Story by Erin Bender
Photos by Tuesday Photography
Since we first opened our doors in 2000, Breadroot Co-op has been all about connecting our community through natural and organic foods. As we’ve grown, so has our amazing network of local producers. In 2026, we’re proud to carry products from over 40 local vendors, stretching from the Black Hills to the Eastern Plains of South Dakota.
We think it’s just as important to spotlight these vendors as it is to stock their products. So much of what we do is rooted in cultivating community, and this blog series is one more way to grow that connection. Take a moment to read about the people behind your favorite products — and get familiar with the faces and stories that make our Co-op what it is.
We piled into the car an early Friday morning to head South. With Kirsten’s instructions loosely guiding our way, we headed to the far edge of the Hills in Southern South Dakota near Olerichs. As we drove, the Hills smoothed and we found ourselves out in the prairie. When we pulled up to Laka Herb Farm’s gate, Veda, our Community Engagement and Office Coordinator, hopped out to push it open for us to drive through. When she popped open her door there was an immediate buzz in the air; a blend of bug noises filled our ears for a pause, granting a glimpse of the energetic ecosystem we were about to immerse ourselves in on the farm.
When we came to a stop at the center of their property, Barry and Kirsten emerged to greet us, alongside their friendliest farm cat, Sunny. We stood in their driveway for a good moment talking about the nature of the Co-op’s Vendor Spotlight series: connection. While we’re working to connect our community with the stories behind the products on our shelves, Laka Herb Farm is working to deepen a different kind of connection—one with the land, the plants, and the natural rhythms that guide their work.
Their connection begins with the land, and every decision they make starts by listening to what it asks of them. To preserve their connection to the earth, Laka Herb Farm grows as “wild-like” as possible. Now in their fifth season on the farm, they’ve discovered through trial and error which plants truly want to be there. Each medicinal herb was started from wild or heirloom seeds in their greenhouse, then transferred to their field to continue their growth blanketed in layers of naturally fertilized soil and hay. The herbs themselves guide the farm’s practice. Barry and Kirsten started with 50 species “just to see who wanted to be here”. They now work in harmony with 13 herbs; calendula, comfrey, rose, yomogi, thyme, monarda, austrian sage, lavender, verbena, anise hyssop and hyssop officinalis, yarrow and lemon balm. Several of these herbs layer together, while others shine on their own, ultimately forming a product line of 7 natural salves. Laka Herb Farm’s belief in growing as “wild-like” as possible stretches into their every practice. Ultimately, Barry and Kirsten are following the plants’ lead. Kirsten affirmed, “…in farming, your greatest skill is observation”. From tending to the soil, to guiding a seedling, to fertilizing with their own homemade “gold” (a ferment made up of unchlorinated water, discarded herbs, and a good scoop of soil); and later harvesting, shade-drying, infusing, and then pouring each infused salve, the work on Laka’s farm is all done thoughtfully by hand.
For the morning, we followed Barry and Kirsten around most of their property; tasting herbs, pointing out critters, and stopping every chance we had to smell the roses (literally). Barry and Kirsten’s conversation was layered on top of the ever-buzzing air, with input from Sunny every-so-often. Barry and Kirsten have been working with plants and higher consciousness for decades. Barry carries over 50 years of plant wisdom with him, while Kirsten brings nearly 20 years of medicinal farming practice; and both are natural teachers. I go into every spotlight with some questions lined out, to help guide my story, and at Laka, I didn’t have to ask a single one.
As we followed them around their greenhouse, through their garden, and out into their field and back, knowledge just poured out of these two. Once we finished the tour, we convened in their workshop. Kirsten opened bucket after bucket of previously processed herbs for us to enjoy, some 5-gallon buckets filled to the brim. It was here that we got into the conversation of the products themselves. Every jar is only 3 ingredients. Herbs grown right here on the farm. Organic cold-pressed coconut oil sourced from a multi-generational family farm. And beeswax, from a beekeeper who has hives in the farm’s neighboring pastures. Each salve is infused for seven days and then packaged up for store fronts all across the Hills. You can find the full run of Laka Herb Farm salves in the Wellness Aisle at your Co-op, each with their own diverse healing properties. Pick one up next time you’re at the Co-op and feel the love, or better yet, connect with Barry and Kirsten in the fall at our next Connect With Your Co-op event. There is no shortage of wisdom to be shared.