Tomorrow Is Fall On The Farm!

It is the day before our favorite event, Fall On The Farm. I will forego sharing a recipe with you today and take this time to share about our event and my many talented friends. I am excited to welcome everyone to our farm to see our goats, share my favorite place, and introduce you to my hard-working, innovative, creative friends. It's going to be a gorgeous fall day. The weather looks perfect, the trees are in full autumn regalia, and the mood is high. We have a bit more to do to prepare for everyone, but we are 98% ready for the day.

I have a few adjustments to make to our vendor list. Sadly, Pat and Sherry, who are Broken Locust, can't join us due to a family emergency. Please send out good thoughts to our dear friends. We will feel their absence. I also have a few additions to our list. My talented friend and former student, Katie Molinengo, will be here with her beautifully scented and artistic candles. It makes my heart happy that some of my former students keep in touch with me and consider me a friend. I can't wait to see Katie.

Of course, many of my favorites will be here as well. Carlene, the kind shepherd, will be here with her fibers, socks, hats, and many other creative wool-based goodies. Grizzled Teddy will be here with their message of positivity and good-for-you grooming products. Felicia and Donovan are the sweetest couple; their message and products come straight from the heart. Ageless Iron will join us with their beautiful metal art. Jess has returned to her metal work, and I am thrilled to welcome her back to the farm. Morgan and Andy, Buds to Blooms, will be here with their all-natural tinctures, gummies, and CBD products for people and pets. I giggle whenever my beautiful friend says, "Hey, little Tina buddy!" I continue to benefit from their products and wholeheartedly endorse them. Jen, Light Shine Jewelry, will join us with her gorgeous, well-made creations. A new addition to our farm event is Vnlla Cncpt. I want to try their lemon paste with fish from AK Fish. Many more wonderful people and products will be in attendance.

Of course, the food is a highlight. We can't wait for you to enjoy everything our talented friends have to offer. We hope to see you in the morning. I gently encourage you to come early while the donuts are warm. Julia's warm apple fritters are drool-worthy! Also, I encourage you to bring a cooler and stock up on high-quality meats, dairy, and fish. If nothing else, we'll make sure you are well-fed. Below is a list of our vendor friends.

Food Vendors:

-AK Fish-Fresh Fish

-Aunt Julia's Donuts- The most amazing donuts. Ever.

-Broken Locust-Herbal Teas

-Chaganra Farm-Farm Raised Beef and Poultry

-Eden Apiary-Honey

-Lone Oak Farm-Baked Goods, Farm Fresh Dairy Products, General Deliciousness

-Mrs. Nut Roll-The best nut rolls, poppy seed rolls, apricot rolls

-Noble Stein Brewery-hand crafted beer

-Out Of The Fire Cafe- Incredible hot food, coffee, hot cider, buy-and-carry soups,

kimchi, etc.

-Truly Wize Gluten Free Bakery-safe and delicious baked goods for everyone

Artisans:

-Ageless Iron-Laser cut metal art and signs

-Buds to Blooms-CBD Oil and Delta 8 products

-Cozy Cottage Crafts-wreaths, keychains, bookmarks, jewelry

-Grizzled Teddy-Grooming products with a message

-Lightshine Jewelry-Polymer clay and epoxy one-of-a-kind creations

-Lydic's Pumpkins-Gorgeous pumpkins

-Pamela Jean Werner Creations-Hand woven scarves, shawls, wraps, etc.

-PrAiry Girl-Fiber Art

-Rooted In The Forest-Artisan Candles

-The Smiling Goat Soap Company-Goat's Milk Soap Products

-Vnlla Cncpt-Hand Crafted Vanilla Products

Lori, who is Vnlla Cncpt

We are also releasing our holiday soaps, hand soaps, and moisturizers tomorrow. Be the first to experience our holiday line of products. We will be fully stocked with our year-round inventory as well. I am excited for our soap family to experience our holiday products on the farm. It will be a very good day.

On this lovely fall day, stay safe, be smart, and come to the farm from 9 to 1 tomorrow, October 19th, to enjoy the lovely rural setting, the goats, talented artisans, small businesses, and good food. Oh, and of course, keep washing your hands.

Where:

Fall At The Farm

493 Tonkin Road

Indiana, PA 15701

When:

Saturday, October 19th, from 9 to 1

Meet A Few Of My Talented Friends

My friend Jen of Light Shine Jewelry. Isn't she beautiful?

