SALES
RICHARD ALAN
MILLER
AGRICULTURAL
BIOGRAPHY
Richard Alan Miller began his career in agriculture
in 1972 with the formation of The Beltane Corporation (Seattle). He
started as sole proprietor, retailing books and herbs. By 1980, he
had a staff of 12 employees, with the company wholesaling herbs, spices
and teas to the six Western states. The company also imported spices
for their milling and herb tea line (Safeway-Oakland District).
In 1980 Mr. Miller became a limited partner in
a reorganization and expansion of The Beltane Herb Company, Inc. His
function was as Agricultural Scientist and Buyer for Western Herb
Farms (Seattle) and Country Spice Tea (Portland). He then moved to
eastern Washington to establish and develop extensive farm and forage
plans for the mass tea market and export.
During that same period, two additional corporations
were formed: West Coast Dehydrators, Inc. (Carlton) and Methow Valley
Herb Growers Association (Twisp). The first corporation designed and
built an experimental prototype dehydrator for
herb and spice farming (USDA Grant Proposal 8306074 "A Commercial
Portable Dehydrator for Alternative Small-Farm Agricultural Crops".).
The second corporation was a profit-sharing marketing cooperative.
In 1985, Mr. Miller began publishing
a national newsletter for the herb farmer and forager. Now in its
ninth year of publication, "The Herb Market Report" is considered
one of the best on the subject. He also writes columns in numerous
national magazines as well as feature stories and interviews. Recent
book titles include NATIVE PLANTS OF COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE (OAK),
THE MAGICAL AND RITUAL USE OF HERBS (Destiny), THE MAGICAL AND RITUAL
USE OF PERFUMES (Destiny), FOREST FARMING (OAK), COMPUTERS ON THE
FARM (OAK), and SUCCESSFUL FARM VENTURES (OAK). He is also contributing
editor to ACRES, USA (Kansas City).
Mr. Miller received a grant (USDA Grant Proposal
8600849 "A Centralized Processing Facility for Botanical Alternatives
as Cash Crops") in 1986, and a year later formed Northwest Botanicals,
Inc. to broker the growing number of new domestic farmers and foragers
producing herbs and spices. He has been approached by numerous businesses
to develop similar farming andprocessing
facilities. Grants received in 1994 include projects in "Forest Farming"
(FEDA), "Specialized Harvesters" (OEDD), and "Preservation of Salal
Greens (USDA).
Mr. Miller has been retained as a special consultant
to such firms as Botanicals International, Inc. (Long Beach, CA) and
John I Haas, Inc. (Yakima, WA/Wash D.C./Munich, Germany). His primary
emphasis is toward new crops development in both the foraging and
farming of herbs and spices. Extensive networks of producers in more
than 34 States and most Provinces in Canada have been created as a
direct result of his writings and workshops. Mr. Miller is now considered
a world expert in the marketing of these crops.
A number of cottage industries have emerged because
of his activities with these various corporations. These include Golden
Eagle Herbal Chew (Grants Pass) and Frozen Pesto (Ashland), both now
into the mass markets. Many networks, in such diverse regions as South
Dakota, Northern California, Montana, and the Spokane Indians, have
received grants as a direct result of his work. He has been listed
in Who's Who of the West since 1992, and was named to Who's
Who in the World in 1996, and has been written about in various
articles such as the Wall Street Journal and National Geographic.
His present work includes another USDA-SBIR grant
(Agreement Number 94-33610-0107), titled Salal Preservation: A Forest
Farming Venture. Two other proposals include a BBS for TeleMarketing
floral products (Florals, NW), and an auction house on the BBS for
late remainders and large bulk sales.
Mr.
Miller is available as an Agricultural Consultant, and a list of his
services are available from OAK, Inc. (Oregon/Washington). (541) 476-5588
Monday-Friday, 9 am - 5 pm (PST).
AGRICULTURAL CORPORATIONS
RICHARD
ALAN MILLER
Richard Alan Miller is currently involved
with the development and management of several agricultural ventures.
A brief outline of their scope is given in this document. Further
information on each corporation is available upon written request.
NORTHWEST
BOTANICALS, INC.
(NWB) (Grants Pass,
OR)
Founded in 1987 to broker herbs, spices
and dried florals for the growing number of farmers and foragers,
it was part of a Centralized Processing Facility (USDA Grant Proposal
8600849) for botanicals. John I. Haas later purchased the facility
and expanded it near farm ventures in eastern Oregon.
NWB continues to broker numerous botanicals
on an international basis. With partners and trade agreements in Canada
several new ventures with a larger Centralized Processing Facility
at the Port of Vancouver (B.C.) are now in planning for 1996. Contracts
are available for some crops, including oil seeds and dried florals.
