Grown in America
At American River Pine Pollen our pollen is exclusively harvested from varying elevations of the Sierra Nevada in Northern California.
At American River Pine Pollen we believe in:
Raw
All of our hand-harvested pollen is minimally processed, the way nature intended it. We never crack the cell wall and we exclusively store our pollen in cold temperatures to preserve freshness.
Sustainable
Pine pollen is a sustainable agroforestry product. An individual tree can produce up to six million grains of pollen per season and the forests of the American River Watershed can produce 26 million quarts of pine pollen per day during peak season.
Pure
To preserve the purity of the pollen and its endocrine-balancing benefits, we exclusively store and package all of our pine pollen products in glass containers only.
Most Pollen is from China
The majority of pine pollen on the market is sourced from Masson Pine in China, where common practice is to microwave the raw pollen to mechanically crack its cell wall. They crack the cell wall so the pollen can be processed on the warehouse floor and not fly away! Gross!
Once the cell wall is cracked the pollen begins to degrade and lose quality and potency. The cell wall is what allows the pollen to stay viable and protect its freshness.
At American River Pine Pollen you will only ever find American hand-harvested, raw, non-cracked cell wall, pure pollen.
Taste of Place
We believe in the concept of terroir. When you consume the wild foods of a place, you are connecting with its energy, essence, and strengths.
The American River Watershed is a special place in Northern California where granite mountains meet the golden valley, and the plant biodiversity is abundant.
This is why we offer Ponderosa, Lodgepole, and Ghost Pine pollen packaged individually so that their subtle differences can be appreciated.
We’re excited to share this unique terroir with you through our wild-harvested products.
Sustainability
Pine pollen is a completely sustainable resource, with pine trees dropping literal tons of pollen every year.
Our pollen is hand-harvested from the catkins on the lower branches of wild pine trees in healthy forests.
Pine trees are home to many creatures, so we do our best to act as stewards of the land by leaving untouched any catkins which are already inhabited.