By Jennifer Stultz
Tri-Country Tribune Editor
jstultz@cherryroad.com
Amanda Plucker of A&J’s Homestead south of Coats developed her own skincare solution when her baby daughter suffered from facial eczema several years ago. That recipe remains the base for an array of products she sells regularly at the Merchant Park Farmers Market in Pratt and shares with others by personal order.
On Saturday at the Pratt market, she offered bundles of skin care products, cleaning solutions, and health and beauty aids, all made with natural ingredients.
“I didn’t want to put chemicals on my baby’s face or things made with ingredients I couldn’t even pronounce,” Plucker said. “This all came out of that desire to use natural healing ingredients to meet my own family’s needs. Everything I sell here, we have used and proven effective in my own family.”
Plucker, along with her husband, Josh and son and daughter, raises a small herd of sheep and has a thriving flock of about 40 chickens on their Pratt County farm. She has always appreciated natural products and their healing, medicinal uses. She started working with homemade lotions using a cocoa cream base that included cocoa oil and shea butter.
“It has a slight chocolate smell and feels so good on your skin,” she said. “It really helped my daughter’s condition and is great for anyone with dry skin.”
Hemp, olive oil, lavender, and other natural products are part of her skincare, sunscreen bars and lotions, and laundry products.
As a lifelong Kansan, Plucker knows all about dry skin. Her family includes pet dogs that have occasional skin needs as well, so she makes products that are good for that use.
“I have a regular dog shampoo that smells like baby powder and suds up really good; and then I also have a flea and tick shampoo made from the same base, but I add different essential oils that repel fleas and ticks.”
While Plucker may be found regularly at the Merchants Park Farmers Market, along with fellow market directors Rhett and Sara Lambert/Triple L Ranch, she said she will be limiting her time to sun exposure this summer and plans to make and sell her products to order, rather than spend hours of time at the market.
“I am having some health issues with the heats so hope those who would like more information about what I am creating and selling might contact me by email at ajphomestead@gmail.com, or find me on Facebook at A&JsHomestead,” she said. “I will still be there early mornings, but may not stay until noon depending on how how it gets.”
Plucker also sells farm fresh eggs and garden produce, as it becomes available, and invites all community members to join in the opportunity to set up a free booth at Merchants Park and share their homemade wares and produce.
“We recommend people abide by K-State Extension Service food preparation and farmers market selling guidelines, but all are welcome to come out and sell especially baked goods and homegrown garden produce,” she said.
The Merchant Park Farmers Market in Pratt has been open on Saturday mornings since June 1 and the season extends to the last Saturday of October. Usual hours for customers are from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
