Sweet Vitality

For JAMIE FINCH, elderberry syrup goes beyond just her business, Elderberry Syrup Mamas – it’s a staple in her family life. 

Back in 400 B.C., Hippocrates called the elderberry tree his “medicine chest” due to its abilities to treat a variety of ailments.  

“Today, we derive the same benefits, targeting inflammation naturally with our handcrafted elderberry syrup,” says Finch, who owns Elderberry Syrup Mamas.  

Though Finch first integrated the elderberry syrup into her life as a customer, she says the benefits quickly became clear. 

“Out of all five kids, only one time, one child has needed antibiotics, and it was for topical use,” Finch says. “Obviously, that’s not only elderberries, but compared to watching so many of our friends and their kids get ear infections and other sicknesses, I see that there’s a strong immune system aid here.” 

The unofficial germ season has begun with school back in session this fall, and Finch says her children are generally protected from a lot of illnesses their friends contract.  

“My kids might be sick for a day or so, when someone else with the same sickness who isn’t routinely taking elderberry syrup is down for a week or more,” she says. 

Though the business has seen a few other owners, Finch has run Elderberry Syrup Mamas on her own since 2023 – that is, with plenty of help from her family. 

“There have been mamas before me, and they’ve all brought their own spin on it,” Finch says. With two of the company’s teas named after a previous owner’s kids, Finch is honoring Elderberry Syrup Mamas’ beginnings while making it her own. 

Her addition of skincare products, including magnesium cream, soaps, and lip balms, has  become a staple in Elderberry Syrup Mamas’ catalog. While these items offer alternatives to chemical-heavy products, they also precede Finch’s role as a business owner. 

“I had been making these soaps all my life, but once adding elderberry, it made all the difference,” Finch adds. She noticed the products absorbed quicker and attributed anti-inflammatory results to the berries’ addition. 

Finch has also worked to expand the company’s reach. When she first hopped aboard the elderberry train, Elderberry Syrup Mamas’ items could be found in seven stores. Today, her products are available in twenty-nine wholesale stores. 

Finch also serves as a Girl Scout troop leader and teaches virtual public school classes. 

“Education is at the center of the business,” she says. “While I’m still teaching school, I have added this other educational venture to my plate, now with a focus on wellness.” 

In turn, you can find Finch, or one of her family members, ready to talk about elderberries and all their benefits at various farmers market events.  

At an Elderberry Syrup Mamas booth, offerings like the Elderberry Lumen-ade, created by Finch’s daughter Lumen, prove just how vital her family is to the business. 

“At first I saw the markets as a safe place where the kids could come to work with me, but then I saw them working with people, and really caring about the business,” Finch says. “I couldn’t do it without my family.” 

She says several customers have found additional benefits from using the elderberry products, with one customer using her elderberry magnesium cream as a sleep aid. 

“He kept coming back and saying, ‘I feel like it can’t keep working, but it just does,’” she says,  

adding that she has a handful of repeat customers who prevent migraines with elderberry. 

All of the elderberry products can be used daily, she says, and the syrup dosage can be increased in the case of sickness.   

“You don’t need very much of it,” Finch says. “The typical dose is a tablespoon a day for an adult and a teaspoon a day for a child.” 

Finch plans to keep Elderberry Syrup Mamas a small, family-run business, providing wellness and education to the surrounding Wilmington area.  

“Because there’s such a variety in Wilmington, we have a really unique mix of people we meet,” she says. “With both visitors and locals at the markets, I’m able to bring elderberry into my community, and then build customer relationships with people from all over at the same time.” 

To view more of photographer Daria Amato’s work, go to dariaphoto.com

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