If you love buying local products and supporting our small business economy — you should visit 2 Farmboys.
This wonderful family-owned and operated goat farm and soap-making company is located right here in our talent-filled valley. 2 Farmboys Soap is created in a ‘soap shed’ in small batches on the Cummings farm in Heber. The business sold its very first family-made, goat milk soap at a local market in 2016 and has been selling and growing steadily ever since.
The Cummings family includes; JR, Colleen, Wyatt, and Kash. JR and Colleen have been married for 22 years, and in 2008 were able to move to JR’s family homestead that his great-grandfather established as a farm in the early 1900s. After the passing of JR’s mother, the farm laid dormant with no signs of life. The Cummings decided to get back to their roots and revitalize the farm for their two young sons in hopes that doing so would teach them valuable life lessons that only running a farm can. The pride, joy, and hardships of honest, hard work, and the importance of preserving small farms and agriculture have been a valuable part of the farm-life experience for the tight-knit family.
The farm began to come back to life with the addition of cows, chickens, a horse, and even a peacock or two; however, as Colleen states, “no farm is complete without goats.” They fell in love with three goats after ‘borrowing’ them as weed eaters in 2014 and decided to purchase them as permanent members of their small farmstead.
The boys were 12 and 9 when they added taking care of the goats to their chore list. They happily took on the responsibility of caring for and milking them every day, and each spring they also help deliver the kids. Today, the farm boasts 11 lovable goats, including their buck, Tank, a LaMancha breed, whose been with them from the start.
Once they had the goats, they had to figure out what to do with all the milk they were getting. A friend mentioned to Colleen that goat milk soap was popular where she lived and convinced Colleen to start making soap for friends and family. With no experience in the art of soap making, the family watched many YouTube videos to get them started. It was a long process of trial and error and it took nearly a year to produce the perfect bar of soap that the whole family could be proud of. By the time they had the best, final product, all the family members knew how to make the soap and that has ensured that there will never be a low supply. Hashtag teamwork.
GET YOUR SOAP & FARM FIZZIES SHOP ONLINE
Enjoy free local delivery in the Heber Valley. Or call 435-654-8511 for shop times. In the summertime, look for their booth at the local Farmers’ Markets!
Soap making is not a fast process but after years of making it, the family has a pretty efficient soap system down. First, the goats need to be milked every day from April to October (with a break during the winter). The milk is then frozen to prevent scroching from the lye. The lye slowly melts the milk and then it’s time to add colors, and/or essential oils. Once this process is complete, the mixture is poured into molds and set on a shelf to ‘cure’. In four to six weeks the bars are ready to be packaged.
The soaps are all-natural, made by hand, and packaged by hand. Small batches ensure the quality of the product and all the ingredients are food grade; safe and gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin. Goat milk is naturally rich in fat, vitamins, and minerals, all of which help to prevent skin damage and keep skin radiant.
The family has found soap-making to be a great creative outlet and has experimented with different colors, molds, and fragrances. They carry artisan and natural soaps as well as Farm Fizzies (bath bombs), shower steamers, and holiday products. The business also offers custom creations and loves creating special soap favors for weddings, and products for company swag. Colleen states, “We have fun artisan soaps as well as an essential oil product line available. We have something for everyone!”
2 Farmboys wholeheartedly believe in serving the local community, especially the agricultural community, by giving back as often as possible. They love supporting the local Midway Farmer’s Market and sell there during the summer. The boys are part of Wasatch Highschool’s FFA program, where the eldest son, Wyatt, is the president. They participate in a variety of agricultural education activities with the elementary schools. They, as a business, have gone to preschools, kindergartens, and community events to help promote agriculture, teach about goats, and talk about soap making. At times they have even had several foreign exchange students visit the farm. The whole family is passionate about teaching where food comes from, how to create a business from the land, and the importance of donating products to school events and charities.
Even though the 2 Farmboys Soap will be down to 1 when Wyatt leaves for college, the family still has plans to expand the ‘soap shed’ and have a store where anyone can stop by and purchase their amazing soap and other carefully crafted products. Colleen and JR both have jobs that they will retire from in 5-10 years and will be able to devote more time to the business and plan on selling at more markets. They are hoping to create different products as well and are currently experimenting on goat soap lotions and by request: goat milk lip balm!
For a valley as small as ours, (not as small as it used to be!) there are so many amazingly talented family businesses that deserve local support. We, as a community, have so much potential to keep our businesses thriving and able to stay in our beautiful valley for future generations. It may take a little bit more effort on our part, but the beauty is that you can have your product the same day if you shop locally. Amazon can’t beat that! The businesses are out there, and now you know of one more: 2 Farmboys Soap!
WASATCH HIGH SCHOOL Rodeo Team annual fundraiser
The Farm Boys are members of the team AND THEY ARE fundraising to help OFFSET FEES. If you’d like to donate to this great group of kids, click here!