A customer list of international buyers
has been developed over the last 18 years who prefer to do business
with Richard Miller (d.b.a. NWB) whenever possible. The list includes
more than 2,000 buyers in North America, a number of whom are prepared
to form a federation with Mr. Miller.
COLTSFOOT,
INC.(Grants
Pass, OR)
Founded in 1986 to market the product
GOLDEN EAGLE HERBAL CHEW, this company currently has two products
now marketed in 34 states. Accounts include Walmart, 7-11, Safeway
Stores, ABCO, Circle K, AM-PM Mini Marts, Quik Stop, and numerous
health food stores.
The company also manufactures its own
plastic containers and dispensers. Many of the ingredients are now
being farmed domestically through OAK's network of farmers and foragers.
A processing facility will be built in the near future to handle ingredient
needs.
A comprehensive five-year business
plan was developed and is now on schedule. Financial support has already
been identified to meet increased production, and the 5-year program
calls for the creation of more than 100 new jobs during that period.
It serves as a model on how to add value to crops as cottage industry.
WEST
COAST DEHYDRATORS, INC.(Carlton,
WA)
Founded in 1980, this corporation has
built a Portable Dehydrator prototype, originally developed for rural
communities interested in cultivating spices which could not be sun-cured.
It was designed to be self-contained, using a generator, propane heat,
and hydraulics (for rotation).
The unit is constructed entirely of
stainless steel, and is on a 30-foot tandem-axle trailer. A USDA grant
was written on this device, and is available for review. The unit
is now in South Dakota, being modified for use.
NORTHWEST
NATURALS, INC.(Grants
Pass, OR)
Founded in 1991, this new corporation
preserves evergreens to meet the growing floral trade market demand.
It also provides added cash-flow during periods of dormancy for the
harvest of most forest products. It also provides needed work in those
areas affected by Spotted Owl legislation. This company has recently
received a USDA-SBIR grants, plus a business relationship with a Band
of Indians (12 tribes) to harvest and preserve Salal.
NATURAL
COLLECTION COMPANY, INC. (NCC)
(Grants
Pass, OR, Denman Island, Canada, and Osaka/Tokyo, Japan)
Founded in 1992, this international
corporation is a joint venture to import domestically grown floral
products under a special label for Japanese markets. There is a Canadian
and a Japanese partner, with offices in both Osaka and Tokyo, Japan.
Current interest included dried floral spices from Northern California
and blue-green algaes from Klamath Lake, OR.
FLORALS
NORTHWEST, INC. (FNW)
(Grants
Pass, OR, Vancouver B.C., Canada)
Founded
in 1994, this International TeleMarketing Company now offers many floral
products to the retail via "Farm Direct." With an 800-number serving
as their electronic catalog, it boosts "state-of-the-art" in both marketing
and use of Internet for sales and dialog. Also sponsors a national/international
BBS for growers and buyers to meet on a common foundation. Current product
line includes more than 200 different floral products and related merchandise.
3-96
Look
for Richard Alan Millers column in Acres
USA ,
the monthly newsletter for Sustainable Agriculture
- ATTENTION
-
PRODUCTS
WANTED
FARMERS
- Herb & Spice Crops Needed
WILDCRAFTERS
- International & Domestic Demands
COTTAGE
INDUSTRIES - Value-Added Craft & Floral Markets
DO
YOU HAVE NEED FOR
GETTING
YOUR PRODUCTS TO THE BEST MARKETS
Helping smaller
producers coop with others, for export and broader market sales, including
new directions and opportunities not previously considered. Telemarketing
on the Internet, for direct sales and immediate collections.
ENSURING THE GROWTH OF YOUR OPERATION
Taking current productions and developing growing
market needs for expansion and market futures. Contracts, with controlled
growth curves. Markets grow with availability.
EFFECTIVELY
DIVERSIFYING YOUR PRODUCTS
Broaden current market options, including processing,
manufacturing, and cottage industry development. Expand farm production
with other crops with similar markets and/or harvest requirements.
WE
OFFER DIRECT MARKETING BROKERAGE
&
CONSULTATION ON CROP OPTIONS
| FOR
MORE INFORMATION
For
general information on additional books, manuscripts, lecture
tours, and related materials and events by Richard Alan Miller,
please write to:
In
addition, you can visit Richard Alan Miller's home page for
a listing of his writings, also containing links to related
subjects, and direction in the keywords Metaphysics, Occult,
Magick, Parapsychology, Alternative Agriculture, Herb and Spice
Farming, Foraging and Wildcrafting, and related Cottage Industries.
Richard Alan Miller is available for lectures and as an Outside
Consultant. No part of this
material, including but not limited to, manuscripts, books,
library data, and/or layout of electronic media, icons, et al,
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (photocopying,
recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission
of Richard Alan Miller, the Publisher (and Author). |