07.30.08
Soapmaker Seeks New Scents
That’s the title appearing on the front page of The State Journal, Frankfort’s daily paper. Frankfort is the state capitol of Kentucky, and I attend a Saturday farmers’ market in the city, traveling about 30 miles from my own space here in Owenton.
Recently the paper decided to do a feature story on one of the Frankfort market’s vendors each week with the idea that market customers would like to know a bit about the background of those who bring produce and crafts to each week’s sale. The series has been very well received, and it appears that market sales are up as well.
This photo appeared with the article.
My week
A reporter and photographer visited my soap studio for an interview and photographs, and on July 16, an article about Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare products appeared in The State Journal. If you’ve ever been interviewed, you’ll know what an uncertain experience that is. You do your best to answer questions and provide the most pertinent information, and then you leave it in the hands of the interviewer. Later you wring your hands remembering the important stuff you forgot to say…such as your Web site address and blog address! Oh well.
Ashley Trosper was the journalist who interviewed me, and Hilly Schiffer did a great job with photography, especially given what she had to work with…me and a relatively messy studio.
When the article appeared, I held my breath. However, I can’t tell you how pleased I was. When I talk to people at a market, mostly I feel like a walking advertiser and I do not like it. I try to get across my special interest in health-giving products, but generally feel pretty clumsy at it. Ashley, however, was as smooth as silk in her article. I’ll quote bits of it here.
Here’s another photo used in the story, showing salts used in salt scrubs.
Excerpts from the article
“They call her the Soap Doctor. Sharon Lombardo, creator of Anna’s EsSCENTials, says making homemade soap combines science and artisanship.
“…It is her infatuation with skin care that motivates Lombardo to use natural oils from plants in a highly concentrated form.
“…Her soap formula has an olive oil base, which Lombardo said is extremely beneficial for the skin. She also uses sunflower, almond, coconut oils and various herbs.
“ ‘It’s partly about the fragrance,’ Lombardo said. ‘But it’s also about the healing properties.’
“ …‘You have to research a lot,’ Lombardo added. ‘It matters to me to know I’m always looking for the best things for your skin.’ “
The article goes on for a couple more columns and uses three photos. I guess it doesn’t get much better than this! Oh, and at last week’s market, I made a number of sales to people I had not talked with before. It occurs to me that this concept of writing articles about market vendors might be applicable for farmers’ markets in other areas as well.