BlueJay starts with my love of herbs, bees, nature, and the knowledge that has been passed down through generations.

Through BlueJay Apothecary & Apiary, I work to make good quality organic herbs more accessible to people in the West Valley of Phoenix and surrounding communities. I want people to be able to come in and buy the herbs they need without having to order large bulk quantities online, pay expensive shipping costs, or buy more than they will ever use.

I believe people should have the opportunity to learn about herbs and make things for themselves. Sometimes you only need a few ounces of an herb to make a tea, tincture, salve, syrup, oxymel, or other recipe. I want those herbs to be available locally so people can experiment, learn, and create their own recipes at home.

The apiary is another important part of BlueJay. I keep bees and offer local honey from my own hives and sometimes from fellow beekeepers near me. Beekeeping continues to teach me how connected everything is. The plants support the bees, the bees support the plants, and both support us. There is a lot we can learn simply by paying attention to the world around us.

BlueJay continues to grow, and the idea behind it grows with it.

BlueJay Academy brings hands on learning into the community. Herbal classes are a natural part of what I teach, but there is much more I want to share. Chicken keeping, beekeeping, gardening, food preservation, sustainable living, basic life skills, etiquette, art, working with your hands, and learning how to make and do things for yourself all have a place here.

I don't believe you have to live on a farm or call yourself a homesteader to learn these things. You can live in the middle of the city and still grow herbs, make your own tea, preserve food, learn about bees, raise backyard chickens where permitted, or simply learn how to do more things for yourself.

There is also a very personal reason behind the name BlueJay.

The BlueJay represents someone very special in my life and has meaning that goes far beyond the name of a business. For me, it represents love, connection, and the people who remain a part of us even when life changes.

I believe BlueJay is divinely guided. I trust the direction it takes, even when that direction is not something I originally planned. At the center of everything I do is my belief in our Creator and my appreciation and respect for all of life's creatures, both earthly and above.

The herbs, the bees, the chickens, the people who come through my doors, the knowledge I share, and the relationships that come from it are all part of the same story.

BlueJay Apothecary & Apiary gives my community local access to organic herbs, honey from my apiary, and handmade products.

BlueJay Academy gives me a way to pass along practical knowledge and plant the seeds of life in little (and big) minds that someday might become a very big part of their life.  It also gives others a place to learn skills they can actually use in their own lives at this moment.

For me, BlueJay is about keeping things simple: learning how to do things for ourselves, sharing what we know with others, respecting the natural world around us, and keeping useful knowledge alive for the next generation.

Thank you for being a part of BlueJay.