Category Archives: Farming

Farming, Health + Wellbeing, Optimal Health, Reflections, Today's World

The Optimism We Create Becomes the Future We Live In

December 20, 2024 Dr. Sam Leave a comment

As we near the beginning of a new year, I, for one, believe that the optimism we create is going to become the future we live in. In a world too often dominated by headlines of challenge and disruption, optimism — and a positive mental attitude — has the potential to transform us, and surprisingly enough even help increase our healthspan.

A Foundation of Personal Wellbeing

Have you ever thought about where wellbeing really comes from? Why we might be motivated to stay healthy? We can probably list many reasons. And some of those reasons might really impact us!

But here’s something important I’ve come to understand: Personal wellbeing isn’t just about you (or me). It’s about the people around us, our family, friends and the greater community.

It’s always wonderful to be with family during the holidays.

Once you realize that you can best help others when you are healthy and by being your best self, you see how interconnected we are and how your own health contributes to everyone and everything around you. That is the biggest motivator!

So, think of it this way, before we can nourish others, we must first nourish ourselves. This isn’t selfish—it’s essential.

Our physical well-being forms a foundation from which our mental optimism is built. Not only do our actions increase the quality of our lives and our own healthspans, but they can also contribute to increasing the quality of life for those around us.

Finding Sanctuary in Nature

I often talk about the walks I like to take, and the simple way each step can connect us to our purpose. And there’s also profound wisdom in simply staying connected to the earth – not only with both feet, but also with our intentions. Stepping away from technology and the constant interruptions it creates in our lives has never been as important and beneficial to our wellbeing.

Whether you have a small garden on your balcony or you are just walking through a field, nature offers us a break from the chaos of the modern world. It’s another reason why Amway is so interested in organic and regenerative farming; because in providing the plants used to make botanical ingredients for Nutrilite products, they’re also staying connected to the earth and cultivating it in such a way that the soil remains fertile and ready for future generations to benefit from.

Surveying the vineyards on the family farm in Oregon.

Not to mention that finding sanctuary in nature allows us to reconnect with something much larger than ourselves—the cycle of life, seasonal renewal, and the natural abundance that has sustained us for generations.

The Ripple Effect of Kindness

True optimism manifests in us in how we might respond to our own struggles. In a world where negativity prevails, suffering can lead to bitterness and a mistaken desire for others to share in our pain. Optimism offers a different path. It can transform our challenges into opportunities for positive change.

Look at it this way. When we face difficulties, we can use the wisdom and empathy we gain from the experience to help others navigate similar struggles. This is authentic kindness in action—it’s not superficial. It can lead to a deeper commitment that sees others positively and finds ways to help them avoid the challenges you went through.

The ripple effect it creates leads to stronger social connections that lift everyone and makes the world a better place.

Looking Forward with Optimism

So, as we move into the future, we get to choose how we show up in the lives of other people. By choosing optimism, we end up creating a better world in every moment for the people we interact with.

Taking care of yourself, nurturing your connection with nature, and all the effort you make to transform personal challenges into opportunities to help others, leads to a future where we can happily coexist.

Optimism isn’t just about hoping for a better future—it’s about actively creating it, starting with us and rippling outward to others.

It makes all the difference in the world.

Happy Holidays!

Farming, News & Views (Amway & Nutrilite), Today's World

Happy Cows and Healthy Soil

August 1, 2024 Dr. Sam Leave a comment

Ever since my father began growing his own crops for his food supplements in the 1930s, Nutrilite has been farming organically. He didn’t call it organic farming then because the term didn’t yet exist.

It was J.I. Rodale who coined the term in the 1940s and he was heavily influenced by the ideas of Sir Albert Howard, a British scientist who spent years observing traditional farming in India. Howard envisioned agricultural systems that were reliant upon returning crop residues, green manures and wastes to soil. He promoted the idea of working with nature by using deep-rooted crops to draw nutrients from the soil.

My father Carl F. Rehnborg in a field of alfalfa at the Lakeview Farm, California; circa 1958. The Lakeview farm is now retired, but historically it was considered the “workhorse” farm where we grew many of the long-term crops destined for Nutrilite products. The farm sat on a prehistoric lake bed, which accumulated nutrient-rich sediment that helped contribute to the fertile top soil.

My father was also a keen observer of the world around him. Early in his career when he was working as a milk salesman for Carnation Milk, he was able to study Carnation’s research showing that cows consuming nothing more than alfalfa and water produced the most milk and gained the most weight.

