In West River, Kimberly Hyland isn’t kid-ding around. She has taken her love of goats and goat’s milk to create her own business, Gray Goat Soaps. Kimberly handcrafts small-batch soaps made with love, care and the special ingredient — fresh goat milk from her farm.
“I was always interested in animal husbandry, but never saw myself farming full time. We purchased our first goats as a source of fresh milk for our family, but — as every farmer knows — it’s very hard to keep small herds of goats small,” says Kimberly who raises and milks the goats. “As my herd grew and we had excess milk, I began experimenting with making goat’s milk soap, which quickly became an obsession and then a business requiring the purchase of yet more goats. Now we have over 40.” In Maryland, there are more than 3,000 dairy goats.
When Kimberly purchased the goats, she didn’t intend for it to become more. “I never really made a decision to start a goat’s milk soap business. I started making soap, and gifting it to friends and family,” she says. “My mother-in-law liked the soap so much that she encouraged me to try selling it. With a little encouragement from both her and my husband, I set up a little stand at our local library and it grew from there.”
Kimberly says that almost all of her soaps have some sort of health intention behind them. The Oatmeal & Manuka Honey soap is perfect for soothing sensitive skin. Charcoal Peppermint is a bestseller, ideal for purifying and refreshing. Jewelweed Soap offers relief to gardeners and farmers prone to poison ivy exposure. And, Colloidal Silver Soap supports skin barrier issues like fungal infections and rosacea. She also makes goat milk shampoo bars, wet shave soaps and solid dish soaps as an alternative to traditional products. For the Christmas season, she has a selection of holiday-scented soaps. And, she makes specialty bars using unique ingredients like bison tallow and royal jelly.
During the holidays and year-round, she stresses that it’s important to support local businesses. “I personally find that purchasing from local markets and makers fosters a greater sense of belonging in the community. In my experience, healthy producer/consumer relationships between community members foster accountability, trust and even a sense of security within the community,” Kimberly says.
What began as milk for her family and gifts for friends, Kimberly’s goats have given her something to bleat about.
Hungry for more? Read more about goats. Groom a goat at the Maryland Zoo. Find a fun winter activity.
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