Handmade. Farm-Tested
My name is Wendy, and my husband Anthony and I bought Crown-Mark Farm in 2013, with the idea of living a simple, sustainable life. Since I worked on a goat dairy in Colorado as a cheese maker, we quickly Alpine and Lamancha goats for raw milk and all things dairy. Then came chickens for eggs, Katahdin sheep for meat, Angora rabbits for fiber, a garden for vegetables and bees for pollination and honey. It's a full time, 24/7, no days off, sun up to sun down, in all kinds of weather job, but we love it, and are excited to see what each new day brings!
Bees and Bowls
My husband has been woodworking most of his life, whether rebuilding a wooden boat or building a custom home. After moving to the farm, we decided to get bees to help me with my allergies in a natural way, and to do our part to try and save the honey bee. Anthony was able to make all the woodenware needed and soon became obsessed with keeping his hives alive from year to year, grafting queens and breeding survivor stock. With our bees in place, Anthony built his dream woodworking shop. His hobby has become a passion, and Crown-Mark Hardwoods was created. He now has his own sawmill and vacuum drying kiln, enabling him to search the local countryside for downed trees, turning raw pieces of wood into works of art whether a bowl or a live-edge slab.
Being a Soaper
I began handcrafting soap and skincare products out of necessity. Middle age arrived and I itched, and my skin could no longer handle commercial soap and lotions. I was tired of having to dig deep into college chemistry to read a label on a bar of soap or lip balm. I began to have surplus milk, so I ordered a soap kit from Brambleberry, and I was hooked! Now I use chemistry to design soaps that will benefit you and your skin, thoughtfully combining oils and butters, carefully selecting ingredients that are organic and locally-sourced when possible. The foundation of all my soap recipes is raw goat milk from my generous herd of Alpine and Lamancha goats. My soaps are not pretty; I use the old-fashioned cold process method, and refuse to add any artificial colorants, preservatives, emulsifiers, or melt and pour bases. Any scents used are either essential oils or non-GMO, phthalate and cruelty free fragrance oils. From there, I created a line of skin care products: lip balm, hand balm, soaking salts and bath bombs, using recycled beeswax from our hives and locally sourced herbs and botanicals when possible. But most importantly, all soaps and skin care products are made in small batches in a licensed commercial kitchen right here on the farm, and tested on me and the hard working crew of Crown-Mark Farm.
We hope you enjoy our products as much as we enjoy making them!
