Ravensong Seeds & Herbals

About us

Ravensong Seeds & Herbals is a small artisan seed and herbal product business based in the beautiful Comox Valley, Vancouver Island BC.

At Ravensong, our commitment to the land is woven into every seed we plant and every product we craft. We believe in cultivating a synergy between nature and our community, ensuring that our practices honor the Earth while providing you with quality seeds and herbal medicines.

We are proud to produce and offer more than 180 diverse seed varieties that cater specifically to the organic home gardener, along with a wide array of high-quality herbal products. This wonderful selection includes unique and hard-to-find fresh-plant tinctures derived from a variety of herbs that are lovingly grown on our farm, as well as those that we wild craft in the beautiful and diverse region surrounding us.

Additionally, we provide local plant starts during our much-anticipated Annual Plant Sale and we are excited to present educational opportunities that focus on the art of herb growing and the healing practices of herbal medicine. Our goal is to foster a deeper appreciation and understanding of these incredible plants within our community.

Ravensong was founded by herbalist Jessy Delleman in 2010. The farm and business is run by Jessy and her good friend and fellow herbalist Harmony Pillon, who joined the team in 2015. Together, Jessy and Harmony manage all aspects of the farm and business with care and dedication, from lovingly tending the land to skillfully crafting their unique herbal products, shipping orders, handling administrative tasks and everything in between, ensuring that each aspect of their operation reflects their commitment to quality and community.

Our business model ensures that every customer receives not just a product, but a piece of our heartfelt promise to offer the very best in quality while working in harmonious co-creation with the land. By choosing Ravensong, you are supporting a business that values quality over growth, fosters meaningful connections, and strives to contribute positively to individual health, the greater community, and the land we share.

Our ‘slow medicine’ business model
What truly makes Ravensong unique and special is the fact that 100% of the herbs we utilize in our products are grown and gathered entirely by us, right here on beautiful Vancouver Island. By cultivating and harvesting the herbs ourselves, we ensure our deep, first-hand knowledge of their quality and sustainability, which is something we take great pride in. Built upon these core values, our business model embraces a ‘slow medicine’ philosophy, emphasizing a focus not on endless growth or bottom-line productivity, but rather on fostering meaningful relationships with the local nature and community. We are continuously dedicated to nurturing and building a reciprocal relationship that is in harmony with the generous land that provides for us.

This ‘slow medicine’ model naturally limits what we can produce in any given growing season. Each season is unique in its own special way, and since what we produce comes exclusively from the land we cherish, the products we have available will vary from year to year, and we may not always have products in stock year round. It is all about working harmoniously with the rhythms of the season and taking only as much as the land can offer sustainably, and nothing more. Rather than viewing this as a disadvantage, we choose to celebrate the unique abundance that each season brings, embracing the delightful diversity and richness of nature’s gifts.

Our commitment to quality
In our beautiful gardens, we proudly use only sustainable and natural techniques, ensuring that we grow all of our seeds and herbs organically without the use of any harmful pesticides, synthetic chemicals, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). By cultivating small plots of each unique seed variety, we are able to nurture vibrant, hardy, and locally adapted seed of the very highest quality and standard, contributing positively to our ecosystem while providing you with exceptional products.

Our seeds are lovingly gathered when they are fully mature, and harvested by hand, ensuing we carefully oversee each step in the growing and harvesting process. We take great care to maintain seed purity and quality; as part of this process, we hand clean and package our seeds for sale with the utmost attention to detail. To ensure the best for our customers, we are continually growing out our own seed crops to rigorously check quality, and we also test new varieties for optimal germination rates. We are committed to selling only high-quality seeds that are exceptionally fresh, and with the right conditions provided in your garden, these seeds will readily germinate and grow into vibrant, flourishing plants just for you.

For all of our herbal products, we meticulously select only the most vibrant herbs at the precise moment in their growth cycle when they are most medicinally potent, and process them into medicine immediately after harvest. This hands-on approach not only enriches our skilled understanding of herb growing and medicine making, but also allows us to deliver exceptional products with a high level of quality that is very hard to find elsewhere in commerce.

