Emerita (e-MER-ita) is a woman-owned company that's been in the business of serving women over 40 since the 1970s.

It began as a family business, which youngest daughter Sharon MacFarland took over in 1983 at the age of 23. Since then Sharon built it into Emerita, a leading national brand of natural wellness products for women.

In the early days, the company marketed natural menopause products through the Transitions For Health catalog and through physicians' offices. The catalog even appeared in an episode of Sex & the City.

Then in the 1990s, the company's flagship progesterone cream Pro-Gest was introduced at natural food stores, launching a whole category of natural wellness products for women over 40. Since then, Emerita has expanded its offerings to include sexual vitality and skin care products, as well. Emerita products are now sold in natural food stores across the country, including Whole Foods Markets. They're also available through numerous online retailers and physicians' offices.

Emerita has long been a socially-responsible company that's respectful and empowering of its employees, operating in an open and collaborative fashion. It also has a long history as an advocate for women, valuing education about women's health issues.

The company funded clinical research studies on progesterone cream. It helped found Women in Balance, a national association for women's health that works with government, women's health organizations, physicians and consumers to promote research and education on midlife health options for women. And for many years, Emerita maintained a staff of physicians to provide educational information about menopause for consumers. Emerita's Women's Institute physicians published educational books and pamphlets and numerous white papers and web articles. They also personally answered tens of thousands of consumer calls and emails.