The transformative power of nature: A new business member profile
Research has long shown that time spent in nature is good for us, body and soul. The American Heart Association, among...
Business Member Spotlight: Island City Kombucha & Friends are a batch made in heaven
June 3, 2025
They had us at that label. One look at the branding of their Elderberry Wellness – the familiar Sand Island Lighthouse perched on the edge of Lake Superior — and we knew that Friends and our newest Business Member, Island City Kombucha, were a perfect match. So did Samantha Haertle, co-owner of Island City Kombucha. “I’d been wanting to find programs and initiatives that aligned with our company’s values,” Haertle says, “and so when Instagram pushed forward one of your posts I went on your website and knew immediately that this was perfect. And then you guys made it so easy to join and have been so welcoming, it just seemed right.”
But with Island City, the commitment goes much deeper than just a label and an Instagram post. “We know there are a lot of products out there that are marketed so beautifully but don’t deliver the quality. We want to go beyond that and deliver a premium product underneath that label.”
All in the family: (L to R) Samantha Haertle, Jamie Haertle, and Joe Haertle, all a part of the team at Island City Kombucha
Owned by a self-described family of “health nuts’’ and very passionate entrepreneurs from Minocqua, Wisconsin, Island City Kombucha is driven by a simple idea, Hartle says, “Kombucha should taste great and do good.” Their line of a dozen flavors of kombucha is brewed with a process that “is as close to nature as it gets” and fully USDA Organic.
It is that “closeness with nature” that drew Island City Kombucha to seek out a connection with Friends of the Apostle Islands. “The Apostle Islands are just magical,” Haertle says, “and they are to be protected at all costs. We would like to use Island City Kombucha any way we can to raise awareness of and support the work that Friends of the Apostle Islands is doing because it is a special place.”
Already, Island City Kombucha is turning that commitment into action by joining Friends growing list of Business Members and expressing an interest in becoming a sponsor of our Wave Watch Initiative to help keep visitors safe on the water, just like the Sand Island Lighthouse depicted on their label has done for years.
“Our commitment goes well beyond branding,” Haertle is quick to point out. “It is, quite simply, because we care.”
Find out more about Island City Kombucha on their website and if you have a business that cares about the Islands, learn more about becoming a Business Member of Friends of the Apostle Islands by going to the Support Us page on our website.
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