Welcome to Thursday, dear reader. Our Fall At The Farm Event is this Saturday, and I would like to take one more opportunity to highlight my talented friends who are gracious enough to support our little farm endeavor. Welcoming everyone to our farm is our favorite in-person event. I don't open up our farm to vendors who are unknown to me. I view our event as more of a party and an opportunity to share the talents of some of my favorite people with my soap family.

I am so excited to share that one of our favorite families, the Bumgardners, will join us for our event this year. They are a delightful family. We met them at the Shaker Woods Festival as soap customers, but we forged an instant connection while staying at the same hotel in Ohio. Michelle and Paul recently opened the Cozy Little Craft Shop on Pinterest. They create seasonal wreaths, bookmarks, keychains, and jewelry. Paul and Michelle will be here on Saturday with their beautiful creations and warm, friendly smiles. I can't wait for you to meet this lovely couple. You can check out Paul and Michelle's stunning work at https://ar.pinterest.com/cozylittlecraftshop/.

My beautiful and gracious friend, Jen, who owns Light Shine Jewelry, will join us on Saturday. Jen creates faith-based, Pittsburgh-inspired jewelry and adorable seasonal earrings, home decor, and rings. I can't say enough good things about my gorgeous friend. She is so hard-working, talented, and kind. Her jewelry will dazzle you, but her warm, open personality will win you over and leave a lasting impression.

Noble Stein Brewery, located in Indiana, PA, is new to our event this year. I was introduced to Noble Stein Brewery at the Ligonier Country Market. Their packaging is what caught my eye. Although I am not much of a beer drinker these days, their brews are fresh, crisp, and deep. We are thrilled to welcome Noble Stein Brewery to the farm.

A farm event would not be complete without my friend, Pamela Jean. Pam is a weaver and artist turned flower gardener. Pam's shawls and scarves are of the highest quality, one of a kind, and classically fashionable. I have several, and I feel they never go out of style. I like to wear them casually with jeans, but can also be dressed up for a more formal look. Talking with Pam is always entertaining. Her knowledge of fiber, weaving, and design is endless.

These are just a few of our amazingly talented vendor friends who will join us on Saturday. I can't wait to welcome everyone to the farm. Please make sure to say hello even if I look busy. We love welcoming everyone to our favorite place on earth. I welcome you to see our farm, view our goats from a safe distance, sample excellent local food, and shop talented small businesses. You won't find better company.

On this lovely fall day, stay safe, be smart, and keep washing your hands. We hope you can join us on Saturday.

Be A Conscious Consumer

My beautiful neighbor, Karen, owns Truly Wize Gluten Free Bakery. Karen makes me smile even at an unholy hour on a Saturday morning at the market.

Well, dear reader, we have three days until our Fall At The Farm Event. It is fast approaching, and my enthusiasm builds. This year, we are welcoming some new friends to our vendor roster. We have a few late additions that add layers of diversity and interest. My idea for this year was to introduce you all to more buy-direct from farm businesses. After a discussion we had with a delivery driver yesterday, it reinforces the need for people to have options of where they purchase their food and the quality of the food they consume.

I advocate for the fair, kind, and humane treatment of animals. The huge agri-corporations that feed the majority of Americans have legalized the systemic abuse of animals. The gentleman we spoke with yesterday drove truckloads of chicken manure from a vast corporate farm just a few hours from here. The chickens at this farm are kept in cages inside barns, never seeing natural sunlight, never running about pecking bugs or lounging in the sun. They never experience a natural diet or the freedom to live a natural life. Instead, they are kept in cages stacked upon each other, a conveyor belt running a constant supply of food filled with antibiotics to combat the diseases spawned by overcrowded conditions, with artificial light to trick their bodies into producing more eggs than a chicken is naturally meant to make until they die a sad death or their little bodies wear out and they are sent to slaughter. Some might say, "Well, it's only a chicken."

As consumers, we have distanced ourselves from our food and its sources. We go into grocery stores and see neatly packaged rows of chicken, beef, pork, eggs, and dairy products, many never giving a second thought to the animals that provided that meat, their lives before they become consumable, or their treatment during that life. As always, I encourage you to do your research. Look into the business of corporate farms, the practices, and the treatment of the animals unfortunate enough to be forced into this life. It was a game-changer for me. I'm not saying I never buy a carton of eggs from the grocery store when I am in a pinch or refuse to consume chicken bought from a grocery store, but I make a conscious effort to purchase meat from farmers I know. We raised our own pork, and I can tell you that while our pigs were living here, they were treated with kindness, care, gentleness, and an effort to keep them healthy and happy. They lived the life all pigs should live.