While visiting the company’s research facility and condensory near Madison, Wisconsin in the early 20^th century, a chemist held up an alfalfa plant and said to him, “This is as complicated as the universe!” It was undoubtedly an “a-ha” moment that further seeded the idea for Nutrilite and inspired him to continue exploring the power of plants.

The farming he first undertook on the original Nutrilite farm in Reseda, California was done using a specially designed scythe with a basket attached so that he could keep all the alfalfa he was harvesting from ever touching the ground. Initially, it was the alfalfa that he processed in his own lab that provided the nutrients for his food supplements. The same plant he watched contented cows consume 20 years earlier.

Of course, he didn’t use synthetic chemicals or fertilizers to grow his crops back then. Today, our farming operations span nearly 6,000 acres across three countries where the same ethos is operating on a much larger scale.

But organic isn’t the only mindset that is driving the farming industry.

Field technician tests the soil. Trout Lake Farm East, Washington, USA; 2014.

It has truly become about the soil – protecting it long-term so that future generations can benefit from the healthy mix of nutrients and life-giving substances that exist right below our feet.

The biggest challenge for organic farms is weed control. How you keep weeds from proliferating is where the industry is ripe for innovation. And there are ways to do it without damaging the soil. Even by using lasers!

Regenerative agriculture is also gaining momentum as an effective way to preserve soil and the environment while also creating carbon sinks to recapture carbon dioxide that has been expelled into the atmosphere. It is one way to promote circular economies through farming.

On a farm that uses regenerative practices near the Trout Lake East farm in Ephrata, Washington, “happy” cows rotate in controlled grazes on the land. Cattle munching and trimming the grass helps stimulate the plants to double the root growth and keep the soil healthy. Ephrata, Washington, USA; 2021. Photo: Darwin Hintz

And about those cows. Happy cows that graze on healthy soil have a magical way of improving the soil biology through their saliva and organic waste. It’s how nature meant it to be. Circular, returning what we use in a virtuous cycle that helps balance our existence on this planet.

I, for one, am grateful to the farmers, innovators, and champions of sustainable farming that are following in the steps of the pioneers before them.

To me, one thing is certain: Save the soil, save the future. I hope you think so too.

Cheers,

Farming, News & Views (Amway & Nutrilite), Reflections

Trusting Nutrilite Organic Farming Practices

June 26, 2023 Dr. Sam Leave a comment

A key reason why consumers trust the Nutrilite™ brand is because of the continual innovation occurring on our certified organic farms. Our farms represent an advanced ecosystem that combines thousands of acres of fertile farmland with sustainable organic farming practices.

The research field at Trout Lake West. Research and innovation happen on all of our certified organic farms.

Our commitment to vertical integration allows us to control the entire production process from the seed planted in the soil to the supplement you eat every day. In practical terms, this means we can maintain a steady supply of the nutritious botanicals used to make ingredients for your favorite Amway products, including Nutrilite™ supplements and Artistry beauty products.

Early Inspiration

The inspiration for our farming practices began quite humbly when my father, Nutrilite founder Carl Rehnborg, started growing alfalfa on a small farm in California’s San Fernando Valley in the 1940s. He simply wanted the purest, most nutritious botanicals for his supplements, and he intuitively knew that they needed to be grown sustainably and naturally, without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. This was before we even knew to call it organic farming.

I remember helping him harvest alfalfa when I was a young boy. He included me in his daily work on the farm, even when I might have been creating more trouble for him than being helpful. As I reflect on those early days, I can see that his thinking at the time created the foundation our farming practices are built on.

Practicing Our Sustainable Organic Philosophy

Our farms represent the pinnacle of our sustainable organic philosophy put into practice, and we do it on an impressive scale. Even so, the farms are not large enough, or diverse enough, to provide the steady supply of botanical ingredients that go into all our products.

Our flagship supplement alone, Nutrilite™ Double X™, contains as many as 22 different plant nutrients. And if you count all the different plant ingredients in the full complement of Nutrilite products, the number exceeds 190 botanicals.

That’s why we can’t source every plant ingredient found in our products from our own farms. Not to mention that many of our ingredients come from unique geographic locales around the world.

Our NutriCert™ Program

So how do we do it? It all happens because of our NutriCert™ program, an incredible supply-chain system that has been in place since 2004. We just wouldn’t be able to provide the breadth of plant-based products for you without it.

