Miguel Berumen

Miguel hunting herbs in Argentina

doctor were not a family custom but rather treatment by use of herbs from the garden by his grandmother.  Using methods like infusions of teas, plasters, sweat baths with herbs, inhaling herbal fumes, and other common practices were the norm of medicinal treatment from common aliments such as colic, headaches, colds and the flu. Miguel grew up with the basic medicinal kit being composed of garlic, aloe Vera, peppers, rue, calendula, fruit leafs, honey, arnica and others that he can only recall by their strong smells and tastes.

At age 4, Miguel’s whole family moved to the United States. After graduating as an electrical technician Miguel took off traveling throughout South America encountering very interesting individuals one in particular caught his attention, a renowned herbalist, Mrs. Maria Almeida from a small town outside of the city of Posadas, in the northern province of Misiones, Argentina.  Having a vast permaculturalist garden learning her craft from knowledge passed down from Guarani elders and Jesuit priests.   independently, however she always clarified it was more a divine gift than a science.  Where you build an intuitive relationship with the herb and the patient, and integrated all aspects of what makes up health to treat the patient, while educating the patient to be proactive for his or her health.   This provided to be very valuable teaching for Miguel in his health studies, teaching him and opening up his natural ability with plants and their medicines.

After months of apprentice ship with Mrs. Almeida, Miguel returned back to the United States where he enrolled in the University of Natural Healing in Orem, Utah.  After that education Miguel enriched his studies with more educators by way of people like Dr. Richard Schulze, Michael Terra and Dr. MishraIt.

Miguel was then hired and eventually managed one of the most visible and viable health and vitamin markets in California, The Vitamin Barn in Malibu.   From some of the top celebrities, multi-million dollar tycoons and your average soccer mom Miguel was a celebrated by many and thrived consulting, managing and learning the business of natural health running all operation of the store.  Desiring more and wanting to get his hands more involved in the industry Miguel connected with Darin Olien and the starting of Darin’s Naturals ensued.  Darin offered Miguel a job and supported him in a unified dream of opening up more in South America.  Miguel then moved to Argentina to support his dream. Since Darin, showed every aspect and trait as a human being that he respected and cherished, they quickly found their niche and groove seeing a void in the eco-organic scene working on sourcing and importing innovative whole foods.   They learned everything about super foods and herbs and the process from  primary producer to the consumer.  Miguel’s ability for research, learning and expertise proved to be a great complement to Darin and the team of Darin’s Naturals. Miguel was instrumental in growing great relationships with primary farmers, producers, processors, coops, organic certifying bodies, scientists expanding Darin’s Naturals into thousands of first hand relationship, developments and accomplishments with new discoveries in the supplement and herbal world no other company has accomplished at the time

As an integral partner and advocate Miguel is involved with many Latin American projects for Darin’s Naturals working with partners like Products for People, GmbH, a branch of Trees for People, GmbH owned by our German college Dr. Bernd Neugebauer.  This relationship is to support and expand Dr. Neugebauer efforts in Mayan food alchemical processes, new and ancient technological answers to agronomical and environmental  growing practices as well as  social-indigenous village structure support. A great partnership with our core values, Dr. Neugebauer  with his fervent non-stop approach to presenting these sustainable technologies as a blend of traditional and technological all enhancing local, sustainable farmers, indigenous communities and villages.

Miguel  continues to research and study further in the areas of agronomy, ecology, nutrition, with the understanding no one pill is the answer and no one way is the way.  Rather it’s a complete work done from a central nucleus which is the individual and it’s many parts which include body, mind, spirit, emotion and further more the family, environment, neighborhood and so forth all which webs to create the whole of the planet and beyond.  It’s and on going challenge but a fun and interesting one which he is delighted to continue, always inspired by the lights of such vanguards as Sensei Fukuoka, Emilia Hezelip, Bill Mollison, Teuro Higa, David Holmgren, Geoff Lawton, Elaine Ingham, and many, many more their work paves the way for not just a healthier individual but a healthier world.