Working out of their New Braunfels home, Paula and David Bürck are growing their Gruene Witch Apothecary one Texas market at a time.
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Story by Jenny Jurica
Have you ever fantasized about throwing a dart at a map, packing up all of your belongings and embarking on a cross-country move to a place you’ve never been before?
That’s almost exactly what Gruene Witch Apothecary owners, Paula and David Bürck did back in 2010. Having decided they’d endured their last punishing Vermont winter, they set off in search of a warmer climate. The Bürcks chose New Braunfels as their new home due to its small town feel (with proximity to major metropolises) and for its prominent German heritage.
“We picked New Braunfels off of a map because we didn’t want to be in the extreme cold anymore,” said Paula Bürck. “We liked the idea of living somewhere with German heritage and, mainly, we wanted to be able to grow flowers year round!”
From hobby to career
That love for growing flowers led to an expanding interest in a lifelong hobby for Paula: herbalism. Herbalists dedicate their lives to working with medicinal plants and for the Bürcks this connection to nature was reinforced by their constant quest to find natural alternatives to the more mainstream health and beauty items on the market.
It all started back in Vermont, when Paula started making her own health and beauty products. Then, when the Bürcks migrated to New Braunfels and fell in love with the historic part of New Braunfels known as Gruene, Gruene Witch Apothecary was born.
Now, don’t expect to visit a “brick and mortar” store for the Gruene Witch Apothecary when you visit New Braunfels, because you won’t find one. However, the Bürcks sell their wares every week at various pop-up markets all over the Hill Country.
David Bürck explained, “We stand out at the markets. You get to really engage people at the markets and people appreciate that we can discuss our products and fully educate them.”
“We’re hyperlocal,” added Bürck. “We’re at 200 market events every year in the Hill Country.”
Nature’s beauty
The Gruene Witch Apothecary products are all tried and true, original concoctions, lovingly crafted by Paula, using centuries-old herbal libraries for inspiration and guidance. Some of the more popular Gruene Witch Apothecary products include soaps and healing balms, which are made using essential oils, and bring relief from such skin conditions as eczema, psoriasis, or just your run-of-the-mill dry, cracked skin.
Their anti-aging products are some of the latest and greatest products that the Bürcks have released and people are getting real results from them. In fact, rumor has it that some of the Gruene Witch Apothecary anti-aging products contain many of the same ingredients as expensive skincare, sold at upscale department stores, for a fraction of the price.
The Bürcks make all of their products in their redesigned home kitchen, one that includes a dedicated area for production. As a result, the pleasing scent of essential oils wafting out of their New Braunfels home draws the interest of neighbors and visitors alike.
“The UPS man often says, when making a delivery to the house, ‘Man, it smells so good here!’” said David. This type of interaction inevitably leads this natural born marketing and salesperson to launch into his favorite topic: all-natural skincare products.
Quality ingredients, growing business
While Paula and Dave can’t commit to growing only herbs that they use in their products in their own yard, they are passionate about sourcing their raw materials from the right places. And quality is key.
“We pride ourselves on working with reputable people to source our ingredients and we feel strongly about supporting and producing no-waste packaging, when at all possible,” said David.
The future looks bright (and pleasantly scented) for the Bürcks and their Gruene Witch Apothecary. Their products are earning a passionate following all around the hill country and beyond. With their expanding market presence, as well as a convenient online store, it’s never been easier to get your (soon to be much more supple) hands on some of these delightful, all-natural products.
To learn more about the Gruene Witch Apothecary, including where to find them at a market near you, visit their website at https://gruenewitch.com/ or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
