Our Story
About Us
At Alberta Wildcraft, we’re not just a business — we’re a family of eight carving out a life that’s a little wild, a little messy, and full of heart.
We’re a husband-and-wife team raising six kids, homeschooling, wildcrafting, and building something real from the ground up. Our products — pine and spruce resin chewing gum, herbal salves, wild teas, soaps, and more — are made by hand in our home. From collecting resin in the forest to labeling tins at the kitchen table, we do it all ourselves, often with sticky hands and a child or two helping along the way.
We’ve always been outdoor enthusiasts by nature. Spring and summer months are spent outside — hiking trails, foraging, swimming in creeks and rivers with our children, and letting them be the wild, adventurous beings they’re meant to be. We’ve been picking wild herbs for over 10 years, first for personal use — teas, tinctures, salves, soups — and slowly, it became something more.
We used to talk about starting a business together, knowing we made a great team, but nothing ever felt right — until 2021, when we realized that our lifestyle was the business. The foraging, the plant medicine, the long days outside, the teaching, the crafting — it was all already there. Alberta Wildcraft was born from that realization, and from a passion we were already living.
But life wasn’t always like this.
We both come from poverty. I have 18 years of sobriety behind me — a path that’s shaped who I am today. Ron’s journey has been one of resilience too, rising through generational trauma with quiet strength. We’re not perfect parents, and we’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. But we've come a long way — together — and we’re proud of how far we’ve grown as a family.
That’s why we’re not here to sell you perfection. We get it — life is full. With six kids, we’re not chemical-free purists. We wildcraft, we eat steak, and yes, we throw chicken nuggets in the oven. Our kids know how to ID a spruce tree and how to beat a boss level in a video game. They love the forest, and they love their screens. And we’re okay with that balance.
Homeschooling gives us the freedom to raise our children in alignment with our values — learning through experience, making things by hand, and honoring the land that sustains us. Our home is loud, creative, sometimes chaotic, and always full of heart.
When you support Alberta Wildcraft, you're not just buying something natural — you're supporting a real family that turned struggle into strength, lives close to the land, and shares what we love with honesty, care, and a little bit of wilderness.
A Note From Us
We started Alberta Wildcraft with nothing but a deep love for the land, a handful of wild ideas, and a desire to break the cycles we came from. Neither of us had much growing up. We both knew struggle — and we’ve worked hard to create a different life for our kids. One that’s full of intention, creativity, and connection.
We’re not perfect — but we’ve grown so much as a family. Every step of the way has been a lesson, and we’re still learning.
Thank you for being here, for supporting our family, and for choosing to walk this path with us.
— Maria & Ron Gladue
Founders of Alberta Wildcraft
