By Melissa Wynn
When Wendy DeOcampo first got her mini Lamancha goats her plan was to get some goat’s milk and maybe make some cheese. Mini Lamancha goats are a cross between a standard Lamancha and a Nigerian dwarf. This popular mid-sized breed is recognized by the Miniature Dairy Goat Association (MDGA) and is a favorite for first time goat owners. These adorable little goats with tiny ears are well known for their docile, even temperament and a steady production of fairly high butterfat milk which Wendy would learn makes a lovely soap.
The lactic acids in goat’s milk are alpha hydroxyl in nature which allows them to clean the skin in an exfoliating manner without burning the skin like the chemical acids found in non-natural soaps. The rich fat content in the cream gives Meadow Valley Botanical’s soaps their natural moisturizing properties that keep customers coming back for more. Rich in vitamins D,C B1, B6, B12 and E make for a healthy glow as the soap feeds your skin every time you wash.
Wendy tells MVL “I bought my first does (female goats) already bred and a few months later I had a steady supply of milk. The quest for everything goat milk began! It started with cheese and the creativity grew from there. I watched a lot of youtube before I felt brave enough to try soap.” With some good old fashion work and the help of her dedicated family, Meadow Valley Botanicals was born. Like Wendy says “I absolutely could not do this without the help of my family! My husband Jeremy does the heavy lifting! Moving & stacking hay, building shelters, putting up fencing and helping chase the occasional escapee. I have three teen daughters Kyla, Meadow & Abra – they help with anything I need help with- from farm chores to packaging to helping with markets, a family affair to be sure!”
Meadow Valley Botanicals offers a wide variety of hand crafted herbal infused goat milk soaps, herbal infused goat milk lotions, bath bombs, herbal tea blends, herbal tinctures and healing salves. All products are made with Wendy’s mission statement in mind. “Meadow Valley
Botanicals was created and is driven by a passion and love for sustainable living as well as a desire to create health and wellness through plant medicine and natural products.
Our gardens are carefully tended and produce a variety of botanicals that we use to create our unique products. What is not grown on the land is respectfully and sustainably wildcrafted from the surrounding forest. We seek to create beauty & harmony through care of the land and self love.”
Wendy offers her lovingly made wares online at etsy.com and through her Facebook page www.facebook.com/pg/meadowvalleybotanicals. Locals can find their favorites at Crescent Country in Crescent Mills and Pet Country at 362 Crescent Street in Quincy as well. Wendy loves to create custom flavors and orders and is happy to offer gift baskets this holiday season starting at just $25.
Soap flavors one can mix and match include lavender & oat, rose, lemongrass, sandalwood, charcoal & tea tree, peppermint & rosemary, rose, patchouli/lime, a popular green clay facial beauty bar, calendula, lemongrass, unscented (extra gentle for sensitive skin) and special seasonal scents for the holidays like the fun witch’s brew (sandalwood, cedar, amber & vanilla) and Autumn spice (nutmeg/cinnamon). Creamy lotions can be lemongrass, rose, lavender /cedar, coconut, almond, gardenia, sandalwood, unscented or ask for your own custom blend. Tea blends to add to your gift basket can include Moon Goddess made of raspberry leaf, lemon balm, rose, spearmint and lavender, Easy Sleep Tea from lemon balm, catnip, chocolate mint, skull cap, lavender, chamomile and California poppy. Wonder-full Woman Tea is a local favorite made from nettle, damiana, tulsi, calendula, lemon verbena and horsetail, a mineral rich blend for a strength, vitality & beauty. Throw in a Flower Power bath bomb or two, Calendula, rose or lavender, to fill her holiday bath with the scents of summertime. Healing salves make a great stocking stuffer for the hardworking man on your list, made from local beeswax and a blend of herbal infused oils.
Wendy would like to invite our readers to attend her Meadow Valley Botanicals holiday
open house on December 8 at 6626 Bucks Lake Road, in Meadow Valley from 11am to 4pm. Enjoy a chance to meet the goats that make the magic. Sip some cider and shop for your favorite scents. Questions and orders can be sent to Wendy by email at windydawndeo@gmail.com or give her a call at 530-927-7344 to see what is new or to place a custom order for that special someone on your holiday list.
