How one small business owner has embraced community as a foundation for resilience in response to a changing environment.
Photography by: Christine Noel James
Nestled within a shared warehouse in the NW industrial area of Portland, is a small commercial kitchen where Sascha Archer, founder of Sauvie Shrubs, spends time imagining the next flavor combination for her seasonal drinking vinegars. After tinkering around with different botanicals and playing matchmaker, she achieves a concoction that is greater than the sum of its parts. By forging new connections with ingredients that you may have never imagined together, such as persimmon-apple-gingerbread or concord-grape-shiso, she creates drinking vinegars that captivate the taste buds. Archer lights up with enthusiasm as she shares with me how her ingredients strengthen and complement one another in forming a cohesive community of flavors.
In deciding which fruits, herbs, and vegetables to use in her drinking vinegars, she turns to what nature has to offer her at that moment in time. About ninety percent of all the botanical ingredients are sourced from Sauvie Island, an agricultural growing area in Multnomah County, just 10 miles from downtown Portland. As a resident of the island, Archer tends to her own orchard, but also gathers from neighboring farms and forages for the fruits, herbs, and botanicals to nurture the growth of her 3-year-old business. Gathering, not only her ingredients, but resources, skillsets and people has become her strategy for navigating Sauvie Shrubs, and the communities she is part of, through tough times.
All about drinking vinegar
Drinking vinegars have gained popularity in recent years, due to an increased interest in their many health benefits and use in mocktails. All drinking vinegars start with a fruit base, and the most common one you will find in the grocery store is made with apple cider vinegar. Drinking vinegars are created through a fermentation process where bacteria and yeast are added to the extracted fruit juice. This converts the sugars to alcohol and then to vinegar, leaving you with a product high in antioxidants, and probiotics, all of which support a healthy gut microbiome. According to Archer, the effects of a daily dose of drinking vinegar (aka shrub) can range from improved digestion and a strengthened immune system to helping ward off muscle cramps.
Like many others, the health benefits were what initially sparked Archer’s interest as well. She began doing shots of apple cider vinegar to aid with digestive issues she was experiencing in her 20’s and 30’s. However, like anyone who has tried plain apple cider vinegar knows, it is not the best tasting. In the beginning, Archer wasn’t sure if she could stomach her daily dose, “it’s strong and so intense.” Regardless, she was determined to see it through.
“I began researching how to use apple cider vinegar for gut health and digestion and ordered a book with some real basic recipes, like lemon, ginger and honey with apple cider vinegar. That’s kind of where I started and realized that like, okay, this actually tastes kind of good.” Not only did the addition of these ingredients make the drink more palatable, but they also brought with them health benefits of their own.
After taking her new and improved shrubs regularly once or twice a day for some time, Archer noticed a huge improvement in how she felt, as it essentially cured her digestive issues. She was hooked on shrubs, and the creative outlet that she found in experimenting with different fruits, herbs, vegetables, botanicals, and spices. Moving beyond the recipe book, she started coming up with unique flavor combinations for herself, and soon began sharing them with friends and family.
Transforming a hobby into a business
Archers’ flavor combinations have become far more complex than the original ginger and lemon recipe she started out with. “I work with what’s in season and try to think about what flavors would pair well together. I am an avid gardener and I’ve always grown a lot of herbs and flowers that are edible.”
In her approach to aligning flavors with the seasons, she gravitates toward whatever is growing on the island at that time. “The funny thing, though, is because I’m making seasonal shrubs every month, it’s not like I experiment first. I just wing it and hope that it turns out, and usually, it does. Really, there’s only been one or two times where I’m like, this is okay, but it’s not my favorite. I don’t think there’s ever been a shrub that’s been terrible.”
As interest in non-alcoholic beverages and drinking vinegars grew, Archer saw an opportunity for her newfound passion for drinking vinegars. Sauvie Shrubs was born in 2019, just a year before the pandemic brought about unpredictable challenges in the food business world.
Archer created Sauvie Shrubs after completing a program at Portland Community College called “Getting Your Recipe to Market.” Food and drink entrepreneurs enter the three-month fast track program with a product idea and are then guided through the beginning steps of creating the product and recipe development, all the way to launching it into the marketplace. Archer was very grateful for the guidance and learning opportunities that the program offered. “Once I finished that, got into this kitchen and got licensed, I officially launched.” However, before all these details could fall into place, she needed to have a vision for what she was bringing to life. What prompted this vision was the land her products are named after.
