Behind the Batch
Batch Notes: Reading the Label
What the batch number, harvest date, and source farm on every jar actually mean — and why we print them.
Pick up any bottle at the grocery store and try to figure out where the ingredients came from. You can't. The label tells you what's inside (usually in vague terms) and maybe where it was packaged. But the story of the ingredient — where it grew, when it was harvested, who grew it — is invisible.
We designed our label to tell you everything we know.
The Batch Number
Every Root Cellar jar carries a batch number — a simple sequential identifier that traces back to a specific production run. Batch 001 was our first. Each subsequent number represents a unique steep: specific ingredients, specific water, specific timing.
If you ever have a question about your jar — what it tastes like, where the ingredients came from, when it was made — the batch number is the key. We maintain records for every batch, and we're happy to share them.
The Harvest Date
This is the date the primary ingredient was harvested. Not the date we produced the water. Not the “best by” date. The actual day the ginger was pulled from the ground, or the chamomile was cut from the field, or the citrus was picked from the tree.
We print this because it connects you to the agricultural reality behind the product. Your jar of Digest didn't come from a warehouse. It came from soil, on a specific day, in a specific place. The harvest date makes that real.
“A label should tell a story, not hide one.”
The Source Farm
Every jar lists the region and, when possible, the specific farm that grew the ingredient. “Hudson Valley, NY” on our Digest means the ginger came from our partner farm in the Hudson Valley. “Vermont Highlands” on Calm means the chamomile was harvested in the Vermont Highlands.
These aren't marketing claims. They're verifiable facts. Our supply chain is short enough — and our relationships direct enough — that we can stand behind every source we print.
Why This Matters
Transparency isn't just about trust — though it builds that too. It's about reconnecting with what you consume. When you know where your ginger grew and when it was harvested, you drink it differently. It's no longer anonymous. It has context, origin, and meaning.
In a market flooded with vague labels and proprietary blends, we chose radical clarity. Everything on our label is there because you deserve to know it. Nothing is hidden because there's nothing to hide.