We make an assortment of home-made, small batch soaps and products. Some use our own essential oils and hydrosol, distilled from plants grown on our rural, historic farm located in Inman, South Carolina. We sell seasonal produce and pecan nuts, grow fresh herbs primarily for use in our soaps. and create natural home décor.
We have lived in the Upstate since 2002… wow, twenty years! We both were born in Ohio and moved to Florida during our childhood. Donnie and Michelle met in college and navigated Michelle studying abroad and eventually moving to Orlando before we once again landed in the same town. Both of us worked for Walt Disney World while living in the Orlando area. After getting married, we relocated to the Upstate. However, Greenville-Spartanburg was not an unfamiliar area. We spent lots of time here visiting family over the years and had grown accustomed to the beauty of the landscape and hospitality of the locals. We felt like we would fit right in. It was the right move and an ideal place to raise a family. We cannot imagine living anywhere else.
Michelle’s grandparents lived in an 1880’s farmhouse in N.E. Ohio, which was part of the dairy farm they once operated. As a matter of fact, her grandmother was born in the farmhouse. When her grandparents were married, her grandfather moved into the home so her grandmother could stay there and help her parents. It is very nostalgic and romantic to think of one person living in the same house all their life. Michelle’s grandmother knew no other home. The “farm” holds a special place in her memories. There is nothing like going to grandma’s house. Even helping with the laundry was special. No one did the laundry quite like her and no one’s smelled quite like hers. How could she make the simplest meals taste so good? As an adult when Michelle would visit, grandma would always make her favorites from scratch but insist on grandpa taking us out to dinner at least one night. Ironically, grandma hated to go out but always thought it was a treat for us. We would do anything just to have another one of her “simple” meals.
We think what is missing with several of today’s products. Simplicity! So many products have fillers, chemicals, and harmful dyes… things that harm and irritate us rather than clean and nourish. This is where we can assist you. Donnie has already developed and tested products that will not only clean and moisturize your skin but do so naturally and simply!
We often think about grandma wanting the best for her family and not feeding us “junk” that was not good for us. Sure, we had desserts, but they were homemade with berries or apples fresh from her little “orchard” and she controlled the amount of sugar and fats. She made the best fruit preserves and have come to realize it is because they tasted like fresh fruit. If she knew what was in the store-bought soaps, it is likely she would have been making her own
When Donnie started visiting the farm, he grew to adore these grandparents. When grandpa smiled and told Michelle “You got a good one there”, they knew that was the best blessing one could ever receive. Grandpa showed Donnie around his special work areas with such pride. They were both tinkers and do-ers, both full of ideas.
R&D Background
Donnie is a chemist and process engineer with a background in food and pharmaceutical development and scale-up. He has worked in the soap and cleaner manufacturing industry for the past 7 years, developing and testing products. He has always dabbled with home-made soaps on the side because we find the store-bought products to be harsh on our skin.
There is a special advantage to a chemist making small batch, natural soaps. His experience in formulation helps with creating recipes while understanding the properties and benefits of the various oils; how well the bar will lather, condition, and last; which oils work best to target specific issues. He fully understands how to properly test ingredients for quality and consistency and the importance of these tests. Most importantly, he understands how chemical reactions work so he can modify and adjust ingredients as needed to ensure a well-balanced bar of soap with every batch.
We use food grade and pharmaceutical grade ingredients in addition to growing our own herbs for distillation, to ensure that the material going into our products is the highest quality and to offer a safer, premium product.
Donnie spends a lot of time researching and evaluating our soaps and processes because he personally uses this soap, his children use it, his friends and family use it. It is more than a business… it is an extension of our home and farm that we have elected to share with others, which has manifested into a small business. It is our hope that you will be as happy with the product as we are. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
How our Farm Began
In 2019 we had the opportunity to purchase an 1885 farmhouse on a small farm in Inman, South Carolina. When we toured the house, we felt it was “home” and were very nostalgic for our grandma’s house. As we began some simple restoration projects, we began to learn more about the home’s story. The original property was known as “Smooth Acres” and was in the same family from 1810 to 2003. Over the decades, many nut and fruit bearing trees were planted. In honor of the property’s rich history, we have decided to call our products Smooth Acres Finest.
Many of our own herbs and produce our grown in our on-site greenhouse. We then distill the herbs to create our own essential oils, hydrosols, and unique blends. Some of our soaps use fresh products that are grown right on our small farm. We believe it is important to use the land as efficiently as possible with the least amount of impact to the soil while maintaining healthy vegetation with the least amount of chemicals.
After the arrival of a small flock of sheep, we began to incorporate milk into some products, offering two distinct lines: all-natural vegan and all natural with sheep’s milk.
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