I was born and raised in Queens, New York. The oldest of three, and child to two Colombian immigrants. Growing up, we didn't have a lot. But we did have wonderful, caring parents who raised us with many of the botanic traditions common to their homeland of Colombia. My father was born and raised on a farm in Cali Colombia near the foot of the Andes mountains, while my mom is from Bogota, the capital.  My dad had to leave school when he was just a boy in middle school, to help his family financially. Going to the hospital was only for emergencies, rather, when he or anyone in his family had an ailment, Mother Earth was the best medical advisor.   His mantra: “La tierra siempre produce lo que uno necesita.” The earth always produces what one needs.  

He raised us with this same philosophy.  He was always pointing out nature and wildlife everywhere we would go, even at our local playground.  Near the entrance of our local park stood a big blackberry tree. He would pluck the blackberries right off and give them to us to eat.   At home, our pantry was always stocked full of herbs and our fridge full of fruits and vegetables.  Whether it was chamomile and ginger for an upset stomach or honey and lemon for sore throats, there were always home remedies to help us mend. 

As a mom myself now, I have always tried to honor their herbal wisdom, love, and care.  When my then four-year-old was sick with the cold, I remember he fought me tirelessly about taking his cough medicine.  I was sitting on the couch with my husband and said to him, ‘If only he wanted his medicine as much as he loves his candy”!  I asked him if there was anything like that on the market.  He said, yes, this company has a cough product lollipop for kids (Insert large pharma company name), I looked at it and said to him, “NO WAY! This isn’t something I would want for myself, let alone my child”.  As a caregiver and mom, I felt and feel strongly, moms want to know what is in the products they use, especially those that are consumed.  Clean living and clean eating isn’t just a fad that is going away, I believe it is a way of life for moms of this generation. Thus began the journey ‘MommaBear Organics’.