At oostaMo, we prioritize the sustainability and health of our products. That’s why we source the majority of our raw material directly from farmers in a short and transparent supply chain. We educate our farmers to take great care in how they grow, harvest, and store their products, ensuring they meet our strict quality and safety standards.

We have also developed a system of badges across seven categories to help achieve this goal. Each category offers a range of badges, starting from basic and easy-to-obtain ones, which farmers can earn through simple actions. These badges progressively advance in complexity, requiring farmers to demonstrate a deeper commitment to the values of each category. We have demonstrated this system in a separate blog here.

We do our best to educate our farmers around the following topics:

1. PURE HARVESTING: We, as farmers, carefully harvest our herbs to ensure they are in their purest form and free of any extra herbs or components.

2. Clean Utensils: Every utensil used during harvesting is cleaned to maintain purity and prevent contamination.

3. Storage conditions: After harvesting, our plants are quickly collected, transported and stored in dry and clean conditions and away from soil contact.

4. Isolation from Livestock: Our drying and storage areas are carefully selected to be separate from the areas where livestock is kept.  

5. Proper drying: Air drying is done carefully. Plants are spread thinly on clean surfaces to allow for optimal air circulation and to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria.

6. Protection against pollution: We take measures to protect our plants from pollution, such as insects, dust, smoke or toxic gases.

7. AVOIDANCE OF DUST: During drying and other operations, we ensure that we keep our herbs away from environmental dust and maintain their quality and taste.  

8. Optimum drying: We avoid excessive drying, because it damages the structure of the plant during transportation and packaging.  

9. Separate Storage: Each type of herb is stored separately to preserve its unique aromatic composition.

10. Sunlight Protection: Our plants are protected from direct sunlight and high temperatures during storage to maintain their integrity.  

11. Protection at night: In drying in the open air, the plants are moved to closed environments at night to protect them from excessive humidity.  

12.  HIGH PACKAGING: The final packaging is done at high altitude and keeps our products safe from ground surface contamination.  

13. Collect on time: We emphasize the importance of collecting our herbs at the right time, on dry days when they are ripe and full of maximum active ingredients.

For wild plants collected from nature:

14. Responsible Harvesting: Our harvesting practices are carried out responsibly in nature and ensure no long-term damage to natural habitats or the ability of plant species to reproduce. 

15. Hygiene standards: Harvesters observe personal hygiene and clean hands and tools are a priority.  

16. Hygiene Precautions: Harvesters with infectious diseases or open wounds should be careful, either refrain from working or use appropriate protective clothing. 

17. Informed Harvesting: Our harvesters are well-trained in the best harvesting techniques and times, and local supervisors provide guidance and supervision as needed. 

For cultivated plants:

18. No Chemicals: We refrain from using agricultural chemical inputs, unless it is under expert supervision. In particular, we avoid chemical pesticides and herbicides to avoid harmful residues in our products.

Elevated awareness of our farmers about these practices will increase their commitment to providing products that not only meet your needs, but also contribute to a healthier environment and society.

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