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SPECIAL feature
Agricultura Goat Getters
Scottsburg family turns goat milk into soaps, candles – and a business —By Hannah Klare Public Relations Intern “Work Hard. Get Dirty. Use Good Soap.” What an appropriate motto for family goat farmers Jim and P.J. Jonas, the founders of Goat Milk Stuff, also known as GMS. In 2005, P.J. started making her own soaps so she could bathe her kids with products she could source naturally. After good results, the Jonas family decided to start a business selling their homemade goods. “It [making goat milk products and having a family business] is very much a life style,” said P.J. “I didn’t go and see or visit anyone else about the trade. I knew I wanted to be big and wanted to be everyone’s competition.” The Jonases officially launched their business in 2008 and have since graduated from the original 3-acre residence and two goats to a 36-acre operation and a small herd of Alpines located in Scottsburg, Ind. Currently they hand-milk 19 goats but have a total of 40 at the farm. Most of the milk goes to their products; any excess milk is consumed by the family. The family of 10 works together producing and selling handmade goat milk products such as lotion, lip balm, bar soaps, “fizzies” (bath powder that releases moisture and scent into the water, creating a fizz when
wet), sugar scrubs, scented candles and bulk laundry soap. The children – Brett, 16; Colter 14; Emery, 12; Fletcher, 11; Greyden, 10; Hewitt, 8; Indigo, 7; and Jade, 5 – are homeschooled by P.J., who incorporates real-world business techniques into their curriculum. No family member is too small to begin learning or helping: Even 5-year-old Jade bags soap bars for the business. The soap is made from a mixture of natural oils, strained goat milk and lye through a process known as saponification, a chemical reaction where no extra heat is added. Every 4.5-5 ounce soap bar contains approximately one ounce of raw goat milk, cured for a minimum of six weeks and hand cut. P.J. originally spearheaded the operation, having learned soap making from her own research and testing. Her first batch was only 21 bars. Now she produces 300 bars a batch. “People don’t realize that I made soap for two years before I started the business,” said P.J. “I had a great formula. I had already made all my mistakes.” GMS has 30 regular fragrances and various limited-edition scents, such as lavender peppermint, dessert tray, and strawberry Champagne and vanilla, depending on the time of year. Since dyes are not used, natural substances like food products, oxides and ultramarines color the soap.
Some of the Jonases’ goats surround 10-year-old Greyden in the lot outside the milking parlor. Photo by Mindy Reef
Goat Milk Stuff August 12, 2013
Goat Milk Stuff & Jonas Family
“We don’t keep mistakes from happening,” said P.J., because they’ve learned that errors are bound to happen. But when such instances do arise, good customer service is key to minimizing the problem, and they handle situations quickly. For example, this past May a few customers did not receive their online orders as expected. Through a little research, the Jonases learned that the eight packages, which were valued at a total of $500 in merchandise, were lost in a truck fire on the interstate. Although they ate the loss, GMS quickly replaced all of the orders to ensure customer satisfaction. Marketing and connecting online are essential to the family. GMS is primarily-
P.J. Jonas explains her history with making soap. Logs of soap can be seen on racks in the background. Photo by Mindy Reef
The Jonas family gathers for a family photo. Top row (from left): Brett, 16; Jim; and Colter, 14. Second row: Fletcher, 11; Hewitt, 8; Indigo, 7; P.J.; Jade, 5; Emery, 12; and Greyden, 10. Photo courtesy of the Jonas family
focused on online retail. The GMS presence spreads across Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, the company website, an electronic newsletter, blogs and podcasts. However, “Word of mouth is primarily how we work,” said P.J. “People love our story and love our children.” Although craft shows, farmer markets and local festivals were the avenues in which GMS entered the
market, they now focus on getting their product into the hands of the customers directly through Internet sales. They have shipped their products to all seven continents, including a memorable shipment to Antarctica, and all 50 states. In the current facility they have a retail room, where 7-year-old Indigo is a favorite salesperson among the customers. As they continue to grow, they will likely fo-
cus on getting their product into stores. Goat Milk Stuff is named for the simple fact that P.J. and the Jonas family has big plans to continuing doing “stuff” with goat’s milk, including cheese, fudge and eventually building a learning center. As 10-year-old Greyden explained, “It’s always been goat’s milk for us.” According to the family’s plans, the future will be about goat’s milk, too.
@goatmilkstuff
Goat Milk Stuff
www.goatmilkstuff.com www.thehoosierfarmer.com