Sarah Schildknecht

I grew up in Southwest Missouri on my family’s small farm, surrounded by dense, untouched forest that begged for my exploration. My grandparents raised goats, chickens and even two peacocks! They planted what seemed like endless gardens of flowers, fruits and vegetables on the property that the two of them lovingly tended. To say that they inspired my adult life would be a bit of an understatement.

I spent most of my 20s bouncing here and there, apparently attempting to keep my loved ones on their toes and guessing about what I would do next. In true Gemini fashion, I’ve held so many different job titles: Accounting at 20th Century Fox Television in Los Angeles, CA to Dishwasher at Triangle X Ranch in Moose, WY….and everything in between!

When I moved to Taos, NM in 2016 and met my partner Tammy, my direction in life became very clear: to get back to where I started.

I began working for Iris Herbal in 2018 as Cathy’s bookkeeper and assistant. She taught me the ins and outs of her operation and how to craft her signature recipes. We realized rather quickly the many ways in which our passions, values and motivations were aligned.

Today, Tammy and I raise goats, chickens, sheep (no peacocks yet!) and I plant endless gardens on our rural desert property in Taos County. If it will grow here, I will plant it! I am fortunate enough to be able to grow and harvest many of the herbs used in Iris Herbal’s recipes.

When I’m not tending the garden, milking goats or helping run Iris, I have the pleasure of serving as the Operations Director at Taos Land Trust, preserving the land and natural resources of Northern New Mexico for generations to come.