As far as jokes go, “Wyoming County has more cattle than people” may be a little too on-the-nose.
Probably because it’s true.
Wyoming County’s human population (about 40,000) is decisively outnumbered by its dairy cattle population (about 47,000). All those cows mean a larger workforce for Stephanie Luders, a fourth-generation dairy farmer who’s turned her family’s cattle into a cash cow selling milk-based soaps.
Luders was inspired to start her business after working at a goat farm in Tennessee.
“We were selling cheeses and handmade soaps at a Farmer’s Market,” she says. “Some person came over and bought 15 bars of soap, at one time, and I was like ‘oh wow! I didn’t realize handmade soaps were such a cool thing!’ ”
When she’s not working for Wyoming County 4H, she makes soap in her kitchen, and ships out bars out of her home.
“I didn’t expect my business to grow as much as it has now,” she says. “I do a lot of small, personal soap sales for people. Either wedding showers or baby showers. I’ve also done wedding favors.”
Luders says she makes most of her sales at farmer’s markets and crafts fairs.
Source: baynews9.com
