Our Farm Story

Foggy River Farm is a small-scale herb farm + apothecary just outside Uxbridge, Ontario.

We’re Kate + Phil Collins — parents, farmers, entrepreneurs, plant people, tea hustlers, and about twelve other identities depending on the day.

This farm didn’t start as an herb business.

Back in 2011, we were two somewhat disillusioned young professionals who became enthralled by the local food movement. We wanted to do work that felt values-driven. So we took a big leap and moved to a home nestled at the edge of a forest… and started a side-hustle selling organic veggies.

In our first years here, we started learning more about the virtues of the wild plants growing all around the property; plants like dandelion, motherwort, yarrow and violet thriving on our lawn.

Then in 2015, some health struggles arose — the kind that really stop you in your tracks. We leaned into herbal medicine for the first time and experienced firsthand how powerful herbs can be.

We started buying more herbs.
A lot of them.

Drinking them. Learning to make tinctures. Reading books. Listening to podcasts.

You see where this is going…

Then our worlds fully collided when we realized almost everything we were purchasing was coming from faraway places across the globe. And we had the thought:

What if we could grow the herbs we were buying — and grow them to be even better and more effective?

So we did what any reasonable person does when they’re already over-capacity in life.

We planted a bunch of herbs alongside the veggies.

Turns out… what we grew was so much better. More flavourful. More vibrant.

And once we saw what was possible, we couldn’t unsee it.

We blended a small batch of teas, ordered tins and labels and signs, stayed up well past our bedtimes, and launched our first home-grown tea blends into the world at the Uxbridge Farmers Market in 2017. 

*this is the condensed-version of the story 😉

A human-scale farm 

While our business has grown a lot, we still farm on only a few acres, and most of what happens here is done by hand, by people who know the plants and care deeply about the land.

It’s slower. It’s not always convenient. But it allows us to work within our ecosystem, not against it.

What we grow

We cultivate 40+ herbs — including favourites like tulsi, chamomile, sage, echinacea, nettles, ashwagandha, lemon balm, and mint.

We turn them into:

• herbal teas
• tinctures
• culinary blends
• skin remedies

And we also teach you how to grow and make these remedies through our herbalism blog, online courses, and. workshops.

Why we still do this

It's been a challenging entrepreneurial journey.  But in a world of increasing artificial output, we’re determined as ever to build something real.

Something rooted. Honest. Connected to place.

Foggy River is our way of connecting people back to plants, to land, to seasons, and to caring for their own bodies.

What matters to us:

• herbs grown in our region
• education rooted in integrity
• products we love to use ourselves
• farming that supports the whole ecosystem

How we farm

We farm with the long game in mind, prioritizing healthy soil, biodiversity, pollinators, and thoughtful care.

Our goal is simple: vibrant, potent herbs, grown in a way that leaves the land as-good or better than when we started.

The food forest

Since 2013, we’ve also been building an edible forest garden; fruit and nut trees, berries, and medicinal plants growing together as an ecosystem.

This is Phil’s experimental playground, weaving his background as a landscape architect, permaculture practitioner, and farmer into one dynamic space.

It’s an ongoing project/creative outlet that is always teaching us.

Transparency matters here

We don’t want you to wonder what’s behind the label.

We believe in being open about how our farm operates, from ingredients, to growing practices, to anything at all. 

If you have questions, reach out anytime. We genuinely mean that.

📩 hello@foggyriverfarm.com

Want to taste what we grow?

Our bestsellers are just below. 🌿 Starting with a simple mint tea is a great way to discover just how different locally grown, quality tea can taste.