LOCALadk Magazine

Summer 2016 LOCALadk Magazine 56 LOCALadk Owner and operator of the Adirondack Fragrance and Flavor Farm, Sandy Maine Leadership program and became certified as a wilderness guide. Fun fact: She excelled in outdoor cooking and makes a mean blueberry quick bread. In class, she was one of two women. The other was Anne LaBastille, who became a well- known author while living in a remote cabin in the Adiron- dacks. Sandy remembers Anne as a real nice wilderness girl who wore finger nail polish. After she received her certificate from NCCC, Sandy led moth- er and daughter trips from Massena. Some of her favorite back country hikes are around Cranberry Lake and the High Peaks. Many people hire Adirondack guides during the summer sea- son, but the guiding business declines in the winter. Sandy was determined to earn a living in the Adirondacks year round. This self described creative and ambitious person explains that she woke up one morning and said, "I could make herbal soap." She found a book on soap making in a local bookstore and read it cover to cover. Hauling buckets of water up from the river behind her house, she experimented with soap mak- ing in a little bread box. "I started with $15 and grew and grew and grew. It got so big, I didn't even have time to go camping." In the early 1980s, Sandy Maine emerged into the natural soap scene when it was a young field and made popular by the evolving mindsets of the 70s and the back to the land move- ment. Natural and organic were new buzz words. The market for natural soaps made with sustainable ingredients as op- posed to chemically manufactured ones was growing. Sun- Feather Natural Soap Company had a humble start with equal- ly humble ambitions. One of Sandy's consistent goals has been to create good products for her clients. The first step was to grow and source some of her own fragrances and ingredients. That step began in her own backyard. She grew the fragrant herbs in her gar- dens. Sandy's success has been self taught but has its elements of trial and error. She has a natural talent for blending scents. She has studied books and has also authored books. One ele- ment of the soap making process that appeals to Sandy—and why she has continued to pursue it for over thirty years—is the demand for creative thought, innovation and evolution. "SunFeather got to the point that it was too big," Sandy re- marks. She hands me a plate of food that has been warming on the stove top. "Ever tried goat milk?" she asks and hands me a Mason jar with the creamy white liquid. I take a sip and I'm surprised at the smoothness. In 2011, Sandy sold SunFeather Natural Soap Company to a company in Utah. "I was too busy for my own comfort level," she explains. At the time of the sale, she had twenty two employees and earned $1.5 million in annual sales. For the last five years, Sandy's mission has been to discover what fragrant and medicinal plants grow best in the Adiron- dacks. She is determined to find income and cash crops for the Park. She wants to help others pursue engaging livelihoods and generate enough income to stay in the area. Her new com- pany is Adirondack Fragrance and Flavor Farm. Part of the reason she sold SunFeather and started this new venture was to focus on who she is and what she loves. Before we drive to the Adirondack Fragrance and Flavor Farm shop, I polish off the plate of lentils and slice of corn bread. Even in the depths of winter, the vegetables taste of the earth. Sandy's cooking goes the extra mile, created from the freshest ingredients housed in her root cellar. After lunch, we pull on our boots and make the ten minute drive to her factory and gift shop located on State Highway 72, half a mile from Parishville. The building that houses the factory and gift shop was once a bar. Any remnants or scents of its former life have been cleansed a hundred times over. I step into the gift shop and take a deep breath. For a moment, my nostrils are overpow- ered. Candles, soaps, and hand creams are displayed on wooden ta- bles. Every angle of the gift shop has an artistic view. Next to the door is a picture of Sandy and the creation story of Adiron- dack Fragrance and Flavor Farm. The product line is impressive and diverse. There are edible products: wild blackberry jam, Serrano pepper sauce, and maple chocolate. There's some- thing for everyone: men's cologne, women's face creams, chil- dren's books—even a high quality shampoo for pets. Beyond the gift shop, the factory begins. Big drums of palm and coconut oil are pushed against the walls. A batch of soap is currently being made. Ingredients are added to a big metal pot and then poured into a square fixture, where the blend will set for a few days before being cut. A full batch weighs over hundred pounds and makes 300 bars of soap. Once the

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