Shelley McClean, Naava Koenigsberg, and Alegra LinkSilver City MainStreet is acknowledging downtown businesses that have persevered during the COVID pandemic with Downtown Silver City Strong awards. The awards are a way to say thank you to businesses that have worked hard to stay open and find new and creative ways to operate. Silver City MainStreet is grateful that they are located downtown. 

Thanks to a generous donor, Silver City MainStreet is able to give each business owner an award plaque. The latest recipient is Bear Creek Herbs. 

Naava Koenigsberg, owner of Bear Creek Herbs outlined what her business has been going through, “In the spring of 2020, when mandated public health COVID-19 restrictions were implemented across the country, we at Bear Creek Herbs made sure to let our state government know that our community counts on us for many of its vital healthcare needs. We received essential status and have been able to remain open consistently.  

We were fortunate to receive a grant from Silver City Main Street to install Plexiglas sneeze guards and make other modifications to our shop. This allowed us to let customers into the front section of the store during the summer and early autumn,

In November, when the Governor implemented a two-week lockdown, we went back to doorway-only service.  Despite the frustrations of having to communicate through a barrier, with traffic roaring by, we have decided that to preserve the health and safety of ourselves and our customers, we will continue to maintain at-the-door service only, at least until Grant County is in the yellow status for case counts.

One of the major challenges we have encountered is the lack of availability of certain products. We pride ourselves on the fact that over half of the herbs that we carry, and the majority of the overall items that we sell, are from local sources. We also prioritize purchasing American grown and manufactured products, yet we still rely on the worldwide herbal market to provide many of our ingredients.   

The market for herbal products has been especially volatile this past year. Availability has been hampered by multiple factors including crop failures due to extreme weather events, manufacturing slowdowns due to rampant illness and lockdown restrictions, import and transportation restrictions, domestic distribution slowdowns, and increased worldwide demand.

The upshot of all this is that we have fewer products available, prices have skyrocketed, and it can take up to two months to receive the items we order. We expect that the spotty inventory will continue for the foreseeable future. 

As we are unable to count on many of the herbs that we are used to using, we are taking this opportunity to learn even more about the ones that we do have access to. Rarely is there only one plant that can be used in a given situation.

Getting to spend more time in the garden has been one of the few joyful side-effects of the Covid situation.  Our home garden and greenhouse have been converted from vegetable and herb production to almost exclusively medicinal and culinary herbs, as we attempt to grow some of the plants that we are unable to acquire in commerce.  

All of us at Bear Creek Herbs are honored by the trust that our customers have placed in us all these years. We beg your patience as we continue to navigate the challenges that the coronavirus situation brings both to our business and to ourselves, and commit to serving you for as long as we are able.  It is our mission to always hold open a space for healing. We have the utmost faith in our community to come together, to care for each other, and to face the future with courage, love, and compassion.”  

Please remember all the small businesses and support those working so hard to keep downtown and Silver City diverse and vibrant.

Please take all health and safety precautions for yourself and others in our community by wearing a mask and social distancing. Our community health as a whole depends on working together, and small businesses are the lifeblood of the Downtown Silver City economy. We want to make sure they continue to stay successful while maintaining appropriate public health safety measures.

The mission of Silver City MainStreet is "To encourage a vibrant, historic downtown Silver City which is recognized as the heart of our diverse community." Please visit our website, www.silvercitymainstreet.com to learn more.