This manuscript details research done in both the field of organic chemistry, in particular the realms of total synthesis and biorenewable chemicals. The first part describes the chemical synthesis of naturally occurring compounds. In particular, the preparation of two analogues to natural product salvinorin A is described. Additionally, the synthesis of a new and effective antimicrobial compound is discussed. The second part details the preparation of chemicals from biobased sources and will focus on the large-scale preparation of chemical intermediates, not from petrochemical feedstocks, but from biobased sources. This includes the preparation of alpha olefins, as well as precursors towards terephthalic acid.