Conventional vs Organic vs Wildcrafted

I strive to use as many oils produced from organically grown and wildcrafted plant material as possible.  Whenever I am able to replace a previously conventional oil with one of these, I do a little happy dance.  Why is this such a good thing?  Why should you care?  I know this is often a confusing area for folks, so here is a quick primer.

First off, you could think of essential oils as basically the vital immune fluids of plants.  These fluids help protect the plant from disease and pests, attract pollinators and invite other beneficial creatures to dance.  The healthier and "happier" the plant is, the more powerful its essential oil content.   

Conventional farming practices are typified by the use of chemical fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides, and more frequently than we want to know, genetic engineering.  Not only do residues of all these chemicals remain in the plants after harvest (think too about the farm workers who are exposed to all these harmful chemicals, and the local waterways, etc.), the plants themselves will have been prevented from developing their full potential--their essential oils--because all the work was done for them!  

Organic farming prohibits the use of all these substances as well as genetic engineering.   It promotes growing with natural fertilizers, pest-predator balancing, soil building techniques and  cultural practices which produce the healthiest plants possible with the least intervention (Organic certification by either independant, state or federal organizations establishes credibility that these standards are being met by the grower/producer).   The best organic operations will also consider the site-specific needs of each plant species in order to approximate the growing conditions which would have been native to those particular plants thereby further contributing to the natural vigor of the plants.  

Wildcrafting is the practice of harvesting plants from the wild.  This means that the plant will have come from its home of choice--its "happy place" if you will.  Done in a responsible manner, wildcrafting does not negatively impact plant communities or their surrounding habitats.  Wildcrafters are special folk.  Many consider themselves stewards of wild places and are very knowledgable about the requirements of the plants as well as their uses.