Meet The Owner
My name is Rylyn Hrabal, registered nurse, horse lover, goat lover, sourdough baker, and simple living advocate. I was born and raised in Breckenridge, Michigan for all 24 years of my life on a family-operated cash crop farm. I enjoyed a childhood outside and on the back of a horse most of my days where I learned to appreciate a simpler way of life.
I have recently been called to steward a farm with my fiancé Michael that has been in my family since my ancestors laid roots here many years ago. We have big plans & dreams for our 40 acre property also known as "The Heritage Homestead" and can’t wait to share more about it in the near future!
On the farm, we have critters of all kinds. I have had my heart horse Perry or "Chute He's Invited" for 11 years now. We have spent the last 10 summers showing on open circuits across mid-Michigan. Perry is enjoying his retirement on the farm & I am so happy to be able to keep him in my forever pasture. We are also getting into the milk goat business & breeding quality registered Nigerian Dwarf goats. Our current goats are named Karen, Gretchen, Charlotte, Honey & Clover. Honey is bred and due to kid in late July. Karen and Gretchen are both in milk which means I am now offering tallow & goatmilk soaps. Their milk is sweet & adds a lovely lather to the soaps. Not to mention our newest additions Millie & Jeff who are our micro-mini donkeys. The farm is also home to our 38 laying hens who provide us with eggs of all colors & 3 sheep. My animals bring me great joy as well as providing my customers with farm fresh & natural products. When I am not on the farm, you can find me at the hospital caring for my patients. While I do love my job as a nurse, my dream is to one day make a living from the farm & Simply Pioneer.
Due to my independent research and my background in science, my eyes have been opened to the age of chemicals that our society has fallen victim to. I started my natural journey in attempt to clean up the things that I put in, on, and near my body & mind. I guess you could say my natural journey has led me here, sharing my knowledge and clean products with you all in attempt to help others live a healthier lifestyle. My goal is to inspire others to make the switch in their own lives & meet new friends along the way. If you are entirely new to the concept of natural living, are early in your journey, or are a seasoned veteran, welcome! I’m just winging it too!
Here is my why...
My sophomore year of college I took a class called "Healthy Aging." In this class, we were tasked with looking up our products in our homes on an ingredient decoder website. I was shocked! I had no idea the products I was putting on my body everyday contained such harsh chemicals. I feel as though this was when my eyes were first opened to how the skincare & cosmetic industry has led us all astray.
Since that day, walking down the skincare aisle would never be the same for one main reason: I started reading labels. I challenge you to go to a drug store and pick up any product off the shelf and read the ingredients. How many of them can you pronounce? How many of them contain strange chemicals? I'm sure it will make you feel as defeated & betrayed as it did me when I first started.
My biggest challenge was my acne & dry skin. I have tried all of the things from prescription topicals to drug store remedies. I even tried antibiotics at one point! I was fed up and needed something that would work. I vividly remember learning about tallow for the first time on a podcast. I remember thinking "wow, I can make that!"
In an attempt to put cleaner things on my body that are recognizable and to save a few bucks, I started making my own products centered around tallow. My dad called me his mad scientist as I created all kinds of recipes from cold process soap, to lip balms, to tallow cream, to deodorant, and even dry shampoo. Initially, I made all of these things just for myself until I friends and family became interested and tried some too. I soon realized that other women deserved cleaner products as well. Therefore, I present to you “Simply Pioneer” where my passion for natural living and creating things intertwine. It stems from my love for doing things the old-fashioned way, like the pioneers did.
Meet the Goat Gals
Nigerian Dwarf goats provide a milk that is sweet and rich in butterfat making it perfect for soap making. The fatty acids and triglycerides have a moisturizing effect on skin as well. From left to right their names are Karen, Gretchen, and baby Charlotte.