About Ziggy

And I'm Haley

 

I kind of fell into Horticulture...... 

When I started researching crops I had a top 3 contenders  that I spent a lot of time and energy on, I wanted a crop that had challenges and mass potential. The top pick was saffron, mostly because of it's medicinal qualities. I spent months researching every little thing about it from growing to culinary to medicinal qualities.

I started to realize that saffron wasn't very well known and very under utilized. I became infatuated with the therapeutic properties and decided that I had to grow it. Time was passing rapidly, it was close to Autumn. I couldn't find any corms for sale online, until I checked out trusty old trademe.

I bought 10 corms off a hobby grower, they arrived in marginal condition with a bit of green mold on some. A few with cavities in them, I wasn't that stoked with the quality of them and they had started sprouting. I planted them and crossed my fingers. Surprisingly they grew well and produced the cutest flowers ever! the vivid colors and contrast between the red, yellow and that striking purple.......  

The scent of the stigma was not expected, the tiny red threads had so much punch I couldn't believe it. Fresh cut sweet hay is the only way to describe the aroma. 

From then on, I was hooked! I visited a New Zealand commercial grower and asked a billion questions then put in my order for the new season ahead.

 

I started growing saffron with the aim of one day developing a product that was natural and could help people.

First, I started Ziggy Ardor the horticultural & culinary side of the business, it was important to bring saffron to the public eye as a food before introducing them to it as a therapeutic plant. I infused Saffron into Tawari honey so people could experience the taste of saffron without being scared to use it. Everyone knows how to eat and cook with honey and it's been the perfect carrier for the saffron. Ziggy Ardor even won a silver and bronze at the New Zealand Food Producers Awards with the Saffron Tawari Honey.

The next step was to get literature reviews done on Saffron's medicinal qualities, before developing DD Ardor Bioceuticals and my first Saffron based product Happy Head.
It's been a 7yr journey to get to this point, whilst moving regions and working fulltime.

I personally suffer from anxiety and don't like synthetic medications; I wanted an alternative to help support me with the symptoms of anxiety. so this has been a no brainer for me, and I know many people who battle depression looking for alternatives.

The Earth has everything we need on it, we just need to find it! there are medicinal plants across the globe that have been used since BC as ancient medicine. With the help of science we now have the chance to prove that ancient civilizations had it right, some of the plants and herbs they used have therapeutic properties. It's now our job to utilize them properly. So that's what I aim to do!

Haley