Dirt on the Farm
Introducing Our Regenerative Organic Certified®
Roasted Dandelion Root & Chicory Root
The Only Domestic Source of Regenerative Organic Dandelion & Chicory Root Coffee Alternative
Dandelion in early spring bloom — Oshala Farm, Applegate Valley, Oregon
Spring arrives quietly in the Applegate Valley and then all at once. One week of sun and the fields transform — green erupting from bare ground, perennials pushing through soil they have known for years, and above it all the Dandelion in full golden bloom, opening its flowers each morning with the light and closing them again at dusk. There is something deeply alive about this plant. Something that has always known its place in the world and needed no help finding it.
We have been growing both Dandelion and Chicory on this farm for years. They are, in many ways, ideal regenerative crops — deep taproots that break compacted ground, plants that give back to the soil they grow in, flowers that feed pollinators from the first warm days of Spring. And roasted, they become something else entirely. Something dark and aromatic and warming that has been filling cups across Europe for centuries as one of the oldest and most beloved coffee alternatives in the herbal tradition.
This Spring we are making both available to our customers in roasted form for the first time. Here is the story of how we got here and what is now in the shop.
Dandelion Root & Chicory Root — Two Plants, One Family
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and Chicory (Cichorium intybus) are cousins — both members of the Asteraceae family, both known for their deep taproots and their long history in European herbal tradition as Spring tonics, digestive bitters, and coffee surrogates. They taste different in the cup. Dandelion root is earthier, more mineral, with a clean bitterness that wakes you up in a way that feels wholesome rather than sharp. Chicory is fuller bodied, more caramel-forward, with the kind of depth that makes you understand why New Orleans built an entire coffee culture around it.
Together they make an extraordinary cup. Blended in equal parts and brewed as a decoction or through a French press, they balance each other beautifully — Dandelion’s mineral edge softened by Chicory’s warmth, Chicory’s body lifted by Dandelion’s clarity. Entirely caffeine free. Naturally acid free.
Chicory root is also one of the richest natural sources of inulin, a naturally occurring dietary fiber. Because inulin is water soluble, hot water draws it directly out of the root during brewing — which is why a well-made chicory decoction has that characteristic creamy, full-bodied mouthfeel that sets it apart from ordinary herbal tea. Your cup naturally contains the fiber the root grew to store.
The Only Domestic Source
Nearly all roasted Chicory and Dandelion root sold in the United States is imported — primarily from India, China and Europe. It arrives already processed, already roasted, having traveled across an ocean and through a supply chain you cannot see or trace. We wanted something different for our customers. We wanted roots you could trace to a specific field, harvested by people paid fairly for their work, roasted with the same care and intention we bring to everything that carries the Oshala Farm name.
As far as we know, we are the only Regenerative Organic Certified® source of domestically grown and roasted Dandelion root and Chicory root in the country. Our fields are here in the Applegate Valley. Our roots are grown under our full ROC® certification, which covers soil health, fair labor, and land stewardship — the complete picture of what regenerative agriculture is meant to mean. Grown here. Not flown here.
Three Years in the Making — A Collaboration with Banyan Botanicals
Getting here took time. Over the past three years we have been developing our roasted Chicory root specifically in partnership with Banyan Botanicals. We want to honor Banyan Botanical’s commitment to domestic sourcing and quality. When they first came to us to grow Chicory we honestly didn’t know what to charge and worked together on a trial based on pay per acreage structure that we were later able to adjust to a per pound price once we had production and yield data. Our collaboration focused on two things: trialing domestic Chicory production with a particular focus on inulin content, and working together to find and refine the roast profile that honors the root’s complexity without sacrificing the prebiotic fiber content that makes it so valuable. Roasting Chicory is its own craft — too light and the cup is thin, too dark and you lose both the flavor complexity and the inulin. Three years of working with partners who share our standards for quality taught us exactly where that threshold lives.
We do not put the Oshala Farm name on something until we are confident in every step of how it was grown, processed, and delivered. These roots are ready. We are proud of what they have become.
Available Now
Both roots are available now in our shop in multiple formats. Roasted Dandelion root comes in cut and sift, tea bag cut, and powder. Roasted Chicory root is available in cut and sift. Our unroasted Dandelion root in cut and sift and powder is also available for those who prefer to use it in teas, tinctures, or other herbal preparations, or who want to roast their own at home. All products are Regenerative Organic Certified®, grown in the Applegate Valley, and ready to ship.
→ Roasted Dandelion Root — Cut & Sift — ROC® — from $19.50
→ Roasted Dandelion Root — Tea Bag Cut — ROC® — from $19.50
→ Roasted Dandelion Root — Powder — ROC® — from $20.75
→ Roasted Chicory Root — Cut & Sift — ROC® — from $20.75
How to Brew
All formats brew beautifully. Here are four simple methods.
The Decoction — The Traditional Method
Add 1–2 tablespoons of roasted root to 2 cups of cold water in a small saucepan. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer and hold for 15 minutes. Strain into your mug. Sweeten with honey or maple if you like. The room will smell extraordinary while it brews.
French Press or Tea Bag
Add 1–2 tablespoons of roasted root to your French press or a reusable tea bag. Pour boiling water over and steep for 10–15 minutes. Press or remove the bag and drink. Quick, satisfying, deeply good.
The Espresso Shot
Run the powder through your espresso machine. We did. The shot that came out stopped everyone in the room. Dark, rich, complex — no coffee required. Top with a small pour of frothed oat milk for something extraordinary.
The Latte
Brew a strong cup using double the root. Strain into your mug, stir in a teaspoon of honey or maple, and top with frothed oat milk. A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom takes it somewhere genuinely special. Hold it with both hands. That is the ritual.
Blending Dandelion & Chicory
Start with equal parts of each — one tablespoon dandelion root, one tablespoon chicory root — and brew by any method above. Dandelion brings the earthy mineral edge. Chicory brings caramel depth and body. Together they make the most satisfying cup either plant can produce. Adjust the ratio to find your blend.
Dandelion has been valued by herbalists and farmers across cultures for as long as anyone has kept records of such things. The Greeks called it taraxos achos — disorder remedy. The Chinese have incorporated it into traditional medicine for over a thousand years. The Europeans brewed it through two world wars when coffee was unavailable and found it more than adequate. There is centuries of human experience behind these roots and every cup of them is a small act of connection to that tradition.
We are glad to finally be bringing them to you from this farm, from this valley, in a form we can fully stand behind. Thank you as always for your trust in what we grow here.
