Our Story | Family-Owned Sustainable Berry Oils

A Family-Run Business Rooted in Purity, Sustainability, and Hands-On Craftsmanship

The Kommer family at the Oregon Coast, featuring Erin (co-owner of Berry Beautiful) with his wife Nomi and their dog, Bob and Ivonne (co-owners and parents of Erin and Joy), Joy and Matt with their children, and Tia Iris, enjoying a family gathering by the sea.

Where It All Began

Berry Beautiful began over a decade ago with a simple idea: create something pure, honest, and meaningful.

It all started on Vashon Island with Ivonne helping her dear friend, María Fé, create natural creams and herbal infusions under their brand, Vanica – Vashon Botanics. Those early days were filled with experimentation, garden-grown herbs, and a shared passion for natural skincare.

But we soon realized a recurring challenge: sourcing high-quality carrier oils.

Why avocado oil from Kenya?
Why grapeseed oil from South Africa?
Why borage seed oil from China?
Why sunflower oil from Ukraine or Argentina?

We grow all these crops right here in the USA, and we know producers who make them locally. Yet, most distributors only offer imported versions of oils we grow domestically.

That’s when the question became clear: Why not produce the carrier oils ourselves? And what oils could we produce from locally grown crops?

Building from Scratch—The Seed Dryer

We didn’t start by buying pre-made equipment or outsourcing the hard work. Instead:

Erin and Bob designed and built our own seed dryer.
We rented space on a friend’s property.
With the help of friends, we fabricated and fine-tuned the dryer ourselves.
We tested, adjusted, and learned through trial and error.

During those first harvests, Bob and Erin lived in Whatcom County for two months at a time, drying raspberry seeds as they came in. Erin would drive to farms, pick up seeds, and Bob kept the dryer running tirelessly.

It was hands-on, exhausting work—but it set the foundation for everything that came next.

From Seed Drying to Seed Pressing

With high-quality dried seeds ready, the next step was pressing. But space was a challenge—Vashon Island didn’t have any affordable spaces where we could set up a food-grade pressing facility.

So, we set up a warehouse in Tukwila, Washington.

Erin and Bob commuted daily, often working 12-hour shifts to keep the seed press running 24/7. Every step—pressing, filtering, and bottling—was done by hand with precision and care.

For eight years, we pressed every drop of oil ourselves in Tukwila, learning and refining our craft with every batch.

Erin, co-owner of Berry Beautiful, taking a selfie in front of a towering six-foot mountain of freshly dried raspberry seeds, resembling a mound of deep red sand.

Coming Home to Vashon Island

After nearly a decade, we made a big commitment: we built our own warehouse on Vashon Island in 2018.

Berry Beautiful warehouse under construction, with framing and sheeting in progress. Erin, Bob, and Matt stand on scaffolding, with trucks parked in the foreground.

With the help of Joy & Matt, Erin & Bob built the food-grade facility on the property—complete with a clean room for filling, a storage area for seeds, a packaging and mailing room, and a pressing room with just enough space to maneuver the forklift.

More Than Just a Business

Berry Beautiful isn’t just a business—it’s a reflection of our family values: hard work, integrity, and respect for nature.

Thank you for being part of our story. We’re excited to continue this journey with you, one drop at a time.

A serene moment in the Berry Beautiful garden, with a praying mantis delicately perched on flower buds.