A source of inspiration
Archer recalls that Sauvie Island has always held a special place in her heart. “I used to go out there a lot as a young girl and woman and it always held this magic for me, and I always dreamt of living out there.” After living in Canada and South Africa for several years, Archer returned to Portland and was drawn back to the island. “I got on Craigslist, and the first listing I saw was this little spot on 10 acres on Sauvie Island, and so I jumped on it. It was just a little cabin, but I really fell in love with it. And I think it was just meant to be; it was serendipitous.”
As a self-proclaimed “bird nerd,” Sauvie Island and its constant birdlife is the perfect place for Archer. One of the many things she loves about the island is being able to spot egrets and herons from her kitchen window. It’s no surprise, then, that the Sauvie Island logo also includes a bird.
The sandhill crane, illustrated in the logo, holds special significance to the Chinook tribe, who were the original habitants of Sauvie Island. The crane is also Archer’s favorite bird on the island, and their presence brought her peace and grounding during a difficult time in her life. “I was going through some really hard stuff right before I started the business and took some time off work. I was really struggling, but the thing that brought me peace and joy was walking, being in nature and being surrounded by these beautiful and majestic Sandhill cranes. I really felt incredibly connected to them.”
We don’t like to waste anything
In honoring the land and its abundance, Archer has prioritized creating a circular production system for Sauvie Shrubs. With this model, the remaining shrub mash/ end products that previously would have been discarded are used to make something new. Soon after starting the business, Archer created a zero-waste product line from the byproducts of her drinking vinegars. “I think that it has been one of the most fun and surprising parts of the shrub business that I didn’t anticipate.” Guided by creativity and a drive to close the production loop, she employs the same attitude of fearless experimentation that she uses in mixing up new flavor combinations.
When it came to creating seasoning salt/dusting sugar, fruit leathers, and her newest zero-waste product of ‘shrub snacks’, she knew very little about what she was doing before she took on the projects. In fact, she discovered how to make ‘shrub snacks’ by accident when she left her fruit leather in the dehydrator too long. Archer describes not only her surprise, but her customers’ surprise at the new product. “It’s the weirdest texture, crunchy and chewy at the same time. People get kind of weirded out when they first try it, but pretty soon they are hooked on it.”
As part of Sauvie Shrubs’ eco-promise, Archer encourages customers to return their bottles to her at her kitchen or at Sauvie Shrub farmers market stands. Her bottle return program is possible through a partnership with Go Box, which is a service for businesses to conveniently and cost effectively clean and sanitize their reusable containers. “I take customers’ bottles and once we’ve collected a surplus, Go Box takes them in, removes the labels, takes the sticky off, cleans them, sanitizes them, and then they bring them back, so that we can reuse them.”
Keeping the glass bottles within a closed loop for Sauvie Shrubs to reuse not only reduces waste but assists the financial side of the business. “I wish I could get everyone to do it because beyond just creating more waste, the supply chain issue right now is so challenging for small businesses. And you know, it’s just going to get worse, not to mention the cost of goods is going up.”
Collaboration over competition
The “Getting Your Recipe to Market” program that Archer formed Sauvie Shrubs through, also connected her to a network of small business owners in the area. Her adviser for that program was Hannah Kullberg, who runs a google group called the Pacific Northwest Packaged Food and Beverage Group, which Archer joined when starting her business. “It’s like a resource hub, where people are constantly sharing resources, giving feedback, and providing support. It feels wonderful to be part of a community that’s very inclusive and where people are so open. Definitely a collaboration over competition vibe.”
Archer’s choice for the most recent flavor may have been swayed by the fact that she just accumulated 16 boxes of peeled oranges from a bitters business she has connections to through the Google group. “The Bitter Housewife just uses the peels and so they didn’t want the oranges to go to waste.” This eco-business model of reciprocity between makers and producers is what Archer loves most about being a small business owner. Through these connections, Archer has made friends with many like-minded people, which have given rise to creative collaborations and future aspirations for items such as dried flower wreaths, shrub gummies, and possibly a zero-waste botanical skincare product.
