New SLO County store features goat’s milk soap, lotion and more – handmade by 2 kids
A North County family is expanding a small business that started on their farm into an Atascadero brick-and-mortar shop featuring local handmade soaps, lotions, olive oil, meat and more.
Matthew and Melissa Garrett recently opened Irish Oaks Ranch Mercantile at 7425 El Camino Real, primarily featuring products made by their children with ingredients produced on the family’s farm.
The business started five years ago, when 15-year-old Aidan and 13-year-old Emma started making their own goat’s milk soaps and lotions as part of a fundraiser to pay for feed and other supplies for their 4-H projects.
Their products became increasingly popular, especially after Jocko Willink — a former Navy SEAL and well-known podcaster and author — shared Aidan’s soap on his podcast and popular social media accounts.
“They’ve actually grown their business so much over the last four years, the online and local sales, that we decided to find them a place where they can move out of the house and make their own product,” Melissa said. “And in that process, we decided to offer our ranch-raised meats and other local makers’ products in our storefront.”
Growing a family business
The kids now make about 1,500 bars of soap a week, working between school and other activities, Matthew said. Aidan and Emma produce dozens of varieties of soap, in addition to bath truffles, lotions and more.
The kids use about 800 square feet of space in the back of the store to make their products, and the remaining 1,200 square feet functions as the retail space.
The coronavirus pandemic made 2020 “kind of a telling year” for the venture, as it gave them a way to keep themselves busy during a year of social isolation, Matthew said.
“You could mope around about not seeing your friends, or you could really build your business,” he said.
Last year, Aidan and sold about $40,000 of soap, lotion and other products, some of which went into savings, some into the business and 10% for them to buy things of their own, Matthew said. Seeing their hard work pay off keeps Aidan and Emma invested in the store, he said.
Aidan described building the store as “a pretty hard task,” but said it’s been rewarding and helped him learn about product management, marketing and more.
He used the money he earned from the business to buy part of a drone and to go on a Minnesota canoeing trip with his Boy Scout troop.
Emma said her favorite part of selling her products is interacting with people and figuring out the product packaging and marketing — “coming up with the names and putting it all together.”
She said working on the business during the pandemic was a positive experience, and she sold more last year than in the past.
“It gave us something to do other than just sitting around all day,” Emma said.
New brick-and-mortar store with local products
The new store also offers beef, pork and poultry raised on the family’s farm, in addition to clothing and products from other makers. The Groves on 41, Twissleman Trading Co., Hambly Farms and other local businesses sell their items at the mercantile on a wholesale or consignment basis.
The family also has plans to start offering classes on soap-making, gardening and crafting starting in April. They’re also considering offering sections of the store as pop-up shops for other makers in the future, Matthew said.
“We’re just really proud of the kids,” he said. “We all have choices to make. They could either sit behind the screen or move forward.”
