Ashland's Chai Mama
Elizabeth Bretko, 35, has been involved in the city and region on a variety of levels. After moving to Ashland in 1997 she ran the Ashland Teen Center, was instrumental in helping open The Grove, was involved in city politics, and was an environmental activist. She has a BA in History with minors in English, Religion, and Philosophy, and has also worked as a forest ranger and in developing child-friendly museum exhibits. Even Elizabeth is sometimes surprised about — though thoroughly excited by — her shift to tea brewer.
DT: What brought about the transition to being Chai Mama?
Elizabeth: I really enjoyed working with the youth but when the visionary behind The Grove died — Steve Groveman — the direction of it changed and I ended up leaving. In other areas of my life, especially in regards to my environmental activism, I realized I was being reactionary. I wanted to find a way to heal the planet and protect the wilderness, but I was exhausted fighting with big companies, and sometimes even loggers themselves who weren't the enemy. I just didn't have the heart to bang myself against it any more and started looking for a way to be more effective and proactive. I started working with Stu O'Neill and Travis Matsdorf, friends who'd started Heartsong Chai. As time went on, I saw the possibility for this business to create things for the valley that I could feel really good about, namely: a strong local economy, healthful products, low-impact business practices, and community alliances.
I ended up taking over the company in 2001 and continued brewing at Evo's for two years, then I bought a house in Jacksonville and turned the garage into a brewery. The situation was very good on many levels and the business continued to grow, but since it was a home-based business I couldn't hire any help.
Elizabeth Bretko takes us on a tour of her business, Heartsong Chai, and explains some of the
foundational principles behind the business and hopes she has for its future.
DT: How did you get from Jacksonville back to Ashland and the Chai Hut?
Elizabeth: Chad Derosier came on as an owner and we began looking at warehouses all over the valley. I would drive by the empty Pizza Hut and wonder about it. When I finally called, I found out that they were still paying on their lease and really motivated. The building was already plumbed and there was a walk in cooler. Our initial plan was to turn the kitchen into a brewery, and use the rest of the space for production. But the city said that since it was zoned retail, we had to offer a commercial space. And the community kept saying, "You're the tea people taking over the Pizza Hut, you need to have a tea house!" I resisted the idea at first, but people kept coming in with their computer and a mug and wanting to sit down. Now I think it's the best idea we've had.
DT: What is the niche that you feel Heartsong fills?
Elizabeth: I began to learn more about chai, its traditions and healing roots in ayurvedic medicine, and became passionate about offering people a chai that wasn't loaded with sugar. Heartsong Chai is sweetened lightly and only with honey. This was the niche we set out to fill and because of this commitment I feel we have been successful. And, the coolest thing to me is if you go into Apple Cellar to buy a cup of Heartsong, you're supporting four local businesses: Apple Cellar, Heartsong, Wild Bee Honey Farm, and Eco-Teas.
Heartsong is also a response to the soda industry. Our goal is to take 10% of the industry. We're aware it's a huge goal but also aware that it would make an enormous impact on the country's vibration and health. The challenge is to figure out how to grow that big without sacrificing our integrity. Heartsong is unique in that we make everything in house. We purchase our spices whole and hand grind them. We juice all the citrus for our pepper brews. We buy our peppers fresh and dehydrate them every season. What happens when we expand and outgrow our kiwi supply and have to consider kiwi flavoring instead? Or if we outgrow our local honey suppliers? And that's where we are.
The fact that we want to take the planet and community into account in every decision is a priority over profit margin. Thankfully, we've found a way to do both so far, and as time goes on we hope to continue to grow and pursue our goals while also remaining true to our vision.
DT: Besides Heartsong, what else are you involved in? Do you envision working with the youth population again?
Elizabeth: My grandma always asks me, "What else besides Heartsong?!" The past three years Heartsong has grown so quickly I don't really have a life outside of it. I do see that changing. I am excited to begin working with youth again. Teenagers want to be heard and respected, and they want boundaries and encouragement. If we don't find a way to plug kids back into our communities, we're going to fail as a country. One way to do this is in the workplace and I envision making Heartsong a place that offers entry level work for youth, and a place where they can and want to hang out. Both are already beginning to happen and it's very exciting.
DT: What does your family think about your incarnation as Chai Mama?
Elizabeth: My mom refers to herself as "the chai mama's mama." My parents and I differ in our philosophies, politics, etc., but they have always loved me unconditionally and supported me. I didn't grow up in the kitchen and would think I was very ill-equipped for this, but now I have people from around the country asking me to help them develop recipes! Making the shift to being Chai Mama was really powerful and good for me, I hope it is equally that for this region.
Debi Smith is an Ashland based freelance writer. You may email her your comments or ideas for future profiles at debi@mind.net.
