Starr Mountain Apothecary & Tower Gardens LLC, 1847 CR 750, Riceville, TN (2026)

Starr Mountain Apothecary | Handmade Herbal Wellness

Rooted in nature and powered by plants, I craft small-batch herbal skin care, gut-healing ferments, tinctures, vinegars, teas, and more—all using organic, nutrient-rich ingredients. From my home apothecary in East TN, I blend modern wellness with traditional herbal wisdom to nourish you inside and out.

06/10/2026

🌿 Two New Favorites I Can't Live Without 🌿

Sometimes the best products in my apothecary are the ones I create because I need them myself.

This spring, the ticks have been relentless here in East Tennessee. After being bitten three times in a single week and finding ticks on sweet Shiloh, I knew I needed something effective, gentle, and safe enough to use multiple times a day.

🐾 Trail Guard Tick & Pest Defense

Trail Guard was born out of necessity.

Made with distilled water, vegetable glycerin, and a carefully selected blend of essential oils traditionally used to discourage ticks and other biting pests, it's safe enough for daily use on both people and dogs.

I spray Shiloh three times a day and apply it to my ankles, wrists, and neck whenever I'm outdoors. The difference has been remarkable. No more ticks on Shiloh, and no new bites for me.

Whether you're hiking, gardening, working outdoors, or simply enjoying time with your pup, Trail Guard has become an everyday staple around here.

Safe for daily use
Designed for both pups & people
Plant-based outdoor protection

🌹 Tallow Rose Lip Balm

The second product was born from another simple realization:
I couldn't find a lip balm I truly loved.

So I made one.

This luxurious little balm starts with nutrient-rich grass-fed tallow, prized for its skin-loving vitamins and fatty acids that closely resemble our own natural skin oils.

I paired it with:

🌹 Rose-infused sweet almond oil for softness and elegance

☀️ Sunflower oil to nourish and support healthy skin

✨ Castor oil for a smooth, protective glide

🐝 Beeswax to lock in moisture

🌹 A whisper of Rose Absolute for the most beautiful, delicate finish

The result is a deeply nourishing balm that leaves lips feeling soft, protected, and cared for without feeling heavy or sticky.

I find myself reaching for it throughout the day and keeping one within arm's reach wherever I go.

There is something deeply satisfying about creating products that become part of your daily rhythm.

These two have earned permanent places in mine.

🌿 Trail Guard Tick & Pest Defense

🌹 Tallow Rose Lip Balm

Now available at all four of my retail locations and on my website.

With gratitude,

Debbie 🤎
Starr Mountain Apothecary & Tower Gardens

The Primitive Mercantile The Lantern Charleston Bait & Tackle Grit & Grace Market

www.starrmountainapothecary.shop

06/07/2026

My favorite 😊

Tower grown greens ( lettuce, dandelion, cilantro, rainbow chard and arugula), pumpkin seeds, h**p seeds, basil seeds, dried blueberries, nutritional yeast, olives, homemade fermented carrots with their brine and sharp cheddar cheese bits. I added some balsamic vinegar and organic olive oil to finish. Yum 😋 Eat the rainbow! 🌈

06/06/2026

Happy Birthday to The Primitive Mercantile! 🎂

Stop in to celebrate with them today!

You've got to see their beautiful new store expansion! So many new items to choose from.

Lots of sales throughout the store today too! I'm offering 10% off my entire booth!

Its the perfect time to try a new cream or tea blend you've had your eye on. 😘

Enjoy!

06/04/2026

My towers are thriving!

Stinging nettle, lemon balm, sage, dandelion, lettuce, rainbow chard, arugula, cilantro, holy basil and so much more!

I've got raised beds to fill...blueberry and blackberry bushes to plant and muscadines just waiting their turn in the ground.

I just don't think that's going to happen on this property. ☺️

05/29/2026

What does a 62-year-old woman do when she wakes up one morning and realizes that something she cannot control may have the potential to affect everything she has worked so hard to build?

You make the phone calls.

You send the emails.

And then you wait for answers.

Five years ago, I moved to McMinn County with a vision for a different kind of life. I wanted to grow food, build a small business, care for my son, and become as self-sufficient as possible.

Since then, I've invested countless hours, hard work, and resources into my home, my property, and Starr Mountain Apothecary. Like many rural property owners, I make decisions based on long-term planning.

Lately, I've been following discussions happening across East Tennessee regarding data centers and the zoning changes some counties are considering in response.

I don't know what the future holds.

I don't know whether McMinn County will eventually choose to limit data centers to industrial zones or whether they may be permitted elsewhere.

What I do know is this:

I need facts in order to make informed decisions.

I can handle just about anything so long as I have a plan.

But I can't create a plan without information.

What many people may not understand is that everyone's situation is different.

Some people can afford to wait and see.

Some people can relocate easily.

Some people may welcome growth and development.

I don't have that luxury.