Through NutriCert™ we partner with farmers around the world who have values like ours. In this way we can grow plants with newly discovered phytonutrients that wouldn’t flourish on our own farms. NutriCert™ certification requires partner farms to be traceable, ecologically sustainable, and socially responsible.

On our own farms and partner farms, we can monitor every step from seed to finished product. We can even trace a plant back to the farm and field where it was planted and grown.

Here are some examples of our NutriCert™ program practices:

Maintenance of a natural and balanced farm site environment
Ecologically vital operations that enhance biodiversity
Good agricultural practices that promote food safety
Worker safety and development
Community outreach and involvement
Documentation of farm management plans and production activities
Traceability of final ingredient to the agricultural field location

The great thing is that the partnerships we’ve created benefit everyone involved. Farmers benefit financially by learning to grow crops using the high NutriCert™ program standards. This, in turn, helps invigorate the local communities. We benefit by expanding our supply chain in a controlled way without compromising quality. Finally, consumers benefit as we can meet the ever-increasing demand for Nutrilite™ products.

It creates a natural success cycle that continues to improve the products we produce and the world we live in. What could be better than that?

Cheers!

Farming

Farming in the Future

June 23, 2022 Dr. Sam

A person smiling for the camera — Nutrilite Scientist, Susannah Cooper, Ph.D.

Talk to Susannah Cooper, Ph.D., about innovation in farming and you’ll soon find yourself discussing the ins-and-outs of regenerative agriculture. It’s a newer approach to farming that could make a big difference in how we cultivate the soil and grow crops.

Dr. Cooper works in the Innovation Sciences Department at Nutrilite managing a team of scientists and agronomists who are experimenting with the future of farming.

A long history of sustainable farming

There’s a long history of farming innovation at Nutrilite. It started with my father growing alfalfa in the 1930s before we even knew to call it organic. He was looking for the purest, most nutritious botanicals, and he already knew that they needed to be grown sustainably and naturally, without any synthetic fertilizers or chemicals.

A picture containing outdoor, person, grass, field — Nutrilite Founder Carl Rehnborg in a field of alfalfa.

From our beginning, we’ve believed in the power of plants to deliver the best products to our customers and Amway Business Owners. But it was an “a-ha” moment my father had about happy, healthy cows that helped pave the way for our sustainable farming techniques that we practice up to this day, albeit on a much larger scale. It was the seed of an idea that has blossomed into a movement to help improve the nutrition of people all over the world.

Dr. Cooper’s Ph.D. is in plant breeding and genetics. She also has a master’s degree in entomology, so she understands insects and how they might interact with plants. I spoke with her recently about current Nutrilite farming practices.

The right plant in the right place

Dr. Cooper has a saying. “The right plant in the right place.” It’s a simple phrase, yet it captures the complexity of what she and the team do. The idea is to cultivate the best crops based on geography and type of farming. Hydroponic farming may make sense for certain crops, while other crops will grow better in one of the climates where our organic farms are located. In addition, the large variety of plants Nutrilite grows increases the biodiversity in our farming. Biodiversity, and using cover crops strategically to increase the health of the soil, is not only good farming practice, but it is also good for the planet.

According to Dr. Cooper, it all comes back to focusing on the soil as the most important component of our farming philosophy. The undisturbed soil that regenerative agriculture relies upon can increase carbon sequestration and keep healthy microbes working in the dirt to increase the nutrient density of the plants growing on the land. And healthier soils mean better climate resilience and drought tolerance.

High-tech, earth-friendly techniques

Nutrilite is harnessing the best of emerging technology and combining it with simple, effective, and earth-friendly techniques. For example, the biggest challenge for sustainable farming is weed control. Conventional farms often use synthetic chemicals to control weeds. We don’t. That means we rely on simple weeding along with innovate techniques to keep weeds from germinating. We use flaming early in the season to keep weeds from going to seed and we continue to experiment with lasers that zap weeds before they can even appear.

Trout Lake Farms Agricultural practices. Weeding the field.

Using advanced technology to keep the soil healthy and the crops filled with healthy nutrients is not only the present, but the future of farming. We’ve been relying on GPS tractors for years, but there’s even more innovative technology we can lean on to supply healthy plants for Nutrilite products.

Keeping the soil rich for future generations is the type of stewardship that’s ingrained in our work.

We wouldn’t want it any other way!