Showering to the fullest...

Rule #1: Shower daily with Harmony Acres handcrafted soap. That pretty much sums it up...however, I will add some suggested techniques that you should apply to this rule.

Technique #1: Determine the time of day and/or activity following your shower.

Technique #2: Upon achieving technique #1, apply answer to soap choice. (and you should have several bars ready for this technique...)

Basically, that is it. I will offer suggestions to help you make the wisest soap choice. 

Suggestion #1: Lemongrass Summer Bar Soap - Excellent morning bar, or for those of you wishing to stop/reduce your caffeine intake (actually it only helps because lemongrass increases alertness, not because it relieves caffeine addiction!)

Suggestion # 2: Lavender Fine Bar Soap - This one is a great substitute for chronic "sleepy-time" tea drinkers. (and there is no fear of wetting the bed!) Lavender is extremely calming, great for nighty-night time.

Suggestion # 3: Sweet Almond Bar Soap - Are you wild and crazy? (in a good, fun way...)  If you are, I do not suggest this bar. However, if you wish to be wild and crazy, then this is the bar for you! Anytime citrus and sweet are combined, great things come. When I say great things, I mean like: wild and crazy things...for example: mowing the yard on Tuesday so it will be just the right height to mow on Friday, or grilling some fish right before your big sushi night...you know, crazy stuff. 

Well, I am not sure what sushi and mowing have to do with Harmony Acres Soap, but that's what came out...hmm...I did just shower with the Patchouli Earth Bar Soap, so maybe it makes you sort of funky.

No matter which bar you choose, you are sure to be surprised.  Those thoughts that you may have had like "Isn't this just another soap company?" will soon fade and be forgotten once you get your hands on one of these bars. To prove that I am not biased, I will take off my Harmony Acres Soap Co. hat...ok, yep, they are still great bars, and, they last forever! Go Ahead, Get Smelly!

     Dale

-Lead Soap Crafter-

  real stuff.  real good.

real stuff. real good.

I tend to forget how good I have it. Although I could go on for hours about how great my family and life in general is, I am specifically referring to the products that I use to cleanse my skin. For about 2 months now, I have had the privilege of some extra work to help with the growth of Harmony Acres, however with that privilege comes "hotel life".  Life in a hotel is very interesting to say the least, but what I would like to focus on is the vast difference between "hotel life" water, towels and food verses "home life" water, towels and food. The main difference (from my experience...) is the use of bleach. I was not aware that you can drink, eat (well maybe not eat, but it's part of my story...) and dry off with bleach. Actually that is misleading, but the point is that a lot of bleach is used! One would think that after drinking, eating and drying off with bleach for two months that he/she might be rather dried out, or lacking in moisture, but not me. I have been using our products (because that is just what I do, plus I get them at a discount...) and haven't skipped a beat (or dried out...)! Life on the road, in general,  can be very taxing on your body, but I have noticed that with the regular use of our ReNew Day Moisturizer, and Sweet Almond Lotion after each shower (with a bar of our soap of course!), that my skin doesn't just break off as I am sure that it would had I not used our products. You see, most people do not have to live in hotels to experience "hotel life" in the sense that I am speaking of because it is fairly normal/common to by and use the cheapest bar of soap, the cheapest or latest bottle of lotion and the most advertised face cra..., I mean cream. Lets take care of ourselves better! We only get one shot, and we might as well smell good while we are here, especially if you are around me! Oh, and speaking of smelling good, if you ever feel left out or like no one ever notices you; then you need to try our latest deodorant: Patchouli Earth. We call it a deodorant (because that's what it is...) but it is so much more than that. Personally, I have had people track me down from the other side of restaurants, I have had people walk by me and stop dead in their tracks and wonder what that amazing smell is and many other  great comments. It's no product for the shy, unless you want to go cold turkey with the whole shy thing.

