Our Story

                                                          

Dandelion Farms is a dream that has grown from a tiny idea into so much more! Just as the dandelion is the flower of the military child, our military family has blown in the wind and is now blooming here in our little corner of Missouri.

Who are we? We are Ann and JD, a married couple with 5 kids, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 cows, 2 pigs, dozens of chickens, ducks, quail, and even some turkeys! JD is happily retired from the Army, and Ann is a full-time-mom who has worked many jobs in her life. We had the dream while JD was still in the Army that we would have a little homestead when he retired so we could learn to be self-reliant. In learning homesteading skills, and how to replace many of the toxic products we grew up with, Ann started learning about handmade soaps.

Why soap? Soap is something everybody needs and very few people really think about. When Ann started learning about soaps, we discovered that those bars in the store are not soap, they're synthetic detergents, and they're not very good for your skin or your body. So much of what we are sold is synthesized in a lab, when it can be easily and sustainably made at home.

How is it different? We sell handmade soaps that Ann makes right here on the homestead, lovingly nicknamed Ann-made soaps. Ann has a love of pretty things, and loves to get creative with colors, textures, and scents. This is how our Oh So Pretty and Salt Scrubby bars came about. While discussing self-reliance and sustainability, Ann realized she could use  many of our homestead products, like lard and buttermilk, in her soaps as well! That is how our Basic Buttermilk (and Hard Lard, coming soon!) soap was invented. We carefully source our colors, fragrances, and ingredients from companies that use cruelty-free practices, including opting not to use certain ingredients, like palm oil, at all.

What's in it for me? You're here because you're looking for ways to make the world a better place. You want to help your family's health, help promote small businesses, and help the planet start to heal. We want to work together with our customers to clean up the planet, one bar of soap at a time. We do not use synthetic detergents, and all of our packaging is compostable, or combustible, if you prefer. We are a mini-micro business, with aspirations of growth and spreading the good word of sustainability and pretty soap.