We were lucky to catch up with Sara Church recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

When I was pregnant with my first child, I started being more health concious. As I went on a hunt for natural skincare products to use on myself and my growing family I couldnt find anything that had simple ingredients that I could understand. Everything was greenwashed and with ingredients I couldn’t even pronounce. I decided I would make my own. I started making organic sugar scrubs and sold them to friends and family. With so much positive feedback I offered them at a craft show, sold out and knew I was going to pursue this as a career. I started studying herbalism and learning the power of plants which really intrigued me. As I began sourcing herbs I quickly realized the difference in quality. That was when I decided we would start an organic farm and produce our own ingredients. The quality of our ingredients are unmatched. We grow our own herbs, produce our own goat’s milk and lard for our soaps. We focus on regenerative practices to leave our land better than how we found it. We are also able to provide our community with healthy nutrient dense meats through these practices.

Sara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

What began as a mission to create non-toxic skincare products for our family, has blossomed into much more over the years. Founder, Sara, started making natural products at her kitchen table in 2016 while pregnant with her first child seeking a healthier lifestyle. Authentic herbal methods are the heart of our skincare products, where we use whole plant matter and infuse our Certified Naturally Grown medicinal herb into organic oils and butters for a minimum of eight weeks.

The dream didn’t stop there. When Sara and Brian purchased Sara’s childhood home they began cultivating a sustainable farm with the goal of growing and raising as many ingredients as possible for the skincare line but also to feed their family and the community with nutrient dense meats.

With a deep passion for farming and transparency, Willow Moon Farm offers an entire line of non-toxic herbal skincare products, organically raised Kunekune pork, chicken, eggs, plants and specialty flowers. We saw a need in our community for organically raised meats, we wanted to be that option. We implement regenerative practices on our farm, ensuring that we are working with nature, not against it, and leaving our land better than how we found it for future generations. Willow Moon Farm is proud to be the first and only farm in Frederick County to be Certified Naturally Grown.

We also offer quality pork producing stock from our Kunekune herd along with Nigerian Dwarf goats for other farms and homesteads. For more information send us an email- [email protected]. When you support our small farm you are supporting ethical farming and a family business, thank you!

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I started this business with just a thousand dollars from my savings account from selling my car while pregnant with my first child. I knew the smart thing to do was to grow with a little bit of nothing and not drop a bunch of money into it resulting in debt. The business has grown organically while raising 3 kids. I know pursue it full-time while still raising my children but also having help with the kids.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Farming is the hardest thing I have ever done. Producing our ingredients is not an easy task but we felt the need to take this into our own hands to have the highest quality ingredients possible in our skincare line. In turn this sets our products apart from other because of the freshness, equals more effectiveness. We do not take raising animals lightly, they are handled humanely and regeneratively on our farm which is no easy task. Rotationally grazing requires moving electric fencing and animals often. Feeding and water over 100 animals twice a day takes it toll during the extreme temperaments.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.willowmoonfarm.com
• Instagram: @willowmoonfarm
• Facebook: Wiilow Moon Farm

Image Credits

Hannah Keller Photography