So, in case you are wondering what the "Get Smelly-Daily Routine" is, here you go:
1. Shower with Harmony Acres Soap (or take a bath and enjoy the soap longer).
2. Dry off with a non-bleach (or bleach if you want to, doesn't matter with this routine...) towel.
3. Use q-tips in ears (did I say that? I must have not read the directions, but it sure feels good...)
4. Apply ReNew Day Moisturizer lightly to face.
5. Liberally apply _________ Body Lotion to whole body (works great for bald heads)
6. Spray 2 pumps of Patchouli Earth under arms and 2 over whole body (that's why the bottle says to "get under it")
7. Go about your day! (of coure you need to get dressed, and when you do spray another round of Patchouli Earth over your head again)

Depending on when you read this, you may want to try our routine out immediately... wait until you these products in hand before you do, or you will be greatly disappointed. Luckily for you, all of our products are 25% off right now! And, it's still free shipping for orders over $39... I can't believe this is really happening!!!

          Dale

-Lead Soap Crafter-

  real stuff.  real good.

Who knows?

This is what the rest are up to..
I didn't let him complete the meal,
but he sure was proud!

Well, I have decided to title this blog "Who knows" for some reason. It's just what came to me. I think it has to do with the year ahead of us. Or, it could have to do with the goat-keifer smoothie I'm drinking at 10 pm. Not sure, but hopefully not the latter. Anyhow, this has been a very exciting year for the Emmons family. Our children are getting older, the businesses are growing and we have a very busy schedule ahead of us.  In between juggling school, and learning how to be a man, our oldest son, Keaton (13) has acquired the title "Farm Manager". His duties (which have been self-induced) include planning and preparing everything having to do with vegetables. This includes the CSA commitment and the 4 farmers markets we plan to attend this year.  He absolutely loves it, and is doing a very good job at it.  Skylar, our second oldest (12 in April) is the "Chicken Man". His duties include caring for all of the new meat/egg layer chicks. He is also in charge of the chickens that are currently laying eggs for us now. These jobs really bring out the best in our children, and it is encouraging them to think about what they want to do or be when they are older. Lots of ideas, believe me! The oldest girls are becoming little women and are turning out to be great older sisters and mom's-in-practice. Now, I say all that merely to brag. We are proud parents! As far as Harmony Acres Soap Co. goes; it is rapidly growing. We had our first big show this year. It was a 5 day show in Charlotte, and it went amazingly well! There were some great contacts made and we even made a profit after it was all said and done. Our next big event for the year is Merle Fest. We are super excited about this event, as it draws people from all over the country. If you get a chance, come out and visit, they are planning a great show this year. In June, we head back to Charlotte for 3 days for Taste of Charlotte in the city center. That should be a very exciting event as well! Sometime in October we are supposed to be in Atlanta for a 3 day festival, and another in Columbus (I think) around that same time. During all of this, we still have the Boone and Blowing Rock farmers market, as well as 2 new markets in Winston-Salem. This is going to be very exciting! Of course, we will still attend all of fall festvals, which we thoroughly enjoy and look forward to. The wholesale accounts that we have in the Boone, Valle Crucis and Banner Elk area have more than doubled in the last year, and it's already looking like it should do the same this year! Thanks to all of the awesome individuals at each of those stores that speak so highly of our products! It is very encouraging to hear all of the kind words! Farm life is going quite well here too. Our landlord just gave us access to the rest of the land here, which gives us another 40 acres or so, of very usable land. Needless to say, we are thrilled! To celebrate, we bought our first to steers and are taking the "mob grazing" approach. Already, after only 1 month, we are seeing amazing results in the grass, and the steers. A good friend of ours blessed us with some goats (you can take that however you want to...), really, it was a blessing. The diversity that goats, chickens and cows create, is priceless. We are milking one of the goats, and I know you won't believe me, but the milk taste like Jersey milk. I know, sounds like a fib, but you are welcome to come over and try it for yourself! The other great thing about goats, is they are very good at letting you know where the weak spots in your fencing are. Apparently, we had a lot than I thought. So far, it's under control...we'll see! Last on the list, but probably the most exciting and important, is that we are expecting baby #9 in August. Cory is doing amazing! She has taken a big interest in fitness during pregnancy. It's fun to see her so passionate about this. Wait, last time she was this passionate about something, I ended up being the "soap guy" (which I actually enjoy now). Hopefully, she keeps this one! Not sure if a bunch of pregnant women want a skinny, bearded guy teaching them how to be fit...?  There is sure to more exciting news to come, it just may be a while before we get to share it, who knows!

