The Winters Moon story all grew out of a life style for my family and a journey that began with goats over 30 years ago. I’ve always loved goats – oh, ok, I’m addicted to all critters! I had fallen in love with dwarf goats when visiting zoos and started researching their background. For several years I kept hinting to the family that what I really wanted for Christmas was a pet pygmy goat. Finally Santa heard my heart whispers and the quest was on. We discovered that goats are herd creatures and they are not happy by themselves so my one goat wish became a two goat wish. Then we discovered how few goat kids are available in December so my stocking that year was filled with the receipt from a goat breeder that I had my pick of his spring kids. That winter was filled with the excitement of building what my neighbors called the Taj Mahal for goats. Our set up is really not that fancy, but folks were often not use to goats being given more than a rope and a stake out or, at best, a pasture filled with cows and other farm animals. That spring we brought home two wonderful bouncing kids and our journey began!

Then we made a trip that would forever change our lives. We went to an official sanctioned show of registered pygmy goats that was being held in Pennsylvania. The day was included as part of a family vacation and thankfully we had not taken our goats as, though they were registered, looked nothing like these extremely short, wide, muscular little goats who were so obedient in the show ring! That weekend we bought our first show quality goat and, having no carrier with us, brought him home on the lap of two excited girls in the back seat, with a pamper (on the goat, NOT the girls) to protect them and the car.

We spent the next 15 years traveling to several states each year showing goats and building a very nice herd of competitive pygmy goats. Sandee, my oldest daughter, and I even got the Dwarf Goats started into the NC State Fair and served many years as Superintendants for the Dwarf Goat Shows each year. The goats were great for the children’s 4H projects! (For more 4H ideas with the goats email me for a copy of ideas we have ready to help make the 4H experience with dwarf goats even more fun!). As my daughters grew up our interests began to move out of the show ring and in to more practical use of our goats. After much research as to goats that could offer us potential for better milk and more capacious mammaries with teats that are easier to milk while still maintaining a smaller size goat, we discovered the Nigerian Dwarf goats and added them to the ever growing herd. Then in 1997 I read an article in “Countryside Journal” about Dwarf Nubians and we decided to enhance our quality and quantity of milk even more by adding them to our goat lineage. (Enjoy pictures of the family and the goats in the “goat journey” section of the site). I remember early on in my goating experience a wise, much more experienced goat friend, told me never to “count heads” in the herd but rather to “count hooves”. It doesn’t take long for this valuable teaching to sink in when you are trimming hooves and being vigilant in the care of the herd!

Regardless of the goat breed, the goats have given us special gifts that we believe need to be shared with others so they might also experience the joy and pleasure of these wonderful little creatures. In this hustle-and-bustle world, it is easy to miss out on the things that are really important – things like the love, sharing and simple pleasures derived from our dwarf goats. Today there is a term called “biophilia” which literally means the “love of living things”. It describes what scientists believe are our inborn needs to connect with plant and animal life. Scientists are now recognizing that nature offers not only an outlet for recreation, but also a ticket to joy and inner peace, a remedy for stress, and a possible cure for burn out. Funny, isn’t it – the scientists are just beginning to understand what critter owners and gardeners have known for a long time.

OK, I’m rambling, so back to the gifts that the goats have given to us … first, they have probably saved many lives since I would be stressed to the max, go out to the goat pens and sit at the picnic table with them and feel the stress leave as they offered their unconditional love! One homesteader puts it very well when she says “people need to be more goat-like: functional, fun, and adaptive!” For us, the gift of their milk is of course very important. However, their gifts go much deeper into our lives than just the milk. How wonderful is the gift of their warm fur snuggled against me as I feed up and enjoyed their kisses and nudges for it to be their turn for scratches. There is nothing like the gift of inner peace and joy that flows through me at milking time. They seem to enjoy the hymns that I end up humming at milking time even without thinking – it is as much a part of the milking time as the rhythm of warm fresh milk flowing into the stainless steel can. How much laughter bubbles up as we watch kids jump and turn and twist like their little bodies are made of rubber and need lots of stretching to grow! Best gift of all from the goats has been the friends all over the country as we connected through goat clubs, goat shows, and on the internet. Goats are herd creatures and they certainly gift us with teachings about the importance of those friends, family, and community life.

As we began to learn more and more about the fantastic qualities of goats milk and especially the soap, we decided to learn more about the age old craft of soaping. We were already growing most of
our own herbs and our goats have thrived on a more natural, organic way of life. Our crafting began as a hobby for our own use and for gift giving. As we shared our soaps, hand and body lotions, bath salts, and other herbal delights with our friends we began to get pleas for more. We absolutely never tire of hearing folks tell us how once they try it they cannot use any other soap. It makes a difference in the way their skin feels and they like the knowledge they are doing something good for their skin, and they love the natural fragrances available in our products.

Our goat milk soap is a product of a chemical process called saponification which occurs when acids (in the form of vegetable oils) are combined with an alkali (a solution of sodium hydroxide and water) and produce a mixture of soap and glycerin. This soap, referred to as “cold processed soap” takes about four weeks to cure (air dry). When the goats milk soap is ready, we shave it into small pieces and add more herbs and essential oils and fragrances to create a pour over solution using the best quality glycerin available. This creates a slippery substance that makes bubbles and makes us clean and smells great! Exactly which oil and herb blends we use and the recipes we have perfected are our family secret, but we have given enough information on our list of soaps available to help folks select one with herbs and oils that they will enjoy.

Did you know that many of the store brands of “soap” are not really soap at all? Look at the label next time you are in the store. On many, the word “soap” is nowhere to be found. The products are often labeled “beauty bar” or “deodorant bar” because they are synthetic detergents. That’s why our soaps do not dry your skin but, instead, help skin to retain its natural moisture.

We use herbs and oils in our products because of the helpful benefits as well as the secrets of plant aromas. Today people are very aware of aromatherapy benefits both emotionally and physically. Since the sense of smell plays a significant role in overall good health, it makes sense that we should surround ourselves with what makes us feel our best. When essential oils are applied externally they are absorbed by the skin and carried throughout the body. The oils can actually penetrate cell walls and deliver nutrients to the inside of the cells. (You can check out our soaps and other products in the soap journey part of the website. A printable order form is available at the end of the brochure to make sending an order easier)

Our vision is to keep moving forward on our journey down the many twists and turns that appear as “life happens”. We definitely intend to always keep the focus on a special place for our family and friends to come and enjoy the goats, the gardens, as well as our herbal products. This journey has given us the opportunity to educate ourselves more about the benefits of herbs, sustainable ways of life, and to help pass that knowledge along. My personal vision was that when retirement caught up with me, this “old goat” would jump my work day fence right into the goat milk soap business. (I always said I wanted to wear out instead of rust out!) It is even more enjoyable for me since my family is all part of my life journey. Already we have three generations with soapy hands! Jim and I help our two youngest daughters by babysitting Caden (going on 4) and Colby (going on 2) so our journey vision is being kept alive as a family journey! And to think, all I ever wanted was a little pet goat!

Jim and Gloria Winters (better known as Pops and Mema)