Beginnings - Julia's Story

The Smith Farm story begins with my experiments with a series of natural and organic ingredients to make soap and body lotion I felt good about using.   Or, to be honest, it began the day before, during a walk in the woods at the farm. I had been thinking about my career and wondering if I could be doing something more fulfilling. What kept coming to mind, was an interest in creating skincare products, specifically natural ones. Being a bit of a skincare enthusiast, I had recently been concerned with the long list of unrecognizable ingredients on the products I used every day. Inspired by my walk, I decided now was a good time to give it a try.

Then I started thinking that maybe I could make this my career – starting an all-natural skin care line.  Excited by this idea, I phoned my sister Rebecca (Becky) who had just given birth to her second child.  In a fog of “baby blues”, she said she thought it was a cool idea but doubted I could live off peddling home-made lotions.  She suggested I just make them for myself and family and keep thinking about another more lucrative career option, (such as house flipping a new idea she was currently eagerly researching). Both of us had always exhibited entrepreneurial tendencies and had always known that our dream career would mean working for ourselves and preferably together.

Undaunted by big-sisterly skepticism, I researched theory, practice, formulas and natural resources.  I then searched the community for ingredients, having no difficulty in finding silky smooth goat’s milk and rich sweet honey, beeswax, fragrant rose water and delicate almond oil. 

After scrubbing down the kitchen from top to bottom and investing in a new set of cookware, after much trial and error I came up with a lotion that sank into my skin, leaving it soft, smooth and lightly scented.  I was pleasantly surprised that it resembled commercial products but without using any of the questionable ingredients that I read on their labels.

A Sisterly Project

Sharing my discovery with the rest of the family, everyone (including Becky) was impressed and supportive.  After further experimentation with soaps, and more testing on family and friends, I was greatly encouraged by the  overwhelmingly positive feedback.

At this point, worried that her younger sister might take off on this exciting new career venture without her, Rebecca jumped into the project.  With two heads working better than one, we forged ahead, starting work on other formulas – for lip balm, hand cream, face lotion, toner and body balm, to name a few.

That was a year ago, committed to our now joint dream of creating a natural feel good product we haven't looked back and are still navigating our way through this new and exciting world.

Which brings us to the present.  Becky, with a background of graphic design, created our 'look', and designs all our promotional material, labels and web site. She is also instrumental in testing each new product and giving me brutally honest feedback so that each Smith Farm product is the best we can make it.  I keep busy with production and experimentation with new formulas.  I'm always thinking about new products we can create, and how to do so with only ingredients that I know are safe and feel good about using.

We put our heads together to come up with packaging solutions that are practical, eye-catching yet environmentally friendly.  Our brother Justin helps us with inventory and distribution, and other family members provide support, encouragement and many good suggestions.

Why Smith Farms?

Our family farm, located in a predominately agricultural setting in Western Quebec, has always been an important part of our lives and upbringing.  From the time the three of us were very young, there were memories of weekend stays when we arrived tired out from a week of school and work to enjoy the quiet solace of its fields and woods.  Long summer holidays filled with endless play with the animals, hide and seek in the hay mow, swimming and riding horses or  bicycles along dusty country roads.  Perhaps those idyllic days had a lasting effect on our hearts and minds; it seems like a natural progression to be there now, producing products evocative of a simpler, gentler lifestyle.