Stay Rooted!

     
               
                              

Where did you grow up? Littleton
What was the last book you read? The Postmistress
Coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning; tea at night - with local honey of course!!
Can you drive a stick shift? Most definitely!
What is your cure for hiccups? Hold my breathe
Are you usually late or early? Ugh....late....always late.....
When was the last time you climbed a tree? Too long ago....
Cats or dogs? Dogs
If you have ever been up Mt. Washington, how did you get there? I have never been - YET....but maybe this next winter. I love winter hiking!

Hillary Tuite is the owner of Wild Oaks Farm located in Landaff, NH and sells her goat milk soap at the Root Seller. She is currently keeping very busy raising 18 goats on 10 acres of land - 2 bucks, Wreck and George and 6 milking does - Ivy, Clover, Avery, Flora, Fauna, and Gerty. She is also raising 2018 kids for milkers - Iona and Bonnie. And finally, she has 8 Goats that she is raising who are for sale or that are already sold - Charlie, Clyde, Thelma, Louise, Ingrid, Hawk, Billy and Anne .

In addition to her life on the farm she works full time for her family paint, wallpaper, and flooring store - The Paint Gallery in Littleton NH.  She first started raising goats shortly after building her house in 2011.

Her very first goat, Jenna, who was a companion to her horse sold her on goats and their personalities. She says, “Every goat is unique, just like people. I love the characteristics of the Oberhasli breed; friendly, gentle and relatively laid back.”  Interesting fact: the Oberhasli breed was listed as endangered. However, they are now listed as recovering. 
 
When I asked her what her favorite part about raising goats was, she replied, “You just can't have a bad day when you walk down to the paddock and all the goats run to see you. :)”  But, as is likely true with all farmers, she says that the lack of time is the hardest part about raising goats in that there is never enough!
 
Hillary has been selling her soap at the Root Seller since we opened our doors nearly two and a half years ago. She has a great assortment that changes with the seasons. She loves to make new scents, seeing how they will react, and what the outcome will be. 

As for the soap making process, it does take patience - anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks for the soap to be made and cured - quicker when the humidity is low, longer when it is high. Soap is cured once the moisture content has lowered, allowing it to become a "hard" bar of soap. 

When asked what her experience has been as a Local Direct Vendor at the Root Seller? She said, “I love it! Lancaster is rich with wonderful people that want to support local; that it allows for customers to come in year round and purchase locally made products has been a blessing to many area farmers.”
 
We enjoy working with Hillary and supporting her by giving her a place to sell her soap year round…and we love seeing what new scent she will come up with next. We hope that you will stop in and pick up some of her soap, if you haven’t done so already.  You will get hooked quickly!