Basilwood Farms | An Inspiring Tour

TEXT by Amy Johnston | PHOTOGRAPHS by MARIANO FRIGINAL | STYLING BY CARRIE MOE

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—This feature is an excerpt.

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We're pleased to invite you into the world of Basilwood Farm, the loving creation of Jill Spruance and her family. Basilwood is infused with friendly energy, every part of it literally welcomes you with open arms, inviting you to join in and take part in the fun. A vision twenty-two years in the making, it's impossible not to notice the love and good cheer that infuses the farm. Basilwood specializes in raising goats and harvesting pure goat's milk which Jill and her family then craft into delectable cheese and creamy soaps unlike any other. We are invited for a tour thanks to our friend, stylist Carrie Moe, and photographer Mariano Friginal.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF BASILWOOD AND THE EVOLUTION IT HAS UNDERGONE IN THAT TIME?

Twenty-two years of blood, sweat, and tears culminated in the establishment of Basilwood Farm. We officially established as a business in July of 2010. In reality it is and always will be a work in progress because we are always looking for better ways to accomplish our goals. We are DIY kind of people in Basilwood. Most of the renovations and projects have been done in-house with a lot of research and elbow grease. When people come up for events/shopping/tours they are looking at 22 years in the making, but hey, you have to start somewhere!! It’s all a continuing adventurous process.

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WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR MAKING AND DISTRIBUTING YOUR SOAPS AND SCRUBS?

After 16 years of home educating two daughters, we were able to focus attention into other areas of life which led to a desire to utilize our five-acre parcel in a more productive fashion. So, horse pastures and round pens gave way to goat pastures and gardens. Home dairying and organic gardening led to a blessed abundance of milk and produce and the need to become more and more creative with the bounty. The path just naturally led to discovery of soap making and later into other skin care products. Our home, our outbuildings were repurposed to become the foundation for our home-based business. I even repurposed myself from teacher to soap maker!

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HOW DOES THE IDEA/CONCEPT OF BEAUTY PLAY INTO YOUR BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY?

Surrounding yourself with beauty is a definite soul filler. Our philosophy of beauty is that it shines from the inside out. We put a heavy emphasis on people here and smiles. The more we can put smiles on the faces of people, the better. There is something about healthy skin that inherently makes you feel and look more beautiful. And when you are feeling that way, it is going to spill over into your life and relationships. We also believe that utility items can and should be beautiful as well as wholesome.

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WHY GOAT'S MILK? WHAT ARE ITS BENEFITS? HOW ARE YOUR SOAPS DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET?

Goat’s milk has natural alpha-hydroxy acids in it that help to eat dead skin cells. It’s also a very nourishing and moisturizing addition to a soap. Many goat’s milk soaps are made by combining 50% water and 50% milk, and unless the maker has their own goats or access to fresh milk, it’s usually made with dehydrated milk. Our soap is different in that we use 100% of our own raw whole milk amounting to a richer, creamier product.

VISIT THE FARM: basilwoodfarm.com

ABOUT OUR CONTRIBUTORS:

CARRIE MOE, STYLIST: Carrie is a stylist and the founder of Type A Society, an event design company. The Society is comprised of a group of passionate event creatives who share a common obsessed-with-the-details, carpe-diem trait that they affectionately refer to as Type A. View their work: typeasociety.com.

MARIANO FRIGINAL, PHOTOGRAPHER: Mariano is a wedding and lifestyle photographer based out of Fresno, California, where he lives with his wife and four young children. View his work: marianofriginal.com.