In the cattle business...

Enjoying their new grass...

We bought our first two steers today. What an exciting event to go to the sale and bid for the first time. The breed we have chosen is a cross between a Red Angus cow and a Hereford Bull. Now, that being said, the first two we bought are red angus steers...and here is why. First of all we need the experience before we get more into a cow/calf operation like we would like to. Secondly, we need more cash. And thirdly, we want to be certain that this cross finishes out well on grass as we have been told and read. These red angus steers will be close enough taste wise. Actually, as far as the taste, I am told it is basically the same as black angus. Apparently the reason these crosses are better for the intensive grazing we plan  to do, is because of the way they were bred originally, to finish on grass verses grain.  Ok, now for the way we are going to raise them. We plan on rotating them daily in front of our chickens. It is called mob grazing. Basically, you give however many cows you have enough grass for a 24 hour period, enough meaning: 60% eaten, 30% trampled and 10% left. This is a model that we found in our research, done by Greg Judy. I believe that Joel Salitin does this as well, although I am not sure if he rotates them daily or not. Either way, these intensive, rotational grazing methods not only eliminate the need for hay ( in our area), but it quickly builds the topsoil while growing some of best meat you can eat. The cows also live a much happier life, and they are much more tame. We will be rotating our milk cows in a similar manner, but we will bring them to the barn area at night so that they will stay tame for milking. This is going to be an exciting year!

Area to the left grazed, area to the right ungrazed...

The perimeter fence is three hot strands, and the fence with the yellow poles is what we move everyday.  Basically a big rectangle that we divide off, enough for a days worth of grass. No need to worry about back-grazing in the winter, but in the summer they will have a fence behind them as well...

I figured it out...

So here is a scenario: I go to the store and shop like the average American. I grab a few loaves of bread, Wonder to be exact, maybe even the wheat Wonder (if they have that). Then I head over to the pesticide laden produce and put a few iceberg lettuce heads in my cart and some potatoes sprayed with sprout inhibitors and I might even get a couple red, vine ripened tomatoes (it's January, so surely they ripened on the vine somewhere...). OK, now I have to get some dressing for all of this, so I throw in some ranch. I try to read the back of the bottle, but it's too confusing and the "natural" organic bottle is too expensive, so I get it anyway, after all, maybe all those words aren't that bad, I mean the store is for me...right? Now i make my way over to the frozen section and grab the main course for the night...Tyson Nuggets! Hey, they are on sale! Great! Oops, I forgot the pb&j, so when I make it to that isle, I find the latest in technology...pb&j in one bottle! Time saver! Plus, it's on sale! Now that I have all of my healthy stuff, time to splurge a little. Snack isle, here I come! Hmmm, so many choices...hey, i remember seeing those keebler elves on TV once, and they said they were natural, so I'll get those. Fudge covered grahams...with no expiration date! What should I get to wash this down, I know, I saw some of those little "chubby sodas" in the middle of the isle, and what a deal...only 25 cents each! That's cheaper than water! I'll take 10 of those, that should be enough to get me through the weekend, I mean I do have a bottle of Dew left over from breakfast. I almost forgot...popsicles! I saw someone getting those ones that you can scribble with, my kids will like those! And... they are on sale! I did want to get some bacon for breakfast, so I'll see if I can find any on sale...yep there is one, and it's got a picture of a farm on it with a happy little pig munching on grass! Jackpot! All of these great deals, and not only are they on sale, but I have coupons as well! So, now I head to checkout.  "Do you have your store card today?" Yes!!! More savings! "Your total is $14.96" " Would you like to donate $1 to the National Heart Foundation?" Sure! I mean, this is great! I save all this money on all of this "natural" stuff and I get to invest in my future all at the same place! How great!

