Meet the Team

Aaron Kruger (Founder and Sales Manager)

Aaron Kruger grew up in the small Florida community of Wimauma, where the wild was still close enough to touch — palmetto thickets, citrus groves, and endless skies that seemed to hum with life. Exploring those forgotten edges of the state, Aaron developed a deep fascination with the natural world. The wilderness — and the mysterious, mind-opening experiences it offered through plants and mushrooms — awakened in him a lifelong curiosity about herbalism, healing, and the unseen relationships between humans and nature.

That curiosity soon grew into purpose. In his early twenties, Aaron began turning his passion for herbs into a career — offering herbal consultations, creating handcrafted tinctures, teas, and topical blends, and sharing the wisdom of plant medicine with anyone drawn to its simplicity and power. His path eventually led him to Sunseed Food Co-op, a cornerstone of Florida’s health and wellness movement.

During that time he became deeply involved in the evolving natural products industry — from touring the Gaia Herbs farm in North Carolina to visiting the MegaFood laboratory in New Hampshire. He promoted small local farms, supported herbal growers, and helped introduce customers to the principles of sustainable sourcing and plant-based wellness. Always on the leading edge, Aaron was among the first in the region to offer CBD products, helping bridge the gap between grassroots herbalism and modern natural medicine.

Aaron’s passion for plants only deepened over time. He continued to study the relationships between people and the natural world, drawing from both science and tradition. His journey has included independent research with renowned herbalists, immersion in the fieldwork and philosophy of modern plant medicine, and extensive study of Florida’s native ecosystems through the Florida Master Naturalist Programs. These experiences reinforced his belief that herbalism is more than a craft — it’s a dialogue between humans and the landscapes that sustain them.

From that understanding, Wild Island Trading Company was born — a bridge between the plants and the people who love them. By providing glass jars, bottles, and apothecary packaging, Wild Island supports herbalists, small makers, and natural product creators in bringing their own plant-based visions to life. Each bottle and jar becomes a vessel that carries the story of the plants — from seed and soil to shelf and hand — helping preserve the beauty, integrity, and purpose of natural products in a way that honors their origins.

Today, Aaron continues to draw inspiration from Florida’s wild places — from the coastal dunes and hammocks of the east coast to the pine flatwoods and bay swamps of his childhood. Every product offered through Wild Island reflects that same spirit of authenticity and respect for nature.

“Wild Island,” Aaron says, “exists to honor the intelligence of plants — to give them a vessel, a voice, and a way back into daily life. Every jar is part of that ongoing conversation between the wild and the human.”