I am responsible for an adult son with a life-threatening lung condition. Every major decision I make must be viewed through that lens.

For me, this isn't an abstract policy discussion.

It's about understanding what may be coming far enough in advance to make informed decisions about our future.

I've learned something important in life: no one is coming to save me.

That isn't a complaint. It's simply reality.

When challenges arise, it is my responsibility to gather the facts, weigh the risks, make a plan, and act accordingly.

That's exactly what I'm trying to do now.

Today I emailed Garrett Haynes, the planning contact for McMinn County through the Southeast Tennessee Development, seeking information about the county's current zoning regulations and whether any discussions are underway regarding data centers and future land-use planning.

Shortly afterward, I received an automatic response indicating that he is out of the office until June 8th and will respond upon his return.

So now I wait.

Not because I'm looking for a fight.

Not because I've already made up my mind.

But because I believe property owners deserve to understand the future being planned around them.

The answer to a few simple questions may ultimately determine whether I stay or go.

I'll share any response I receive and continue learning as I go.

Sometimes the first step toward a plan is simply asking the question.

🔹️️QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO SOUTHEAST TN DEVELOPMENT🔹️

May 2026

As a property owner, resident, and small business owner, I am seeking information regarding McMinn County's current zoning regulations and any discussions related to data centers and future land-use planning.

Specifically, I asked:

• Does the current McMinn County zoning ordinance address data centers as a distinct land use?

• Under what zoning classifications would a data center currently be permitted?

• Has McMinn County discussed limiting data centers to M1 or M2 industrial zoning districts, as some other Tennessee counties have considered?

• Are there any proposed zoning amendments, studies, workshops, or planning discussions currently underway regarding data centers or large-scale industrial development?

• Where can citizens find the most up-to-date information regarding zoning ordinance changes, Planning Commission agendas, meeting packets, and public hearings?

My purpose is simply to understand how the county approaches future growth and land-use planning so that I can make informed long-term decisions regarding my property, my business, and my family's future.

— Debbie Daniels
McMinn County Property Owner, Resident and Small Business Owner

05/25/2026

For many years I believed “estrogen dominance” simply meant a woman had too much estrogen.

Now I understand it is often much more nuanced than that.

Sometimes estrogen dominance isn’t an oversaturation of estrogen at all. Sometimes it is a body that has fallen out of rhythm and balance.

As women age and ovulation becomes less consistent, progesterone naturally begins to decline. Progesterone is one of the body’s calming, stabilizing hormones. It works in beautiful rhythm with estrogen throughout our reproductive years.

When progesterone begins to quietly fade, estrogen’s effects can begin to feel “unopposed” — not necessarily because estrogen itself is sky high, but because the balancing influence of progesterone is no longer singing as strongly in the symphony.

For some women this may look like:
• severe PMS
• painful, heavy or flooding periods
• fibroids
• fibrocystic breasts
• cystic acne
• anxiety and overwhelm
• insomnia
• weight gain around the middle
• inflammation and fluid retention

And hormones never exist in isolation.

Blood sugar imbalance and insulin resistance also influence hormone health deeply — which is one reason conditions like PCOS are so closely tied to metabolic health. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol matter too. So does sleep. So does nourishment. So does digestion and elimination.

The liver and bile help process and clear hormones from the body. The gut microbiome matters. Constipation matters. Nervous system overload matters.

This is why I believe healing requires a broader, more compassionate view of the body.

Not “What herb fixes this?”

But:
What systems are overwhelmed?
What rhythms have been lost?
What nourishment is missing?
Where is the body asking for support?

I often think of the wisdom of our grandmothers — sophisticatedly simple. They understood that healing involved rhythm, nourishment, rest, minerals, movement, digestion, sunlight, calm and community. The herbs were never the entire wheel. They were one beautiful spoke within it.

This philosophy is deeply reflected in my Estro Ease Tea.

The herbs within it do not aggressively “push” the body. They support in rhythm:
🌿 Red Clover
🌿 Dandelion Leaf
🌿 Raspberry Leaf
🌿 Schisandra Berry
🌿 Milk Thistle
🌿 Lemon Balm

Together they gently support nourishment, lymphatic flow, liver health, nervous system balance and healthy hormone metabolism.

And because stress physiology plays such a profound role in hormonal imbalance, I also created my Cortisol Control Tea:
🌿 White Peony
🌿 Tulsi
🌿 Lemon Balm
🌿 Oatstraw
🌿 Nettle
🌿 Rosehips
🌿 Skullcap

These herbs support the nervous system with their own beautifully symphonic calming and restorative notes.

I don’t believe herbs replace the body’s wisdom.

I believe they companion it gently.

To your health and wellness 💛

www.starrmountainapothecary.shop

Address

1847 CR 750
Riceville, TN
37370

Telephone

+16192199866

Website

http://www.starrmountainapothecary.com/

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