Joy Lane Farm was the name of my childhood home.
It was set far back from the road with a long, dirt lane that curved through the woods and had a large front porch and swing where we would all sit as a family.
My mom loved animals, and there were always plenty around our house. My favorite was our yellow lab, Sengo, who refused to fetch and feared water. We had lots of farm animals too. Over the years, we tried our hand at chickens, turkeys, pigs, horses, and when I was in high school – goats.
The goats were mostly my sister’s and my mom’s, but on one unforgettable weekend, they left home and assured my Dad and me that under no circumstances would any of the goats who were pregnant give birth. My dad and I went out to the barn to do the evening feed and walked into the unmistakable sound of a goat in labor. He and I delivered three baby goats that night.
With baby goats came goat milk – lots of it. Our little herd were tremendous producers, and my mom didn’t like anything to go to waste. So, she began researching what she could do with all the goat milk. That’s when she learned about the tremendous benefits of goat milk soap for your skin.
It’s rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, exfoliating lactic acid, and moisture boosting fat molecules that make goat milk soap super moisturizing and exceptional for dry, sensitive skin.
As a kid, I didn’t understand the science behind it, but I knew that my hands stopped cracking and bleeding during our harsh New England winters when I started using my mom’s goat milk soap.
A consummate creator, my mom began making goat milk soap every weekend, giving it to friends, and selling it at local markets. Things started taking off when the Common Man Inn, which operates two hotels, asked for submissions from NH soap-makers to switch to a well-crafted, locally made soap in their hotel rooms.
Of all the NH soaps, my mom’s goat milk soap won! She began sending boxes of goat milk soaps to the Common Man Inn every month, and after 20 years, we still provide all the soaps for their rooms.
When my dad retired from engineering, he and my mom were ready for a new adventure. They moved to a hospital ship off the coast of Africa where my mom served as a wound care nurse and my dad served as the transportation director, managing onshore facilities and crew vehicles. Together they worked for two years in Madagascar and one year in Benin.
Before they left, my wife, Katy, and I “bought” the soap business by doing farm chores around the house, as well as agreeing to provide a lifetime of free soap for my siblings and give a portion of our sales to Mercy Ships, the organization where my parents were serving.
From the beginning, we said we would anchor Joy Lane Farm around three values, which became our mantra: Live joyfully. Do great things. Celebrate family.
When we started making soap, Katy was pregnant with our first daughter and working as a math teacher while I was waiting tables to make ends meet. On the side, we were both growing Joy Lane Farm.
Neither of us had run a business before, but if there was one thing we knew how to do, it was roll up our sleeves and work hard.
We meticulously researched ingredients and experimented with formulas, adding shea butter lotion, soy candles, and beeswax lip balm, then shampoo and conditioner bars, and room sprays.
Staying true to our roots, we centered every product on natural, non-toxic ingredients for exceptional personal care, paying special attention to customer requests, uncompromising quality, and affordability for everyday families.
Joy Lane Farm grew steadily each year. As it grew, Katy stepped back from teaching while I kept waiting tables until one day we made the leap of faith to both go full-time.
It has been a ride.
The biggest lesson we’ve learned from running Joy Lane Farm is that when you treat your customers like family, they treat you like family back.
We ship orders the way we would want them shipped – fast with extraordinary attention to detail and a personal touch.
No matter the situation – whether it’s tracking down detailed ingredient info for customers with specific sensitivities or expediting shipping for products to arrive in time for a trip - we go to great lengths to provide exceptional customer service.
More than we can say, we have been blessed by a host of customers who love Joy Lane Farm as much as we do. We read every email you write, appreciate every product review, develop all our new products based on your suggestions and LOVE every time we hear a new customer found us because you recommended Joy Lane Farm.
Thank you for your curiosity! If you’d like to hear more about Joy Lane Farm, we send out an uplifting Joy Lane Farm story from our life as makers raising four girls every Wednesday called the Midweek Spark. You can sign up here.
Give our products a try. We would cherish the chance to be your little shop for meticulously crafted, uncompromising personal care and would love for you to be part of Joy Lane Farm with us!
Warmly,
Joel and Katy
Live joyfully. Do great things. Celebrate family.