As a Vermonter it's hard to ignore the local organic food movement, up here we are throwing ourselves into everything organic, pasture raised, grass fed and sustainable. I figure this philosophy about putting good things in our bodies should extend to what we put on our bodies as well! Luckily, local farms usually have an excess of lard and tallow which have become the foundation of my soap recipes. These farms raise pigs and cows outdoors on pasture. The cows receive no grain but are rotated daily to fresh grass while the pigs enjoy forging in large wooded pastures and "recycling" waste products such as barley mash and apple pressings. The lard and tallow from these animals is very nourishing to the skin and makes a superior bar of soap. The soap is long lasting, cleansing and moisturizing all while supporting small Vermont farms and putting to use a product that often goes to waste! Soap is a chemical process that combines lye (sodium hydroxide) with water and fat. There is no lye in the finished product, just cleansing, skin nourishing saponified fats with small amount of unsaponified fat to help moisturize the skin