The Founder Series ~ From Seed to Skin

BARD COUNTRY

There are few words to describe our time on Bard Country and with the Lombadina community. And perhaps that sums it up perfectly. Because before going there, we had read about it and logically understood the process of harvesting the Kakadu plum (Gubinge) - but it wasn’t until we were there, bare feet on the ground, absorbing the energy of the Earth and the open arms of the community can I now say my heart has had a glimpse of what it means to truly understand. I always believed that the intention we put into things has a metaphysical effect on the product; like the way food just tastes better when we cook it with love. And this has been our process of the highest intention skincare and why we choose to work with First Nations farmed native plants when creating the serums. Our trip has deepened the roots of intention, and turned a simple trust into a deep knowing and respect where the heartbeat of the community lives on in the bottle.

I always believed that the intention we put into things has a metaphysical effect on the product; like the way food just tastes better when we cook it with love.

GUBINGE HARVEST

The Gubinge (Kakadu Plum) is wild harvested seasonally, by hand. The season will carry over a period of weeks as members of the community of all ages trail through the bush to harvest, hand selecting the healthiest fruits of the season with the highest sources of Vitamin-C. Lombadina is unique in that it is privately indigenous-owned, with all harvest contributing directly to the local economy. It is one of their main sources of income and cultural preservation. Being on the land provided an intimate perspective of the challenges and obstacles required to overcome to seasonally harvest outside of modernised/industrialised farming practices. The key difference being the additional time taken to walk across large land mass in order to find the fruits. This approach also steps outside of the ‘industrialised’ approach of farming in that the trees aren’t looked to for maximum harvest potential in a year, but instead respect the long life span of the tree and protect its harvesting capacity for years to come. Working with the Gubinge and adapting to indigenous practices comes with an innate gentleness with the land that inevitably ripples out onto other areas of our business. 

This trip has reinforced my ideology that nature is the greatest scientist of all, with so many mysteries not yet understood by humankind. It has changed the conversation from nature backed by science - to science backed by nature. After the unique opportunity to connect with the Lombadina community the Gubinge is grown in and how it's intelligence is reflected within the fruit it is clear that the intention amplifies the effectiveness and the key ingredient to what makes our Kakadu Plum serum so special. Grateful hardly covers it for what it means to be trusted to walk this path home as we collaborate to protect and nurture the gifts this incredible earth has to offer. And to think this is only the beginning.

Love,
Montana xx

Over the next few weeks we will be sharing our learning journey, from the Bard People, their special community, and the place where Gubinge grow in wild abundance - existing in perfect synchronicity and defying the adversity of the climate, to the innovators that made it possible through their transparent and ethical supply chain; NATIVE EXTRACTS, allowing us to use the Gubinge in our Kakadu Plum Serum, from Seed to Skin.

Incredible imagery by @deanraphael, of @lombadina and
 @montanalower in partnership with @nativeextracts_official

INBLUEM would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this film was created, the Bard Peoples. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and recognise their ongoing connection to Country, of which holds the rich wisdom and knowledges that have been passed down through generations for millenia.