OLD HOMESTEAD SOAPS AND LOTION

By Angela Green, BGSU intern

While Ashley Siferd, a junior at Cory-Rawson High School, has recently started up her own business, called Old Homestead Soaps and Lotions, selling goat milk soap and lotion she has been around goats her entire life.

"My family has had goats since my brother was four," she said. "I was born into the goats. We had a farm tour for Hancock County and we had to have activities for it and that's when we started making stuff."

Siferd and her mother, Teresa, tried out different recipes for goat milk soap and lotion but the one they eventually stuck with was one Siferd's aunt got from Martha Stewart.

Siferd is completing her Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) for Cory-Rawson's FFA this year as an entrepreneur project and thought she would use the business she had already started. After working a certain amount of hours to complete the SAE, Siferd can fill out an application for an American Degree from the state.

Even though Siferd started the business her sophomore year, she thought she would use it to count towards her SAE.

"We helped her with the starting costs," said Teresa, "but she's pretty self-sufficient now."

Once Siferd has milk from her goats, the only tricky part of making the soaps and lotions is waiting.

"You melt all the oils together and then you stir milk in with lye," explained Siferd. "You have to wait for the oil to get to a certain temperature and then the lye has to get to a certain temperature and you mix them." Next, she pours the soap in molds for 24 hours and then waits for the soap to cure for two weeks, which makes the lye safe for skin.

"The lotion you can make right away," said Teresa, "while the soap has to cure for two weeks so she has to keep a closer inventory on the soap."

With 21 different soap scents and 25 different lotion scents, Siferd has been to the Bluffton Farmers Market at least seven times. Siferd gets many repeat customers, especially if they have skin problems since some people believe goat milk has healing powers. Customers also find out about Siferd by word of mouth, and she has customers as far away as Arizona.

Siferd is also able to say that her business has gone international. A friend's grandmother got a friend from Columbus to try the products and she is planning to send some to family living in Hungary.

Customers also help Siferd in choosing scents.

"People ask for certain scents," said Teresa, "and some customers leave comments on her website about which ones work for them."

Siferd's goats helped her get to the 4-H National Congress in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been in 4-H for nine years and was one of 500 students chosen to attend. Three other students from Hancock County and 27 total from Ohio went to Atlanta for five days filled with sessions, speakers including Miss America, dances, and a trip to the Georgia Aquarium.

Siferd was chosen from the dairy goats category and she was able to hand out samples of her soaps along with her businesses card.

Siferd's website (http://oldhomesteadsoaps.weebly.com) lists all of her products as well as explains some of the advantages of using goat milk products. It also provides contact information.

A four oz. bar of soap is $3.50 and a three oz. bottle of lotion is $4. She also offers gift baskets and the prices vary depending on what customers want to put in it.