WHAT’S UP, BUD? Wonders of Nature owner Chris Buske aims to provide affordable, quality CBD/hemp products.

Wonders of Nature is a newly opened Eau Claire retail shop that provides affordable, high-quality CBD/hemp products sourced from family-owned organic farms. When you step inside the shop in Building 13 of Banbury Place, you a greeted by owner Chris Buske, a smiling, knowledgeable man standing at a counter with a display of the handcrafted, small-batch, CBD oils, topical salves, and premium hemp flowers. There is even a charming jar of chocolate chip cookies handmade by Elder Valley Farm.

Buske – who has a background as a medical massage therapist, has personal experience with herbalism, and watched his mother suffer from migraine headaches – said opening a retail shop was something that “evolved over time.”

The mission for Wonders of Nature is to stand apart from other retailers selling CBD – also known as cannabidiol – a non-psychoactive derivative of the hemp plant. “I believe that cannabis and products made from CBD oil are truly medicine for the people,” Buske said. “As such, it’s my mission to continue to provide high-quality, farmer-sourced products at an affordable price. When these medicines have a high price point, it takes them out of reach for those that really need it. No matter how good you claim the product to be, if it’s not affordable to people it’s not medicine for them.”

Ultimately, Buske said, the purpose of the business is to help people. “I am in it for the right reasons: to introduce and educate people and make the product attainable.” Buske follows three basic rules when it comes to the products on his shelves: “I approach herbalism the same way I approach food. Know your farmer, know their practices, and know the quality of the product.”

To support his vision, Buske has partnered with three family farms in Colorado. Buske’s background in massage therapy impresses a particular awareness when it comes to his business. “An important part of this is to stay within your scope of practice,” he said. For example, he is not in the practice of prescribing a specific blended oil for a particular symptom. Instead he explains that the relationship with CBD oil is a personal experience and that he is there to educate customers as they explore the type of positive effects and potential benefit the oil can provide.

Because the industry and the product is new to people, Buske found that there are no set guidelines to follow when opening a retail shop that focuses on these types of products. As a licensed hemp processor through the state Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Buske has worked with city officials to understand a lot of the unknowns. His goal for the future is to get involved with policy and continue to work closely with city officials to better understand procedures for business owners, consumers, and the community.     

Wonders of Nature • 930 Galloway St., Building 13, Suite 14 • (715) 497-8740 • Find it on Facebook