"...a piece of land and its adjascent living quarters for the smallholder and stabling for farm animals, on a smaller scale than that of a farm...usually under 50 acres. It is often established for the breeding of farm animals on an organic basis on free-range pastures...Generally, a smallholding offers its owner a means of achieving self-sufficiency as to his and his family's own needs which he may be able to supplement by selling surplus produce at a farmers market...Often, the owners do not earn their livelihood from the farm."

Swanfire Smallhold, home to the McKee-Schwenke family, is situated on 4.5 acres near Hillsborough, NC. Here we raise LaMancha dairy goats and Boer-mix meat goats, laying chickens, and grow an assortment of herbs, berries, and vegetables. We are not a licensed dairy but we do use our goats' milk to make luxurious goat milk soaps and shampoos.

We aim to farm in the way that is most healthful for the Earth, for our animals, and for ourselves. We will never be certified organic because we reserve the option to administer life-saving drugs to our animals when they are ill. However, we feed organic, non-GMO feeds, and use herbal dietary supplements and remedies to help our animals maintain their health so that pharmaceutical interventions are rarely needed. We do not spray our vegetation with any chemical pesticides, nor do we use synthetic fertilizers. Additionally, our soaps are made with 100% organic base oils and are all-natural with no fragrance oils and only naturally-derived pigmentation.

You can find us at the Hillsborough Farmers' Market year-round, and at the Southern Village Farmers' Market in Chapel Hill during the summer; or you can look for our soaps in local retail shops.