Our Little History

Milk and Honey Soap began in the Winter of 2004-5. After a summer of milking goats and raising bees for the first time, I was looking for a way to support my goat/bee “habit”—how could I make these creatures pay for themselves? After all, they eat a lot, the goats need their own house, sometimes they need to see the vet ($$$), and we like to feed them that expensive organic stuff.

One fantasy was to make goat milk ice cream sweetened with honey and sold out of a goat-pulled cart that would be driven through the Santa Fe Farmers Market, surrounded by throngs of children, of course. Isn’t that a great idea?? But selling dairy products requires compliance with pretty serious and involved Health Department codes, and I wasn’t up for that. How about soap?! An elegant way to use both of my small farm’s products--and the discovery of beautiful artisan soap molds sealed the deal. From there, a commitment to use only essential oils for scent, no dyes or coloring, and an emphasis on local ingredients was a natural priority. Then a friend made sweet lotion bars for holiday gifts (using candy molds), and I borrowed that recipe and poured the melted liquid into my molds—masterpieces!

I have since enhanced the lotion bar recipe to include locally grown organic calendula flowers to infuse the almond oil, and my customers’ devotion to the product is the rest of the story. I was accepted to vend at the Santa Fe Farmers Market in June of 2005, and my business has thrived ever since. This website came on line around January 2007, so now the friends and family of Santa Fe residents, as well as strangers the world over can enjoy my products.

Who are we?

Daven Lee, founder and owner. Ok, that’s me, so I’m just going to speak in the first person here. I fell in love with goats during my childhood in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee. Although my first goat (Sprout) only lived with our family for a short time, I was smitten (see pic on my Farm Life page). Now living just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, I have my own sweet little herd. I have two adorable children and I spend all my free time (and money) pursuing my love of figure skating!

Jackie Higginson, (pictured with granddaughter Maya) is the friendly face you’ll meet in my booth at the Santa Fe Farmers Market.  She has founded and been a part of  several amazing ventures: she started Tonantzin Folk Art, an importing business, spending time in Latin American and Mexican markets and working with cooperatives; opened and ran Café Los Ojos here in Northern New Mexico; and, after buying land on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua, became involved in Building New Hope, a non-profit based in Granada, Nicaragua.  While working with them, she helped start the first Café Chavalos, a business owned and run by former street kids.   Now she works with me!  Her three granddaughters will be helping out in the booth this year as well.

Steve Wall is the beekeeper who keeps me stocked with 5-plus pounds of beeswax every week during the Farmers Market season. He has also been a beekeeping mentor to me—I’m really just guessing my way through this beekeeping stuff, and he’s the real expert. He says, “I started beekeeping about 12 years ago. I was given a hive by a landscaping client of mine, started reading and going to beekeeper meetings and just got hooked. I kept splitting hives and buying hives; now I have about 50. When I'm working with the bees I feel connected to the earth, the way I felt when doing horticulture. It feels real. It also feels important, like I'm a steward of the earth. It also feels good to sell a product I believe in; something natural and renewable.” His elegant, sculptural candles, as well as his honey and blocks of beeswax are always on display at the Farmers Market and can also be ordered by contacting 505-989-1197 or @ stevewall@newmexico.com.

Heather Gaudet is the farmer who grows the most gorgeous organic medicinal calendula flowers I’ve ever seen. They turn the almond oil I infuse with them a rich deep golden color and they’re grown on her farm in Peñasco. You can often find her at the Santa Fe Farmers Market surrounded by white 5 gallon buckets filled with sweet pea flowers in jeweled tones of purples and pinks. She is also a beekeeper and sometime goat-raiser.

Taza is our “best goat”—the gentlest, calmest and most easy-going of the girls. She is my son’s best friend, he likes to say. Taza came from a good goat friend, who accurately described her as having an almost human quality. When you look deeply into her eyes, you know it’s true—great thoughts and feelings of compassion are in there. We love her so!