A community builder
Upon moving to Sauvie Island, Archer was really excited about joining in community with the other residents and connecting with neighboring farms and artisans; however, she didn’t immediately find what she was hoping for. Although filled with wonderful people, skilled farmers and makers, the community she moved into felt disjointed. “I kept thinking, it’s so crazy that there isn’t a farmers market out here and that there never has been one. That’s primarily because within the county there are a lot of rules and regulations around land use and permitting.” The majority of Sauvie land is protected and managed by Fish & Game, which is why there are so many rules in place surrounding land use.
Despite roadblocks, Archer was able to get a farmers market up and running after about a year of organizing and looking for solutions. “I eventually had to do it as a rotating market between the three large farms. It’s never in a permanent place because of those strict rules.” Although the process was difficult, her goal was simple. “I wanted to create community for the island and bring people together. To create a meeting place for people to connect, but also to really showcase the smaller farms and the local artisans, the makers, and the small businesses. And it was the perfect way to do all of that.” By forming this space that not only links producers to consumers, but the producers of the island to one another, Archer finally brought to life the community she was searching for.
A challenging time for small businesses and farmers
The sense of community that the market instilled in farmers and people attending was incredibly valuable during a time colored by a collective feeling of social isolation. “Farmers markets are essential services, so they could carry on. There was just a lot more rules and restrictions.” Surprisingly, the pandemic did little to negatively impact turnout of people to the market. “People were just so grateful to be able to still have the farmers markets and to support locally during such a challenging time for so many small businesses and farmers.”
Another challenge arose during the summer of 2021, when Portland experienced record-breaking high temperatures, and as extreme weather events continue to rise as an effect of climate change, farmers are being forced to adapt. “That crazy heatwave took out so many crops. And there are these false springs, and then it freezes again.” The unpredictable weather can make farming work financially risky, as it is increasingly difficult to prepare for and protect crops against extreme weather. “For the farmers especially, it’s so unpredictable and challenging. And yeah, it affects my ingredients and produce too, but nothing compared to the hardships farmers experience.” These weather events made the farmers market and the support it offered for Sauvie Island farmers even more valuable.
The future…
With Sauvie Shrubs growing so quickly, Archer has decided to step down from managing the Sauvie Island farmer’s market this year to recenter her energy. “It’s been amazing starting and running it, but now I’m ready to give someone else the reins.” Closing that chapter has been bittersweet for Archer, but she feels it was the right decision. “My Sauvie Shrubs mission was really to stay hyper-local to support the farms on the island and grow and forage myself.” Archer is looking forward to spending more time as a vendor at farmer’s markets around Portland, as well as working on new collaborations with friends and neighbors. “So much of the joy is around being hyper-local and being connected to the farms and to my customers.”
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A couple days after meeting with Archer, I was at home looking over my notes and brainstorming where to begin writing. I remembered the two bottles of shrubs that Archer had generously sent me home with, which were now patiently waiting for me in my fridge. At this thought, I took a break from my work and eagerly began preparing myself a drink with the concord-grape-shiso shrub. I shook the small glass bottle, pulled off the seal, and added a tablespoon to a glass of cold water. While stirring the mixture, I was greeted by the aroma of vinegar masked with the gentler smell of grape. I paused, trying to decipher the smell of shiso, which was unfamiliar to me, so I wasn’t sure what exactly I was looking for. After a failed attempt to clearly distinguish where it hid within the mix, I curiously took my first sip.
At the base of the drink, the sharp and sour taste of vinegar is what demands your attention. But it is the sweetness of the grape and the refreshing minty flavor of the shiso together that draws you back in for another sip. Archer envisions the communities she is part of as working together in the same way her ingredients do. As each individual shares their own unique strengths and gifts with the group, they grow exponentially in their power to support themselves and each other. With a greater collective skillset, comes increased possibilities for innovation. It is through community that resilience is born.
Recipe From Sascha Archer
Strawberry Rhubarb Shrub Spritzer: Ingredients: -1 oz of Strawberry Rhubarb shrub (or any shrub of choice) 2-3 fresh strawberries cut in quarters -1 tablespoon of honey or agave (leave out if you like it more on the tart side) -6 oz of sparkling water Add shrub, strawberries (option to muddle strawberries) and ice to a glass. Directions: Stir ingredients and top with sparkling water. Option to add an oz of your favorite liquor, we suggest vodka, gin or tequila (makes for a great Margarita).
Written by Maria Wanzek