With the product shortages in local markets and many shipping ports shut down during the COVID-19 lockdown, local couple Brandon and Katherine Garrison needed to find ways to become more self-sufficient and sustainable. They soon became inspired to create their own business.
Mother Lovers Eco Market was launched on Earth Day in 2021.
“During the lockdown, we began to educate ourselves at home on how we could not only live healthier lives, but how to prepare ourselves for even worse economic downturns, while also helping curve waste, and raise awareness on how our daily purchases/consumptions test our resilience as a species in the midst of environmental/societal/economic downturns,” Brandon said. “We also had a deep desire to raise awareness on how devastating certain product purchases/sourcing can be to our environment, marginalized world-wide/tribal communities, and local markets.”
Having directed disaster response efforts, as well as being a certified Storm Spotter and Community Emergency Response Team member, Brandon had experienced the wrath of Mother Nature first-hand, and could not help but notice the intersectionality between sustainability, economic collapse, and environmental degradation.
“This business was born from our passions, values, and desire to truly bring about change, one interaction and ethically sourced, zero waste purchase at a time,” Brandon said. “Our ultimate goal is to provide our bloodline with the tools for success as entrepreneurs through learning sustainable skills, as well as being active participants in meaningful social outreach.”
Mother Lovers Eco Market will be hosting an event called ‘Trek 4 Patriots’ Sunday, Sept. 3 from 5 to 10 p.m. at English Landing Park in Parkville.
There will be vendors, food, contests and family fun. The event will also include a vendor display contest and a scavenger hunt for a free round of miniature golf. At 7 p.m. there will be a salute to 1st responders.
The family will soon be relocating to a new location in the area where they will begin to build on their success, with the goal of building a sustainable homestead upon which future generations can live with the promise of a successful on-site business.
“We also desire to have our social initiatives become a beacon of inspiration for other aspiring ecopreneurs within our community,” Brandon said.
Brandon and Katherine and their four children are all involved in making the products for Mother Lovers Eco Market.
“Whether it be shredding re-purposed shopping bags for box filler, affixing labels/packing shipment boxes, taking inventory, or assisting in the actual hands-on product making itself, they each play an important role in the production,” Brandon said.
They sell a variety of personal care/household products, graphic designs, and repurposed art pieces, with each of the family members producing their own line of products within the overall business.
The product lines include the Mother Lovers Eco Market brand, Rustic Monkey Woodworks, KATEEG Designz, and Solar Sisters Tea and Lemonade. Their top-selling products are: Organic Soap Berries, Body Bars, Lotion Bars, “Love Bugs”, and Rustic Monkey Woodworks plaques/signs. The products are carried in local markets, and their whole-sale/dropshipping services are in the process of being launched. They also sell on Amazon Handmade, www.motherloversecomarket.comand ETSY. They also attend local vendor markets, as well as host their own pop-up markets/special events.
Each of the ingredients for their products is certified fair trade/organic/non-GMO. These include coconut oil, cocoa butter, soy wax, natural essential oils, natural mica powder, mango butter, and a wide range of plant/nut oils. No synthetic ingredients or Palm Oil are used in the products.
It gives Brandon a sense of pride to know that he and his wife have taught their children a sustainable means of self-reliance while being mindful of their mark on the world, not only regarding carbon emissions, but also by engaging with/encouraging others to do the same.
“It’s truly awe-inspiring watching their passions grow and gives me hope for their future, and the future of our species,” Brandon said. “By empowering them, rather than forcing them, we’ve seen their passions and desires grow into an intense desire to assist. They love using their imagination/ingenuity in helpful ways.”
Since only about 20% of plastic ever made has been recycled, Brandon believes that simply recycling plastics isn’t good enough.
“Plastic requires oil, which is a key contributor to our legacy load of carbon in the atmosphere. Consequently, plastic also ends up in our oceans, where massive garbage patches of plastic waste have riddled sea creatures/water with toxic forever chemicals that leach into our food supply and kill off entire ecosystems. By eliminating our use of plastics, we can take a giant leap toward preserving many of our planet’s few remaining ecosystems.”
Brandon’s desire to become an eco activist evolved through the years, after experiencing devastating natural disasters, observing intense weather patterns, and researching the devastating impact humans have had on our planet’s ecosystems, as well as overall periods of stable climate, which, he said is now just a page in the history books.
The family also collaborates with local businesses and artisans in the area. By focusing more on entrepreneurs/artisans rather than direct sales vendors the family pushes the message that shopping locally is sustainable, versus sending money to large corporations and overseas suppliers.
“We stress that each dollar spent locally is then cycled back through our economy, and that assists in helping our small businesses remain, versus being forced out by large corporations,” Brandon said. By pushing that message, versus green-washing folks, we are able to better reach a wider audience without alienating them with environmental jargon that may or may not reach them on a personal level.
“Additionally, we hone in on small businesses who may have a personal interest and who may be impacted positively by the presence of the locally held market/special event of ours. Each market is an opportunity to make new acquaintances and to broaden the community of artisans across the metro.”
Brandon said the event on Sunday, May 3, in Parkville will be an opportunity to raise awareness for local artisans, bringing attention to the selfless service of our union laborers and 1st responders.
“Our ‘Soaps 4 Folks’ program provides a bar for bar donation to a select group each month who may be in need,” Brandon said. “We’ve so far donated to the Elderly Center, as well as the KC Homeless Union.”
Although Brandon believes at this point we can no longer prevent what is to come, we can still adopt new ways of doing things in order to slow the speed of degradation to our environment, as well as innovate to find new ways to adapt to ensuing hardships from inevitable climate shifts.
“At this point it’s about slowing the course rather than altering it, and adaptation.”