Compiled by Huckleberry Press staff
Jessica Reece has long dreamed of owning her own farm. Her dream became a reality in 2018 when she claimed her part of her great-grandparent’s original homestead on Kelley Hill in north Stevens County. With far more determination than knowledge, she and her husband Billy jumped right in and began raising an assortment of livestock with their two sons, Nathan and Austin. “The learning curve was pretty steep, and still is at times,” says Reece. “Every season brings a new challenge and I love it.”
Not only does she love the rhythm of the seasons as she farms, she has come to deeply appreciate the importance of ensuring all resources on her farm are put to good use. Reece states, “Historically, hog butchering day has always been a soap-making day on farms across the country. It all fits together, really. The first season we butchered 11 hogs, I had so much lard left over that I knew we needed to use it mindfully.” Reece had long been interested in soap-making and decided to give it a try, with all the lard she had from the harvest.
After a few months of trial and error, Reece found her groove and has not looked back. Beyond the goat’s milk she gets from her herd, a central ingredient to her soaps and creams is the tallow (fat from an ungulate) and lard (fat from omnivores) sourced from her farm or locally. “I appreciate being able to utilize the whole animal when it is harvested,” Reece says. “Just like the Native Americans who have traditionally used every part of the animal, I have come to see it is respectful and a way to honor the animal. It is also just a good way to farm.”
All of her hard work and dedication has paid off as Reece is now the proud owner of Sissy’s Mountain Magic, a business that specializes in making soaps and whipped-tallow creams that are ethically produced and “good for your skin.” The move from farmer to business owner just made sense to her. “Making soaps has always been on my bucket list,” Reece explains. “When I actually got the process down, the product was so amazing, I knew I had to share this with people. Honestly, it was just too good to keep to myself.”
Reece peddles her products at as many local craft fairs as possible. She loves interacting with her repeat customers and hearing about how the product has improved their skin. “Two of my best sellers are a specialty face cream infused with a beneficial botanical with skin healing properties,” Reece says. “The cream itself is very soft and helps with frown lines and acne scarring. The other is called Rough Spot cream and it is infused with different herbs and is mixed with several conditioning oils. It is great for cracked knuckles, eczema, psoriasis. Really, the magic is in that the composition of animal fats, which are close to the composition to our own skin, so our own skin readily accepts the oils and fats especially well. Way more so than other soaps that are plant-based. This kind of soap is just not found everywhere.”
She also has her products available at three Stevens County businesses: Weeks Outfitters in Kettle Falls (soap and whipped-tallow creams) as well as the Wild Wind Apothecary (goat milk soap) and Eclectic Dragon (whipped-tallow creams) in Colville. Her products can also be ordered through her Facebook page, Sissy’s Mountain Magic. “I am still small enough that I can fill special orders quickly and meet the needs of my individual customers alongside maintaining a delivery schedule to the business I sell to,” Reece notes. In addition to the soaps and tallow-whipped creams, customers can also purchase her newest product, goat milk dish soap. This is a hard bar soap made from goat milk, tallow and coconut oil and is usually used with bamboo-based scrubbies. “It foams up beautifully and cleans really well. The best part? It doesn’t have any plastic packaging at all!” Reece enthuses.