Holiday Greetings from Evening Shade Farms
December 2008
Greetings,
These chilly fall days fill my
thoughts of a time long ago growing up
on a remote Arkansas farm. It was this
time of year when preparations were made
for butchering hogs. The entire family
was involved. Aunts, uncles, cousins,
and hogs, made the journey to my
Grandmother's house for a week of
butchering, sausage making, salting and
curing hams and bacons, and rendering
lard for soap making. Big cast iron
pots, filled with chunks of pork fat
were heated on open fires and rendered
down, strained and readied for soap
making. Into the hot grease we added the
lye solution stirring constantly,
keeping the fire stoked until the soap
thickened.
We made our own lye from wood ash.
Our lye hopper was a wooden V-shaped
affair lined with straw and put under
the eve of the house to take advantage
of the rain and snow melting off the
roof. The hopper was filled with wood
ash and as the water leaches through, it
makes a concentrated lye mixture. We
would test for strength by putting an
egg in the bucket and if it bobbed to
the top we knew it was ready. The
finished lye was stored and a new bucket
was started.
The lye making was my chore, and I
better not get distracted or be fickle
because our families depended on me for
their yearly soap supply. It was the
only soap we had, and used it for
everything. We all had responsibilities.
The equation was simple and basic. We
all worked together, adults and children
alike, because our lives depended on it.
It taught me many important principles
that I cherish and live by every day of
my life.
Counting the generations of soap
makers in the family, we are upon the
sixth generation. Sounds European
doesn't it? Granted, my humble
beginnings have evolved into something
quite wonderful and skin nourishing.
Throughout my career as a soap maker,
ideas and visions for new products have
sprung from nature. These instincts have
served me well and were especially in
play this past year. Travels through
Costa Rica's ginger laden
lands, extracting rich golden honey from
our bee hives, and finally the discovery
of a Prickly Pear patch growing in a
small rock outcropping here on the farm,
was the inspiration for creating three
new and wonderful soaps for this Holiday
Season. I've slipped each one into a
pretty organza drawstring bag making a
practical, elegant and affordable
solution to gift giving.
Zoi, my trusted and faithful Austrian Shepherd and I are getting on in years. She and I have both slowed a
bit and I must be looking old as friends and customers inquire regarding what they would do for Evening
Shade Farm (ESF) products if I were to retire. Members of my family are apprenticing with me to learn the
art of soap making so the tradition will continue. As far as retirement, that little dream was wiped away last
week, along with the Stock Market, as some of you might have also experienced. Interesting times! So, I go
back to my beginnings and am thankful for all I've learned and the ethics that have been instilled. I feel much
gratitude to you, and also to my forefathers, and hope I've made both proud.
The decision has been made to eliminate the mailing of our annual Holiday Catalog next year. If you would
like to have it mailed, just let us know.
Our Catalog can always be downloaded from our website.
Workshop and other event schedules will be listed on the site.
All of us at Evening Shade Farms send our warmest wishes, and hope your days are filled with
many blessings.
P.S. Please come join us for our 7th annual Holiday Open House, Dec. 13 & 14.
(Dec. 13 from 10 am to 4pm and Dec. 14 from Noon to 4pm. Hope to see you there!)
Our special holiday offerings this season include:
Costa Rican Wild Ginger Soap . . . . . . . .
Tangy ginger warms and stimulates
lack-luster skin, leaving it feeling
nourished and soft. The spicy aroma
makes for a delicious holiday scent.
Each bar weighs approximately 3.5
ounces. You can mix and match
varieties. $4.95 each
3 bars for $14.50
Raw Honey Soap . . . . . . . .
This soap is the ultimate
moisturizer. The Amber and Bergamot
oils incorporated in this rich,
creamy bar are beneficial for
problem skin and is especially kind
to sensitive skin as well.
$4.95 each
3 bars for $14.50
Prickly Pear Soap . . . . . . . .
This might be the first you've
heard of Prickly Pear gel for skin
care, but it won't be the last. All
parts of the plant are medicinal. I
incorporate the inner flesh of the
leaves in this fresh, clean smelling
formula. Gently cleanses oily skin
and conditions and refines large
pores. Provides soothing relief for
troubled complexions. $4.95 each
3 bars for $14.50
Annie Clark, photographer and artist, has spent the past year, capturing the essence of our farm. She has
created a series of beautiful and strikingly unusual photo notecards of random farm scenes. A set of four (4)
notecards with handmade envelopes and descriptions on the back.
Set of 4 Notecards: $9.95
per set
Gallon jars filled with fragrant
Lavender flowers lined the porch this
summer, infusing the powerful essence of
Lavender oil. Of course, my intention
was to turn this into a Lavender Soap
and Pillow Spray. Lavender is one of the
most natural and effective ways to
reduce stress as well as induce a
restful sleep. The end result turned out
more beautiful than I could have
imagined, as described below.
Lavender Soap Bundles . . . . . . . . $5.95
Two purple, marbled bars (4
ounce) come tied and labeled with a
silver cord.
The perfect gift for only $ 5.95.
Lavender Pillow Spray . . . . . . . . $8.95
Spritz a little Lavender Spray on
your pillow, or refresh the whole
room with this calming and
refreshing Spray.
Lavender Gift Set . . . . . . . . $15.95 Each gift set includes a Lavender
Soap Bundle and Pillow Spray topped
with a pretty chiffon ribbon. $15.95
each. (FYI: This is a perfect gift
set for a bride- or mother-to-be!)
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