Tom Newmark is vice chairman of the board of New Chapter, Inc. of Brattleboro, Vermont and a co-owner of Luna Nueva Farm in Costa Rica. Both New Chapter and Luna Nueva are certified organic to NOP standards, and Luna Nueva also holds the distinction of being a Demeter-certified Biodynamic spice estate. It is at Luna Nueva that New Chapter has perfected the cultivation of organic turmeric and ginger, which are prized components of many of New Chapter’s formulations. Tom is a committed environmentalist. He is a founder of Semillas Sagradas, the Sacred Seeds Sanctuary in Costa Rica dedicated to protecting endangered medicinal plants of the neotropics. This sanctuary is one of the new world’s largest and most comprehensive sanctuaries for endangered plant species. He is also a founding member of the International Sacred Seeds Project, which is creating a network of Sacred Seeds Sanctuaries in the United States and throughout the world. Tom is the co-author of the books Beyond Aspirin (2000 Holm Press) and The Life Bridge (Herbal Free Press 2002). He and New Chapter’s founder Paul Schulick are proud parents of Zyflamend, one of the world’s most respected herbal formulations. In Tom’s distant past life he was a trial attorney, but even way back when his clients reflected his commitment to progressive causes. He represented the Animal Legal Defense Fund, representing the river otters of Missouri in an attempt to prohibit underwater trapping, the Natural Law Party of the United States, attempting to obtain the inclusion of its presidential candidate in the 1996 presidential debates, and the Enlightened Sentencing Project, supporting the right of Missouri judges to sentence youthful drug offenders to meditation as an alternative to incarceration.
 
Health E-Insights: What excites you most about New Chapter?
 
Mr. Newmark: The opportunity to uplift the human condition while at the same time healing Mother Earth. It is simply the best of all worlds—every day is a new chapter in personal and planetary healing.
 
Health E-Insights: Has the recession changed how you do business?
 
Mr. Newmark: No. Our core principles drive our business practices, and the core principles don’t change. 
 
Health E-Insights: How do you continue to find inspiration in your work?
Mr. Newmark: I have the privilege of working with amazing people with imagination, drive and heart. My colleagues inspire me. The thought leaders in our industry are some of the finest people I have ever met, and the opportunity of learning from these visionaries is hugely inspiring. Finally, I have the joy of working with my daughter, who runs our sustainability department. Seeing the world through her fresh eyes and serving the planet with my children in my heart are perhaps the most powerful inspirations of all.
 
Health E-Insights: What would you do if you weren’t in your present position? 
 
Mr. Newmark: I am deeply committed to preserving biodiversity and am one of the founders of the international Sacred Seeds Project. I expect in years to come to devote more and more of my energies to that cause, together with service to other non-profit organizations.
 
Health E-Insights: In what direction do you see the supplement industry moving?
 
Mr. Newmark: Greater focus on sustainable solutions, which will manifest across the entire supply and distribution chains.  
 
Health E-Insights: What’s your secret to keep healthy and in-shape?
 
Mr. Newmark: I spend more and more time at Finca Luna Nueva, our spice farm in Costa Rica. Walking the fields and forests is one of my greatest joys and my wife and I try to do that as much as possible. And I of course enjoy New Chapter supplements.
 
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