Using fresh, potent, and high-quality herbs sourced from the beautiful lands we diligently steward allows us to craft herbal extracts that not only contain a greater amount of the vital essence of the plants but also offer a more complete and robust profile of the valuable medicinal constituents. This dedication to freshness and quality sets our offerings apart, and this is the foundation of trust that has built us our loyal following over the years.

Our commitment to ethical wild-harvesting
The vast majority of the herbs we use in our products are lovingly grown right on our farm, and those that we do harvest from the wild are gathered with a profound and heartfelt respect for the land that nurtures them. To wild-harvest in a truly ethical manner means having a real, living relationship with the land. It involves taking the time to truly understand the unique ways in which each plant grows, ensuring that when you harvest them, you take actions that promote their growth and overall well-being, rather than causing harm or depleting them in any way. This approach requires a conscious awareness of not only the needs of the plants themselves but also of other species and the rich traditions that coexist in harmony with these precious plants.

Building a meaningful relationship to the land takes many years of careful observation and unwavering dedication. It is an ongoing journey that, just like in all of nature, is always evolving and changing with each passing season. At Ravensong, we proudly consider ourselves forever students of nature, always learning and growing alongside the plants. Dedicated to sustainable and ethical wild-harvesting practices, we return to the same cherished spots year after year, seeking to deepen our understanding of how we may be impacting the plants and the intricate ecosystem around us. Each visit fuels our commitment to preserving the delicate balance of nature, ensuring future generations can also benefit from its wonders.

Land as medicine

Nestled on 2 acres and surrounded by enchanting forest, Ravensong is home to 200+ varieties of herbs, flowers, and a wide array of rare and useful plants. After successfully growing her small business on leased land on the Saanich Peninusla for over a decade, Jessy purchased property in Black Creek in the fall of 2019, relocating the farm to its current and forever home. The heartfelt vision for this new land was not only to establish a thriving herb farm where we could cultivate high-quality seeds and herbal products for the business but also to create a sanctuary filled with beauty and meaning, where the gardens and the land itself serve as a source of healing and nourishment for the community.

In addition to being a working-farm and home of our small online seed and herbal product business, Ravensong is a place where the community can come to learn about herb growing and herbal medicine. Jessy and Harmony facilitate an immersive 8-month-long Herbal Apprenticeship Program, a comprehensive course that provides a solid, well-rounded foundation in both the theoretical knowledge and practical, hands-on aspects of herbalism. This one-of-a-kind program takes place in person and right on the land, giving students the unique opportunity to study herbal medicine within the vibrant setting of a thriving herb garden, where they can experience and learn directly from the plants themselves in an engaged and meaningful way.

In addition to the Herbal Apprenticeship, our farm also offers a rewarding Farm Internship Program designed specifically for community members eager to experience all aspects of herb farming. The internship is a valuable opportunity to engage in all aspects of farm work, herb growing, and medicine making, all under the thoughtful guidance of our skilled herbalists. This immersive work-for-learning opportunity allows community members to gain essential practical experience while collaborating within a small, dedicated team and forging lasting community connections.

Our team

Jessy Delleman is the owner and founder of Ravensong Seeds & Herbals. She has been fully immersed in the fascinating world of medicinal plants as a dedicated herbalist, educator, herb grower, wild-crafter, and skilled medicine maker since 2008. Before she fell head over heels into the enchanting realm of plant medicine, Jessy pursued her academic interests by studying horticulture, fine arts, and biology, which have all contributed to her deep appreciation of the natural world.

Passionate about connecting to the living world around us, her journey began as a child growing up off-grid in the Yukon wilderness, near the Tombstone Mountains. Her parents kept a garden, hunted, fished, and took her out foraging for wild plants and berries. Through these experiences, she learned from an early age to nurture an enduring respect for nature and developed a profound sense of belonging to the land that generously provided for her family.

