(First published in the October 3, 2019 issue of City Pages)
The goal of the Wild Roots Apothecary in Schofield is to plant a seed of health
Jessica Guyant opened Wild Root Apothecary last month in Schofield.
Three people walking into the new Wild Roots Apothecary in Schofield and ordering a smoothie are likely to all get a slightly different version. The owner of this wellness store, Jessica Guyant, is a customizer.
She is likely to interview each person before reaching for the mixing vessel, finding out if they’re feeling a bit tired, tense or otherwise off their game. There’s a list of beverage options on the wall and printed menu, but she’ll quickly ad lib. “I want to plant wellness in everybody. That’s my goal,” she says.
To say she has a colorful personal history would be an understatement. A graduate of D.C. Everest High School, she went to school in Montana and spent years on the Hawaiian island Maui where she joined the Merchant Marines and earned a certificate to captain vessels up to 100 tons. She took tourists out on 50-foot sailboats to see humpback whales. Moving with her husband to Colorado, she opened two thrift shops, which she sold when moving back to the area to be closer to family.
Her store, located in the Western Village business center at 320 Ross Ave., includes herbs, oils and supplies for health and cooking, but it doesn’t stop there. Everything is plant-based and has a purpose related to the well-being of customers or their pets.
Half of one wall is taken up with 29 varieties of loose-leaf tea sold by the ounce. The tea area has a learning station where shoppers can look at each type she carries and read about its health benefits.
The same goes for herbs, olive oils and balsamic vinegar, butters and soaps she makes herself, and essential oils. She also sells CBD products, sourced from the biggest producers in the country and tested for safety and consistency. She even distributes CBD products to some veterinarians in town.
Swinging over to the wellness bar, customers on stools are served on wooden counters that look fresh from the sawmill. Repeating the “plant-based” mantra, she says, “I am going to inundate you with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. I load people up with super-foods here.” A shake she makes to order might contain algae from Oregon, bee pollen, Vitamin C, crystals, turmeric and aloe vera. Beverage options range from protein shakes to hot drinks including coffee and tea, juices and what she calls super-food shakes. Got low vision? She has a shake for that.
For those who want something that doesn’t come out of a blender, she’ll start a bowl with acai berries and load it up from there.
For a first-time customer, she often recommends a blended café zen mint matcha. It’s a chilled drink with Zen green tea, coconut cream raw honey and oat or hemp milk. She’s willing to explain how to make it at home and perhaps sell the ingredients. “I just want to plant the seed of wellness,” she says.
Guyant credits her brother Jasen, a partner in the business, for the look of the place. He did most of the remodeling. She says the response from community members who have stopped in since she opened Sept. 7 has been “amazing.”
Wild Roots Apothecary is open weekdays 10 am–6 pm, and Sat. 10 am–3 pm. Call 715-870-2097, find on Facebook and at wildrootsapothecary.net.
