The three owners of Heritage Goods and Supply promote ‘homesteading’ lifestyle
By Pamela Dozois
news@santaynezvalleystar
Heritage Goods and Supply, a unique new store in Solvang that opened May 1, offers classes, activities, goods, and supplies celebrating days gone by.
The store, located at 1623 Mission Drive, Suite O, is the brainchild of Ashley Moore, Lauren Malloy and Emma Moore (no relation to Ashley), three friends turned business partners who met when their children were in preschool. Each has a unique skillset and a desire to bring elements of the “homestead” into everyday life.
Ashley Moore is an artist, and a well-studied folk herbalist; Malloy is an animal specialist with a degree in animal science and conservation biology; and Emma Moore is an educator, yogi and cook extraordinaire. They were drawn together to share their own skills as well as to learn new ones.
It was this sense of sharing which inspired their vision of bringing women together to resurrect the arts and crafts from decades past, while encouraging a feeling of sisterhood, that Women’s Heritage was born.
“The idea started eight years ago when the three of us went on a family trip to the Sierras and we each wanted to learn the other’s different skillsets,” Malloy said. “Emma was going to teach us how to make sourdough bread, Ashley was going to teach us how to forage and use herbs. We all had these different skillsets that we wanted to share, to teach or learn from each other and that is when our Heritage skill-share was born.”
The trio started an online blog and workshop series, which evolved into a brick-and-mortar store in Carpinteria.
“We started doing classes all over Santa Barbara County ranging from fermentation to cow milking, foraging, bread baking and jam making,” Malloy continued. “That was great fun and the classes sold out quickly. It seemed much needed in the community. We did that for a couple of years and people began to inquire where to purchase the supplies for these skills. When a store space opened in Carpinteria we decided to go for it and offer goods and brands that we believe in. That was about five years ago.
“We offer classes through the store and we have an informative blog on-line and our source book published last spring ‘The Women’s Heritage Sourcebook’. This book contains information on cooking, herbalism, canning, fermenting, beekeeping, natural beauty, keeping chickens, milking cows, raising pigs and more.”
The business became so successful that the three decided to open up another store in Solvang, where Malloy, who is from Hollister Ranch, had always dreamed of opening a store. When Parc Place opened in Solvang, on Mission Drive, they loved the location and freshness of the building and the great parking, and decided to open up Heritage Goods and Supply.
“We want to make homesteading and the country lifestyle available to everyone,” Malloy said. “Just take a little piece of homesteading that works in your life, try it out and grow from there.”
“Our goal is to serve the local community with our goods and classes and also be here for the tourists,” said Malloy, the mother of three children, ages 10, 6 and 1. “It seems COVID inspired some people to get back to root skills, planting, baking, and raising chickens and bees, and we’re here to help. We’re all busy moms but we have an incredible team that makes it all possible.
“We all have young children, so this is a team effort. The three of us are doing this together, we really share the workload. Our store manager and buyer, Adriana Ortiz, is incredible and we couldn’t have opened the Solvang store without her.”
Heritage Goods and Supply sells hemp clothing, toys, herbal supplies, remedies and tinctures, skin care products, animal supplies, kitchen and cooking supplies, local beans, honey, seeds, teas, hand-made bags, dish towels, wreaths, pottery, pillows, candles, wool, jewelry, cards, gifts and so much more. The owners call it a curated country store. It has something for everyone. Approximately 75 percent of the merchandise in the store are the work of local artisans.
“I’m excited to see the other businesses come in to the building and to see the beautiful courtyard full of people,” Malloy said. “We are so grateful to be here and for the support of the community. The goal of our company is to bring elements of the homestead into everyday life. We understand in today’s world women are extraordinarily busy and making things from scratch or even learning a new skill can be daunting. We hope to inspire women to explore, discover and learn new passions and skills.”
The team is working on a homesteading book for children, which will be available in the summer of 2022.
For more information and to shop online and get class schedules, visit www.heritagegoodsandsupply.com, Instagram@heritagegoodsandsupply or call 805-691-9319.
