Young Living Northern Lights Black Spruce Harvest

It's been a month, and yet, there still are no words to fully describe this experience.  A group of 8 women, from all over western Canada, from so many different backgrounds arrived together in Fort Nelson, BC in March, and left as different people.  Words like fulfillment, joy, peacefulness, love, gratitude, belonging, enhancement, and magic are just some of the words used to describe our week together. 

We arrived on Sunday, and prepared for our week ahead. Young Living's Seed to Seal process is a rigorous set of standards that guide the production of our oils and products, and we were there to take part in all of it.  Our Monday was spent learning about the distillery, and what our week held.  About the basics of the distillation process, the lab and testing, and all of the steps we were about to take part in.  And then we spent the afternoon in the black spruce forest, hand harvesting trees that were anywhere from 50-80 years old, but only about 2 inches in diameter. The rings on these trees were so tight and close together, because of their short growing season in the boreal forest. They grow in muskeg, and for much of the year, the ground is frozen, so they have a very short growing season.   Black Spruce, because of where it's grown, has to be harvested in the winter when the ground is frozen.  We were so grateful that the temperature was mild, and the sun was shining when we were there... it made for a beautiful time in the forest, filled with hard work, and a lot of laughter.


We spent our second day, out in the forest again harvesting more trees.  More laughter. More moments of joy, and for me, being overwhelmed with extreme gratitude over what we were doing. We were taking these trees, that were NOT merchantable timber, that were going to be cleared, and turning them into an oil that would help thousands of people.  Black Spruce oil is a key component in favourite blends such as Valor, Harmony, Envision, Shutran and White Angelica and is a very high frequency oil. The power of those magnificent Northern Lights around these trees, always.  It's a favourite of many, and we were going to make our own.  The significance of this was not lost on me.  I got my first bottle of Northern Lights Black Spruce at the end of 2015, and it has been one of my go-to's for grounding and calming since. Plus it smells amazing!

Together, we 8 women harvested close to 5 tons of trees.  They were loaded onto the truck by the forwarder, and then taken over to the chipper.

I am in awe as I look at this photo that the 8 of us women cut all of those trees.  So proud, and so grateful. And so thankful for the men who helped us carry them out of the woods to create piles, that could then be collected by the forwarder.


The trees were off to the chipper, to be loaded into the truck, and then trucked back to the distillery. The entire tree is chipped, and by hand harvesting these, we were able to harvest trees with a lot of greenery, and so, a lot of oil.  


Once the truck was unloaded back in the distillery, the chips were then loaded into the cooker.  We stomped the chips down to ensure that they were well packed and the steam would distribute evenly through the chips.  We jumped on them multiple times as they were loaded in.  Adding a little music and dancing always helps.




After cutting trees for Monday afternoon, and Tuesday until about 2, then stomping the chips... the physical work was done, and we just needed to wait to see that passover - the first bubbling up of the oils in the distiller.  When you first see that golden oil rising, the chills that ran through my body... goodness.  We had made this oil. We had cut the trees by hand, with a lot of laughter and a lot of love and gratitude... chipped then loaded and stomped the cooker, and now we were looking at the oil that just hours before, was standing in the forest.  It was surreal, and so special.


The time we spent in the decanting room with Frank will forever be a favourite memory. The power of being in that room, with our container of oil that we made, all standing around it, and recognizing the power in the oil, and in our group, and knowing that we had just created something so magical, together.  It was powerful, and something that none of us can put into words. The high frequency of this oil, and these beautiful humans that helped make this oil, is something so special.  We filtered the oil just like Gary used to when he first built the distillery, and then sent it up for testing, to be bottled by us, on Friday morning.  


I mean when I say we took part in the entire process, every single thing that happens on a daily basis, we were a part of.  We learned the science behind the different tests that are run, and witnessed the passion and gratitude that these men have for what they do everyday. There aren't words for how special it is to be there, with all of them, and get to be a part of making an oil that we all love so much. And I know even more now, after experiencing the process firsthand.


Wednesday afternoon, we got to learn, and take part in the Raindrop technique, which is an oil layering process, and is incredibly powerful.  It combines unique, targeted massage and energy approaches with pure, authentic essential oils for a deeply harmonizing, rejuvenating, and relaxing experience. The technique, developed by Young Living Founder and CEO D. Gary Young, draws from his experience with Native American wellness traditions and provides a revolutionary means of nurturing harmony—physically, mentally, and emotionally.  What a gift to be able to both give, and receive a raindrop technique.


On the Thursday, we were awake early and on the road by 7:30am, off to the Liard Hot Springs, at Mile 496 of the Alaska highway (Mile 0 is in Dawson Creek BC, and Fort Nelson is mile 300).  A quick stop at Tetsa River Lodge at mile 375 for famous, incredibly delicious, cinnamon buns and then on to another at Toad River, at mile 402.  The drive is so beautiful through the majestic mountains of northern British Columbia, and all of us were in awe at what we were seeing around us.  


Another impromptu stop for ice fishing, snowmobile rides, laughter, and many, many memories was made at Muncho Lake before continuing on our way to the springs.  If you have never been to Liard, you must go. These natural springs are unlike anything I've ever seen, and are just so special. 


There are a million photos, a million stories, a million memories of this week, and one can not accurately describe the magic of it all. Our trip to Liard for the day was so special for so many reasons, and I know that the memories of that day, and this whole week, will live on and we are forever connected.

And let's not forget the Northern Lights. The moments that we shared out in the cold, in the middle of the night, in awe of the beauty that surrounded us... magic!


We spent our last day exploring and enjoying ourselves - hydrosol dips (which is the water that is used in the distillation process) - and which were amazing!!  We went for snowmobile rides, visited Trapper's Den, and just enjoyed our time all together on our last day.  We also bottled our own oil, which is not just a moment in time, but a culmination of the whole process, and truly feels like the memories of the week, and the pride we all felt, are locked in those bottles of oil. We shared stories, we each bottled and then put the caps on our own oil to take home, and I know that every single time I open that bottle, I am transported back to the farm, back to this week with these incredible men and beautiful women, and the memories we shared. 

It's about SO much more than a bottle of oil.

This company... Young Living is so special for so many reasons but one of the biggest ones is the heart behind everything they do. Behind the men who take care of, and love this farm and what they do. How special this week was made for each and every one of us.  It will forever hold a special place in our hearts. The hearts of the Northern Lights Women, and the men who love and care for the Northern Lights Farm and make every moment, magic.

Eternally grateful to Kevin, and Cory and ALL of the men at the Young Living farm. We will never forget our week there with you!
We love you guys!!  So much!!
xo