For the past two decades, Jessy has dedicated herself to building meaningful relationships with the diverse medicinal plants and the vibrant land around her, sharing her deep wisdom and gentle teachings about how these incredible plant allies can support and uplift us in our daily lives. She strives to create offerings that are guided by, and deeply infused with, the wisdom of the medicine plants and the rhythms of nature.

Jessy is involved in every aspect of the business at Ravensong, from weeding the gardens to visioning new products and sharing educational offerings with the community. Just as much an artist as she is a skilled herbalist, she also has a heart-felt passion for creating beautiful, inviting spaces and inspiring others by showcasing in her art the enchanting magic of the natural world that surrounds us every day. During the quieter, dormant season, you can often find Jessy fully immersed in her vibrant ceramic art practice, where she enjoys drawing, painting, potting, and crafting intricate mosaics around her lovely property.

Harmony Pillon has been an intrinsic and invaluable part of Ravensong Seeds & Herbals since 2015. As the dedicated manager of Ravensong, Harmony expertly oversees all tasks both on the farm and within the business. She serves as an exceptional team leader, offering her wealth of knowledge and expertise from over a decade of experience working closely with the plants. Harmony's friendly enthusiasm for both plants and people shines through in everything she does, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all who visit Ravensong.

Harmony grew up in rural Ontario on the southernmost shores of the Great Lakes, where she fostered a deep love and connection to nature through forest exploring, climbing trees, observing and drawing in nature. That connection to the land through craft and art continued to evolve as an amazing channel of communication with the earth. She finds great joy in immersing herself completely in the exploration of medicine plants, and attuning to the more subtle and intangible musings of nature through the practice of plant meditations.

Harmony’s formal educational background encompasses a degree in fine arts, as well as a strong foundation in education and environmental studies. As a herbalist, astrologer, artist, and passionate land steward, she offers a wealth of unique experiential knowledge that ties together many modalities and traditions.

In addition to being Jessy’s trusted co-conspirator at Ravensong, Harmony has also founded her very own design business called Craftin' Wild Harmony. Her most recent inspiration has led her to delve into the fascinating world of traditional flower pressing techniques and the intricate art of botanical dyeing. In addition to these captivating projects, she is also currently dedicating her creative energy to designing some beautiful and enchanting botanical stickers and decals that are sure to delight anyone who sees them.

Lisa Hegler first joined the Ravensong team as an enthusiastic intern in the spring of 2022. As a highly-valued and dedicated team member, Lisa adeptly handles all tasks related to medicine making, bottling, labeling, and seed packaging, while also expertly managing orders, administrative duties, and shipping tasks. After an extensive career in nursing, Lisa is truly passionate about returning to her long-held dream of working intimately with plants and embracing a holistic way of healing and wellness. In her free time, Lisa immerses herself in her passions for all things related to homesteading, personal sovereignty, and community activism, which greatly contributes to her sincere desire to create a positive impact in the world around her.

Sheena Batenchuck is our newest team member, having joined us in spring 2024. As our dedicated master gardener, Sheena tends to the land with great care and passion, looking after our precious medicinal plants, handling herb harvesting, and engaging in the skilled process of medicine making. Her areas of interest have always been deeply rooted in nature and all things plant-based. She is incredibly passionate about exploring the fascinating world of herbalism, dedicating herself to uncovering its many secrets and benefits. In doing so, she aims to support the growth and healing journeys of others, fostering a deeper connection between individuals and the natural world around them. In her spare time, Sheena enjoys paddle boarding, hiking, mushroom foraging, crafting of all kinds, and spending quality time with her beloved animals.

Our wonderful seasonal farm interns also make up an integral and invaluable part of our incredible team each growing season. Under the thoughtful guidance of our skilled and knowledgeable team members, our dynamic and enthusiastic group of dedicated interns become an intrinsic part of everything that happens on the farm, including caring for the beautiful herb gardens, propagating a wide variety of plants, seeding, herb harvesting, medicine making, seed harvesting and processing, and much more. Their passion and dedicated hard work truly contribute to enhancing the vibrant and lively atmosphere of our beautiful farm!

The wonderful photos and portraits on this page are by the talented Precious Leplante