Philosophy

Fundamentally our philosophy is like that of any other Green business. We are committed to organic, and to not leaving a bigger footprint than necessary.

Founded in 1985, Lakon Herbals began offering therapeutic skin care formulas prepared from native medicinal herbs. As word spread of the efficacy of the formulas our business grew to a line of fourteen products consisting of nourishing skin care oils, fine aroma-therapeutic massage oils, and quality medicinal salves. Over the first ten years these products earned national and worldwide renown for their extraordinary healing properties, and consistent superior quality. However, with the advent of corporate distribution and health food grocery chains, Lakon Herbals found it impossible to compete in the retail and wholesale market place with companies willing to market a watered down product at cut rate prices. Quality has always been a priority over quanity for us. Consequently, Lakon Herbals made the shift to working direct with our customers, practioners and independent retail stores who could appreciate the formulas and the care involved in preparing a truly therapeutic blend of herbs and essential oils.

All of the formulas were inspired by the abundance of wild medicinal plants native to Vermont and New England; and by a need for therapeutic blends rich in the life force of these herbs.

The commitment of Lakon Herbals has always been to offer our customers the purest and most highly therapeutic and nourishing products available. We believe that the extraordinary effectiveness of our formulas is a blend of intuition and research, spirit and science.

Our farming practices are completely organic, as well, we wildcraft only from areas that we know are free from agri-chemicals and enviromental pollutants.

Alternative to Chemical Pesticides and Herbicides
In order to fully comprehend how saturated we are in hazardous chemicals one needs only to take a stroll down a well-to-do neighborhood in American suburbia. Gone are the days when the air is filled with the sweet scent of lilacs, the orange blossoms and climbing roses. Although these flowering shrubs are ever abundant, their aroma is far too often outranked by the pervasive whiffs of weed killers and pesticides. Those perfect lawns and bug-less bushes are added testimony to the ever-growing popularity of using hazardous chemicals as fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
Along with the burgeoning market for garden chemicals, weed killers, insecticides, etc., is an ever growing databasing on the health hazards many of these chemicals present. The WHO (World Health Organization) in conjunction with the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programmed)/ILO (International Labour Organization) have joined to form the International Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS). They have recently published a report outlining the biohazards of Endocrine damaging chemical pollutants. In their recent report, available on their website the IPCS makes the following statement:
"Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) have been defined as exogenous substances that alter function(s) of the endocrine system and consequently cause adverse health effects in an intact organism, or its progeny, of (sub) populations. EDCs encompass a variety of chemicals, including natural and synthetic hormones, natural plant constituents, pesticides, monomers and additives used in the plastics industry, detergent components and breakdown products, and persistent environmental pollutants. Target organs potentially affected include male and female reproductive systems, the nervous system, and the thyroid and immune system. Of particular concern, are reports that EDCs contribute to impaired physical and mental development in young children, increases in breast and prostate cancer, decreases in sperm count, and abnormal reproductive development (resulting in altered population levels) in wildlife species." (1)
Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and repellents are a booming industry in America. Beautiful, weed free lawns and perfect rose bushes dowsed frequently with chemical blends come at a high expense as their endocrine disrupting components accumulate and persist to wreck havoc in otherwise healthy organisms, human and animal, and often traveling on air currents to distant regions.
There are alternatives to chemical sprays and cocktails!!
For a beautiful lawn in which only the weeds will be killed, there is an old fashioned blend called 'lawn sand'. This can be prepared by mixing 10 parts dry sand with 7 parts sulfate of ammonia and 3 parts iron sulfate. This mixture can be safely scattered on a weedy lawn (suggested 4 oz per yard), with small doses (a pinch or teaspoon full) on the tops of dandelions and plantain. This will kill the weeds individually.
To feed you lawn at the same time simply substitute dry seaweed for dry sand. As the ammonia sulfate dissipates the seaweed sludge will become a lasting food for the grass. Average seaweed meal contains 4% potash as well as a high ratio of minerals and trace elements. A lawn treated with this harmless weed killer can also be safely added to compost piles when cut.
Over the years we have had many exuberant calls from neighbors wishing to give us their comfrey as they patches overwhelm them by late spring. Comfrey is one of the most valuable composting materials as a green manure that can be used directly in garden rows. We cut our comfrey plants, let them wilt and then lay them between the garden rows and cover them with our grass clippings. This provides an excellent mulch during the growing season, keeps the weeds down, as well supplies the soil with a rich source of useable potassium for the roots of tomatoes, potatoes and all members of the belladonna family.
Other forms of natural pest control are companion planting with marigold, mint and garlic. Garlic clippings make a great repellent for flea beetles when placed around cucumber plants. Mint can be cultivated underneath apple, peach and other fruit trees to ward off disease and pests. In Europe, wild mustard has long been employed for pest control on farms. As well, Neem Oil has come to the forefront as an organic form of pest control here in the U.S., although its properties have been known in Asia for centuries.
There are alternatives and it's never too late to make the switch. And please keep in mind that when you choose to use a potentially hazardous chemical its affects may be cumulative, leaching into your neighbors backyard, poisoning birds, wildlife and even your own children running barefoot across the yard, or tracking the pervasive poisons into your own home.
For a complete and comprehensive list of hazardous chemicals currently in use see the NSC
1) IPCS Global State-of-the-Science Assessment of EDCs http://endocrine.ei.jrc.it/gaed.html
2) NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, Chemical Backround Index http://www.nsc.org/library/chemical/chemical.htm
3) United Nations Environment Programme http://www.unep.org/
4) International Labour Organization http://www.ilo.org/
5) Fact sheet on Health Hazards of Pesticides and Herbicides http://www.fairlington.org/attach2.htm

 

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