Today we’d like to introduce you to Lianne Crawford
Hi Lianne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Initially I wanted to provide my family with a healthy source of milk, so the easiest way for homesteaders to start is with goats. So I got us a goat, but none of us could stomach the taste of her milk! I couldn’t let all of her milk go to waste, so I researched ways to use the milk. In the mean time, I was searching for safe and healthy products to use for my children with sensitive skin, that was also eco friendly (less plastic use!). I came up on goats milk soap, so I taught myself how to make it which led to developing my own recipe for soap, and then lotion, using skills I’ve learned as a pharmacist!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The hardest part is getting the milk! Getting up early every day, maintaining a clean milking station and equipment, making sure my goaty girls are healthy and happy is a lot of work! During peak milking, I get about a gallon a day from all my girls, which adds up really quick if I’m not proactive about using it. I have a dedicated fridge in the garage just for milk storage and it gets full very quickly!
Also, developing my own recipes takes a long time. With both my soap and lotions, I spent months testing out my recipes, changing one thing each time I made a batch before I was happy with my end product. People are always surprised how much my soap lathers, especially from a bar of soap. But that is due to the ingredients I use.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Petite Reverie Farm?
Professionally, I am a pharmacist turned hobby farmer. I bring my knowledge of how to compound medications and how to comply with good manufacturing processes to create clean quality products. In pharmacy school, I used to dream about one day owning my own little farm and creating my own products out of home grown herbs and materials. It didn’t seem like an real possibility at the time, but with full support from my husband, we made my little dream a reality! While I specialize in goat milk soaps and lotions, I also make tallow lip balms and herbal balms during the summer. My number one goal was and is to help my family reduce their exposure to unnecessary chemicals that are present in so many things we regularly use. My other goal was to make products gentle enough for my 7 and 4 year olds with sensitive to skin. Right now my products can be found at Shoemaker and Hardt, an adorable coffee shop in downtown Wylie, and at The Wylie Urban Farm and Market, just opened on Stone Rd in Wylie.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.petitereveriefarm.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063939664881