Ok. well, now we are out of the scenario. Hopefully no one got offended, well, actually hopefully somebody did get offended enough to at least think. It really registered as I went through the checkout buying some batteries today, as the lady in front of me who was buying a box of Popsicles, some "chubby" soda and some candy bars for her little girl, (that should be child abuse!) was asked if she would like to donate a dollar to the Heart Association. Thankfully she did donate. It makes total sense to donate, I mean, if you shop like this, you better donate a lot, because you are investing in insurance for your future! I really hope that those of you that read this and have the thought "He needs more mercy on people, times are tough!" that you will realize that I am in these times as well, and odds are I have more mouths to feed. We need to make better choices about our foods, it IS possible and it NEEDS to be our priority to educate ourselves and to have a little more discipline. That is what we deserve, not the chemicals and the sick animals, or the sugars that our bodies can't process...

Sometimes local cost more, and sometimes real food cost more, but there are plenty of growers and farmers around that would be willing to work with you on making it doable for you! Just ask! Oh, and this is not about living in fear, it's about educating ourselves and doing what is right!

Upcoming Events...

2012 is beginning to seem very busy for us, and we are excited to say the least! First of all, we have been selected to participate in the 2012 MerleFest! That is a huge deal for us! Secondly, our products are currently in the final stages of review with Earth Fare, that's really cool! Our children are growing faster than they should, but that's ok, they are a huge help and part of all of this. Be sure and thank them as you see them, as most of you already do, for their hard work! The CSA shares are filling quickly, which tells me that supporting local, and knowing who grows your food, is becoming a priority for a lot of people! That is awesome! Tonight, after dark, in the snow, the older boys and I, went out for a sled ride behind the four wheeler. What a blast! Well worth the frozen hands. Friday the 24th of February, we will be attending a "Go Local" event here in Wilkes. It will be at: 164 Union School Dr.  North Wilkesboro, NC (*Celebration Church)
This event is not endorsed or sponsored by Celebration Church

Bee swarm...ever feel this busy?

One more last event to mention, then I need to go to bed...We will be setting up a booth in Charlotte at the 52nd annual Southern Springs Home & Garden Show starting Feb. 29th thru the 4th of March. Stop by if you happen to be in the area!

2012 Real Food CSA

CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture”. Consumers and farmers work together on behalf of each other. While the farmer is tending the earth on behalf of others, consumers share the costs of supporting the farm and share the risk of variable harvests (and also share the over-abundance of a particularly fruitful years). Membership in the CSA is based on shares of the harvest. Members are called shareholders and they subscribe or underwrite the harvest for the entire season in advance. Each project handles this relationship in its own fashion. Every farm is different in length of season, crops grown, level of social activities and price they set for their shares. CSA is not about cheap food, which is usually neither nourishing nor grown with care of the environment in mind; it is about real food! We encourage you to compare prices of a share to the supermarket's "cheap food."

We have 2 main choices for this years CSA shares:

1. Veggie CSA - $450 Veggie’s Only (May 1 thru October6)
2. Meat/Veggie CSA - $625 Veggies + 12 chickens (every other week for chicken)
no eggs/soap this year. (May 1 thru October 2)

There is another choice for those of you that just can't quite afford a full, or can't find a partner to do a share with:

3. Half CSA - $250 (May 1 thru Oct. 6)

email us at: get-smelly@harmonyacressoap.com for more information, or call us at 336-696-8060

you can also visit our farm website: harmonyacresfarmfamily.com