Fragrant Farmhouse: Full of Charm and Delight

There is something very special about Lockeford’s Fragrant Farmhouse gift store, where visitors often exclaim with glee, “It’s just like Etsy — but in real life!”

Owners Ashley Bass and her sister Emily Williams have heard this praise repeatedly since opening their store in 2021. That’s because Fragrant Farmhouse is chock-full of handmade, high-quality items you cannot find elsewhere, including Ashley’s own candles, which she has perfected over the years and which have attracted something of a cult following of their own. With over 40 different artists and local makers supplying an astoundingly diverse inventory, including original oil paintings, artisan-made charcuterie boards, jewelry and so much more, Fragrant Farmhouse truly has something for everyone.

“From the candle wicks to the soy wax and fragrance oils, I am very selective about what I use to ensure a clean-burning, top-quality candle,” Ashley said. She applies that same careful selection and artful eye to curating the store’s merchandise. “Our goal was and still is to create a supportive Maker Community, and the store has definitely accomplished that. We are always innovating, creating and keeping things fresh for our shoppers.”

One of Ashley’s latest innovations is her line of Happy Hour candles, each scented and named after popular cocktails like Mojito, Peach Mango Bellini, Lemon drop, Mimosa and Jamaican Me Crazy. These clever, delicious-smelling candles come in gift boxes printed with the cocktail recipe for those inclined to whip up a batch. “There’s even a whiskey scented candle, and I don’t even like whiskey!” Ashley said, laughing. Like all of her creations, these Happy Hour candles smell absolutely fabulous and are available online — but the real fun is coming into the store and getting to smell all of them in person, she noted.

Shy and somewhat introverted as a child, Ashley overcame those traits years ago while selling her candles and Emily’s soaps and body scrubs at farmers’ markets and street fairs where, over time, the sisters amassed a true following of loyal customers. Still, Ashley says they were both “a little shocked” to see people lined up at 7am on the day of their store’s grand opening — which was scheduled for 10am! “We had over 300 people visit that day and it was the same when we had our Christmas Market, which, back then, was in our grandparents’ garage in Acampo before we even had the store!” she explained.

Ashley shared that being well received by the public is what gave her the inspiration to keep expanding. Luckily, their products continued to sell steadily online during the pandemic lockdowns. “That’s actually when business really took off,” she elaborated, “People were at home more than ever and really looking for something nice to cheer up their space; candles were one of the most popular ways to achieve that so we sold candles like crazy online throughout the entire pandemic.”

Mother’s Day Weekend is a very popular time at Fragrant Farmhouse, but Ashley describes the holiday season as by far their busiest. “In September we switch over to our fall theme and it just goes from there; we are very grateful and happy to be somewhat of a destination shopping experience for people.”

A peek through the curtains in the back of the store reveals her workspace where she still hand makes all her candles and stages their extremely wide selection of other inventory for display. Up front, the seasonal items make a fun first impression while a nearby shelf adds to the magic, featuring fresh-baked scones, pies and other treats made by their mom, Julie Edsell (Julie has a cottage bakery license and is happy to take special orders). “On weekends she makes cinnamon rolls — but they sell out fast!” Ashley cautions with a grin.

This year the Lockeford Memorial Park Vendor Fair will take place at the Lockeford Community Center on September 30th, from 8am to 2pm and will bring a large crowd to the area, something both sisters are looking forward to. The next big event will take place over Thanksgiving Weekend, which starts on Black Friday and encompasses Small Business Saturday, to kick off the holiday season. During this celebration, new inventory is released, big sales take place and the store will hold a raffle on Small Business Saturday to highlight the special weekend. The Christmas Market Weekend will take place in December and will be announced on their website’s calendar of events.

“We have a lot of fun here,” Ashley said. “Sometimes Lindsay, one of our staff members, and I put on our cow costumes and dance around for the videos we post to social media. We named the cows Garth and Trisha in honor of (country musicians) Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. On those days our motto is ‘candles, cows, and country music!’ People love it!”

See Fragrantfarmhouse.com for their calendar of events, vendor demonstrations and classes.