Dan and Jenny Curtin of Swiss Frau Farm are not only seasoned veterans of the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market but of their unique craft as well.
If you’ve ever stopped by their table at the market in search of a bar of handmade soap or lotion, you might’ve had the lucky chance to peek at the beautiful photos of the farm and the Swiss dairy goats that make their handmade soaps so special.
Photo courtesy of Dan Curtin
Born on a dairy farm in Waukon Iowa, it seems only fitting that Dan now runs one of his own in Dodge County, Wisconsin on Iowa Road. Jenny, Dan’s wife, is a Wisconsin native from Mount Horeb who brings over 40 years of experience in soap-making to the farm. Dan and Jenny’s journey began with a herding dog named Indigo and a handful of farm animals including geese and sheep.
“Jenny would give the command for the dog and the sheep would move before the dog did!” Dan explained, “So then we sold the sheep and we ended up buying some Toggenburg dairy goats from a good friend of Jennifer’s. And that was the beginning.”
Photo courtesy of Dan Curtin
The couple moved to the farm in 2009 and have been busy ever since. Today, Swiss Frau Farm is home to a big happy family of 18 Swiss Saanen and Toggenburg dairy goats.
“All the milkers wear Swiss bells, and Jenny makes everything in an 1850s homestead house” Dan shared.
Photo courtesy of Dan Curtin
Jenny, the mastermind behind many of Swiss Frau Farm’s products, makes everything–from soaps, hand creams, and even the label art on the products. She has developed many of the products herself using natural ingredients like coconut oil, lanolin, and beeswax.
“I have a few beehives and we sell our honey,” Dan added, “So that's one way that I engage young people, a lot of kids come to buy honey sticks. It’s really cute to have kids come up.”
Photo courtesy of Dan Curtin
Swiss Frau Farm was of the first vendors at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market back in 2012. Since then, Dan and Jenny have built a busy schedule that brings them to four different farmer’s markets a week, attracting customers from all over the state.
Beyond establishing a popular presence at a variety of markets, Swiss Frau Farm has participated for nearly a decade at several special events including Madison’s Blessed Sacrament Christmas Market, German Christmas Market, and the indoor Port Washington Farmer’s Market during the winter.
“We probably do around 120+ events a year,” explained Dan.
Photo courtesy of Dan Curtin
As the business and products have evolved, Dan has ventured around the country to make a name for Swiss Frau Farm at shows in Minneapolis, Cleveland, Atlanta, and even Lakeland, Florida.
When he’s not on the road sharing the farm’s wonderful soaps or fun stories about the goats, Dan works in industrial sales.
Dan and Jenny raised 3 kids, 2 of whom are now Madison residents themselves. They finally sent their youngest son off to college before moving to the farm and pursuing their passion.
“I like to tell young parents that there is life after kids,” Dan chuckled.
Photo courtesy of Dan Curtin
Swiss Frau Farm’s 24 varieties of soap rotate seasonally, typically featuring lilac in the spring, cranberry in the fall, and blackberry sage during the winter. The extremely popular lavender soaps never seem to go out of season, though.
“I used to think, well, somebody buys one bar of soap. That’s no big deal. But a lot of times they’ll buy a bar of soap and they’ll really like it, and we have a customer for a long time,” Dan explained.
Apart from the market being a place to sell soap, share stories, and meet customers, the MSFM community has allowed Dan and Jenny to build relationships that go beyond the Sunday morning get-togethers at Edgewood High School.
“I love the other vendors, they’re super friendly,” Dan shared. He has gotten to know many fellow vendors, including Annemarie Maitri from Bloom Bake Shop, through gatherings over the years and even sells at a booth next to Cher’s Garden at another farmer’s market.
Photo courtesy of Dan Curtin
“It’s nice to get to know people. Goat milk soap is a bit of a specialty product, and I just enjoy being there,” Dan said. “I really enjoy meeting the customers. It’s not uncommon for people to come up and say to me, ‘you’re the only reason I came here today, to buy soap’. Which is very encouraging.”
If you make it to the final market weekend before the season’s end, don’t miss out on a bar of lavender soap and a friendly smile from Dan or Jenny. You might even get to hear a story about a Swiss goat, too!
Don’t miss the last market of the season! Visit the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Edgewood High School.