Mother Earth Food Vendor Highlight: Shanti Elixirs Written by: Rosa Linda Fallon

Shanti Elixirs, an Asheville-based non-alcoholic beverage company, combines the power of the beehive and bacteria to create delicious, sparkling, probiotic Juns that not only taste amazing, but are also good for you (and for the bees). As a nurse and lactation consultant, CEO and owner Shanti Volpe has always had an interest in holistic approaches to health and wellbeing.

Volpe’s journey to becoming a Jun brewer began when she discovered her passion for bees. After attending a workshop in 2014, Volpe realized her desire to become a beekeeper. “In the workshop, we were guided to tell a story, and the story incorporated visions and dreams. It was a beautiful process of discovering what our purpose in life was all about,” she says. “I discovered that I wanted to become a beekeeper.” 

Soon after, Volpe connected with her longtime acquaintance Sarah McKinney from Honey and the Hive who taught her everything about becoming a beekeeper. Volpe quickly became a beekeeper that same year and fell in love with all things honey. 

In the fall of 2016, Volpe attended a sacred beekeeping workshop where she found herself in awe of the hives’ industrious harmony and their irreplaceable role in food production. It was there that she met Asheville resident Rebecca Robertson who offered Volpe her very first sip of Jun. “I took a sip, and I was immediately profoundly awed by the taste and the effect it had on my body,” Volpe recalls. Volpe was so intrigued that Robertson offered her to stay after the workshop to learn how to brew Jun by herself. “I learned how to brew, and I started brewing for myself and sharing it with my family,” Volpe says. A few weeks later, Volpe brought her Juns along with her to the Lake Eden Arts Festival where she was offering essential oil consultations (another interest of hers). The customers fell in love with her Juns, and so she began sharing her elixirs with her coworkers. “It got to the point where people couldn’t get enough of them,” Volpe says. 

Shanti Elixirs was born in March 2017, and their first farmer’s market was April 1, 2017. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, 90% of the accounts Shanti Elixirs had established  closed, and Volpe was left wondering if her small business would survive. “That’s when Mother Earth came along, swept us up, and invited us to join their amazing online farmer’s market,” Volpe says of Mother Earth Food, referring to their ongoing partnership with the grocery home delivery company. Volpe says her team really resonates with Mother Earth Food’s mission of bringing healthy, local food to people in the mountains of Western North Carolina and beyond. 

Not only did Mother Earth Food help Shanti Elixirs survive, but they have been helping them thrive ever since. “They really have done an amazing job in creating a caring community and network that is allowing the magic of what I like to call cross pollination to occur,” Volpe expresses. Regular Jun-loving customers can now have weekly access to their favorite elixirs, and new customers have the chance to fall in love with their products. “It has been a very instrumental partnership for us, and it continues to be,” she says. 

Volpe also credits her business’ success to her team. A hive achieves its magic by working together, and Volpe’s passion and desire to collaborate has attracted a dedicated and extraordinary group of individuals who now form the Shanti Elixirs’ hive. Together, they are committed to spreading well-being, peace and positive energy through every sip of Jun.

For more information, visit  www.shantielixirs.com 

Let’s Put An End To Trademark Bullying!

Shanti Elixirs invites you to support us as we navigate the legal terrain of being “phished” by a larger company looking to take over our footprint. My name is Shanti Volpe, and I am the founder, owner, and CEO of Shanti Elixirs. I am reaching out to you because as we stand our ground and shed light on what is happening, we also want to empower other small businesses facing the same speed bumps.

How to Support Shanti Elixirs 🐝

We are asking for your support to help lift us up during this time of growth so we can continue to be part of the massive paradigm shift in the world of business, health and community. Support can be shown through raising awareness, cross pollinating information and financial contributions. With each voice and each contribution, we have the power to send vibrations far and wide. These vibrations will make it known that all small businesses everywhere cannot be simply wiped away. We are all here to stay!

Photo Credit: Erin Adams Photography
https://shantielixirs.com/donate