Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: The Marcia’s Garden family celebrate their ribbon cutting at the grand reopening at their new location at 417 W. 7th St.
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – A true family business, farm to table, owned and operated, Marcia’s Garden Goat Milk Soap Natural Skin Care Products celebrated its grand reopening on Monday.
The store is now located in the historic Lewis Building at 417 W. 7th St. in downtown Safford. Built in 1879 by Josh Baily, the building is believed to be the oldest still in operation in Safford today.
family affair
At the helm of Marcia’s Garden is Marcia Bothman, who has run her business since 1997. She is accompanied by her daughter, Sarah Rasmussen.
To produce the majority of products, it all starts with the goats, and that’s where the grandchildren come in.
“My daughter’s children milk them twice a day and we bring the milk here and process it into our products,” Bothman said. “It’s fresh, raw goat’s milk.”
Some products
The first product produced by Bothman was its line of goat’s milk soaps, which come in various assortments for a variety of specialties, including soap and shampoo for your canine friends.
“Never tested on animals, always tested on his daughter,” Rasmussen proclaimed.
The store also offers a bath line and a variety of herbal ointments used to soothe and help heal injured skin. With a family of eight boys and three girls, a farm and a business, Rassmussen said the ointments were essential for their family.
“I use our pomades on everything,” Rassmussen said. “I use them for scratches under bandages, chapped lips, sunburned ears – I love, love, love the ointments. The ointments are essential for us and our family.
If that wasn’t enough, the shop also specializes in herbal foot and hand moisturizers and a range of body lotions in a variety of scents.
Hello Sunshine Junie Baby Products
One of Rasmussen’s children, Junie, has her own line of products. Junie has Down syndrome, which occurs when a person has an extra chromosome. For this reason, Down syndrome is also called trisomy 21. The extra copy changes the way a baby’s body and brain develop, which can lead to mental and physical problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Baby products are unscented and infused with calendula herb, which is used for sensitive skin.
“She’s our miracle baby,” Bothman said. “Junie has very, very sensitive skin so she needed a special baby product to use.”
Ten percent of all baby products from Hello Sunshine Junie will be donated to the local Gila Valley Down Syndrome chapter, according to Bothman.
In addition to their goat’s milk products, the shop also offers a range of beeswax and soy candles that smell “wonderful” and are “clean burning,” according to Rassmussen, and good for people with allergies. The store also offers various accessories for its products.
Marcia’s garden is located at 417 W. 7th St. in downtown Safford and is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more about the store and the different products at its website here or check for updates on his Facebook page here.
“If you have skin issues or skin issues, we can help,” Bothman said.
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