I also enjoy keeping laying hens for our eggs. Many have chosen to have a backyard flock to raise, enjoy, and turn into pets. These pets also generously supply fresh eggs. I encourage you to experience the difference between an egg from a chicken raised on a small farm, which is unrestrained, eating vegetation, bugs, and farm ground feed free from antibiotics, to eggs purchased from the grocery store. There is no comparison between appearance and flavor. Farm-fresh eggs from well-tended chickens have a bright orange yolk and are very flavorful. Literally, the yolks from eggs purchased at the grocery store pales in comparison. If you don't have the inclination or space to keep your own small flock, find a neighbor who does. I see many signs at the end of driveways announcing farm fresh eggs for sale. Before I had my flock, I purchased eggs from a young man outside Marion Center. He enjoyed raising his flock and used money from egg sales to help pay for college. I consider that a good reason to support small and local.

Locally, we have several options for purchasing fresh vegetables, fresh milk, small farm-raised poultry, beef, and pork. If you have never had the pleasure of visiting Lone Oak Farm, I strongly encourage you to take the drive to Georgeville and visit them. You will find Cody (aka Cody the Cutie) tending his dairy cows, Joanie (who could be a super-model) tending her garden, Fallon and Aaron tending the store (and their adorable children) and creating the most delicious foods, as well as a beautiful store well-stocked with fresh and local products. It seriously is worth the trip. Lone Oak's chocolate milk is beyond compare.

Yarnick's Farm is down the road from our farm. The Yarnick family has been farming for decades and offers beautiful produce, canned products, meat, and poultry. They, too, have a lovely store that sells quality local products. You won't be disappointed. Those are two year-round options to find fresh, small-farm produce and meat. On Saturday, we are happy to introduce you to several of our farmer friends. Chaganra Farm will be here with their pork, beef, and poultry. I love that their daughter, who isn't much older than Jordan, will represent the family, their farm, and their quality products. AK Fish is a new addition to our roster, and I can't tell you enough good things about the fish and crab legs we enjoyed. Have a conversation with the Hilty's and learn about their fascinating story. Lone Oak Farms will be here with their vast array of baked goods, produce, dairy products, and (fingers crossed) chocolate milk.

We're also thrilled to introduce you to our friend Karen, who owns Truly Wize Bakery, a gluten—and dairy-free bakery in Greensburg, PA. Karen has been featured on The Today Show, and Martha Stewart and Al Gore approached her to provide gluten-free baked goods for gifts. How cool is that? Karen has an exciting journey. I encourage you to talk with her and discover what a warm, friendly, knowledgeable person she is. We loved being Karen's neighbor at Ligonier Country Market this year and are thrilled to welcome her to our farm.

My sweet friend, Sharon, Mrs. Nut Roll, will be here with The B-Team, Chris. We teased Chris when Sharon did not attend the market, and she was forced to send in the B-Team. Chris has an easy laugh and laid-back personality that rolls with all The Bibbed Wonder's wit. Again, I encourage you to chat it up with my warm, friendly market family. They each have unique and interesting stories to tell.

The Lydic family will be here with their beautiful selection of pumpkins. I love the Lydic family. They are some of the kindest, hardest-working folks you will ever meet. Their family runs like a well-oiled machine, and everyone lends a hand to make it work. The Lydics have a small roadside stand where you can buy pumpkins, gourds, and other fall produce. It's charming, and the pumpkin selection is impressive. Talk with them about their farming practices and small-farm-raised product options.

My goal when I began The Smiling Goat Soap Company was to create an option for people other than what the standard industry creates and claims as safe, good-for-you, and filled with God knows what. Some may say, "Well, it's just soap." If you are here, reading this, you know the difference. I thank you for supporting us, our dream, and our small family farm. I gently encourage you to support other small family farms and small businesses. Do your research as a consumer. Know how your food is raised, your products are made, and the dreams you support. We can't be perfect, but we can do better. Knowledge is vital to making better choices. Please do what you can, where you can, and help others understand they have more options than the big box stores offer.

There are only three days until Fall On The Farm. We hope to see you on Saturday from 9 to 1. I gently encourage you to come hungry, bring a cooler for all the fantastic fresh products you can enjoy, and bring a smile. We like smiles here. The weather looks perfect for Saturday. Also, the Indiana County Potter's Tour coincides with our event. I encourage you to travel just over the hill to Stoke Hole Pottery to support The Frew family and their handmade business. You can find their second location just off Philadelphia Street in Indiana. Why not make a day of supporting small, local farms and businesses?

On this overcast October day, stay safe, be smart, be a conscious consumer, support small, and keep washing your hands.