I trust that instinct. Instead, I want to let Suntrap evolve and take a new shape and I know that is the right move because it lights me up and motivates me to do the work. I’m up before dawn writing this and in the midst of painting and organizing my new Suntrap Studio - as the answers for how to restructure Suntrap have become clear to me I am experiencing a jolt of energy that I recognize as a north star guiding me along my right path.
I’ve been thinking about the mission question that started Suntrap: “How can we provide for human needs while regenerating a thriving ecology?” I used to answer it by making small batches of apothecary products with herbs from our land and nearby farms, teaching classes online, occasionally hosting in person events on the farm, and sharing educational content on social media. I am proud of the work that I have done but my answer is changing.
These days, I’m zooming out on that question. I’m thinking about climate change, soil health, native plant conservation and propagation (with a focus on medicinals), the future of our watersheds and forests and the way we interact with them. I’m still planning to make and share apothecary products but leaning away from using my time to market them online. My apothecary studio is forever, but I want to restructure my online store from always open to seasonal drops. I have been enjoying stocking local shops and I will consider continuing to do that. I’m leaning away from online classes and gravitating towards shared in person experiences. I love this newsletter practice and I will be continuing it gladly.
Right now, for me, regenerating a thriving ecology looks like learning a new set of tools to complement my ethnobotanical skillset with the hope of making an even greater impact than I ever could alone. I am up against my own fierce independent streak and am very much looking for ways to use my self-motivated nature to collaborate with others on the larger issues that are confronting us.
I feel protective of my time on Earth. This restructuring reflects that.
So, yes, there have been big changes at Suntrap HQ and Suntrap itself has been in a phase of metamorphosis.
Here is what you can expect moving forward:
The Suntrap Shop will be closed while I settle into the new space.
When the Suntrap Shop reopens, it will be for seasonal drops instead of back to a model of being open all the time. Think back to when I used to offer seasonal wellness boxes - it will be kind of like that except the products will be available individually and the shop will close between seasonal releases.
The Healer Balm will restock when either my favorite company for organic, local, sunflower seed oil restocks or I find a new source that I like just as much. I will open the shop especially for this next batch since I know people may want to stock up. I will restock the four oz jars for that release since I have fielded many requests for them. As soon as the batch is ready, I will send an email about it.
The Healer Balm will continue to be available with each seasonal drop - if you are someone who uses it all the time, this schedule should work well for keeping you stocked up between releases.
I am moving towards taking my online classes off the internet this year.
I am planning in person events at our new space where we will be growing lots of native medicinals and dye plants and hosting workshops around working with them.
I will continue this newsletter! I love writing it :)
Feel free to drop questions about this restructuring below and I will do my best to answer them.
With an ever evolving love,
Geraldine
P.S. Does anyone have webshop hosting suggestions? I currently use Shopify but it is kind of expensive and I never learned how to use it properly so I struggle to edit and update it - which I need to do in a big way right now! I’m familiar with squarespace and appreciate its easy to use interface so I’m considering moving my webshop there. Are there other options you like better? Let me know!