Check Out Julie Godard’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Godard. 

Hi Julie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I look back and try to pinpoint my exact starting place, there wasn’t just one pivotal moment, but more so, many little and not so little signs and serendipitous moments that have led me to Purple Fence Farm & Apothecary. In my late teens, I attended my first herbal class; we made lavender eye pillows and talked herbs, and I fell in Love! Something just clicked for me. Through the years I’ve studied herbal medicine and aromatherapy. I’ve always been called to nature and feel most peaceful when hiking amongst the trees, or sitting next to a high mountain lake. So, it just made sense for me to figure out how to infuse natures energy into the product so others could enjoy and feel natures healing touch. I started with making natural salves, scrubs, lip balm, and body oils. I gifted a lot, as well as selling at craft fairs, holiday shows, and farmers’ markets. Making handmade soap didn’t become part of it all until 2007 after a friend had gifted me a bar and told me I should make soap as well. I wasn’t convinced that I would ever make soap until I took a class and made my first batch! Through the years the bars have changed shapes, sizes, etc. but I’m still using natural ingredients and infusing herbs into the oils! 

In 2021 essentia5 (my former business name) became Purple Fence Farm & Apothecary. This change came with the addition of a New Lavender Farm! Our first crop of lavender was planted this last fall and we will be planting 4 new varieties this spring! We’ll be distilling our own essential oil and hydrosols, as well as drying the lavender for different uses. And eventually, we will be open to the public for visitors to come and pick their own lavender! 

What started with a love to create for others, has grown into a passion to help in nourishing body, mind, and soul through nature and our creations! 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There has definitely been bumps and potholes along the way, but those bumpy times are what really lets me know that this is my passion and calling. One of the struggles has been underestimating the time and work that goes into each product. People get to see the end creation, but what many don’t see is the process. There is formulating the recipe, making and testing batches, finding the right packaging, labels, designing the label, photography, listing on websites, marketing, it is very easy to go down a rabbit hole about labels or packaging and spend so much time trying to make everything perfect, all while working full-time to pay for daily living. This has been a hard balance for me, in the past, my business often took a back seat to other jobs. Which makes it really tough to grow a brand! I think many entrepreneurs go through the growing pains of realizing in order to grow they need to hire tasks out. This was always a tough concept for me, not having the money or feeling like I was ready to hire out, but with the help of my new business partner Ty, I’m learning where to put my focus, when to outsource, and what’s just not as important. I try to have integrity in all that I do; and in my business, it means researching and finding high-quality ingredients that are harvested with fair treatment and fair wage for the workers, sustainable production, community, and environmental impact. This takes a lot of research as well as trust/intuition and common sense. This can be challenging when you read articles or information on websites of suppliers about certain ingredients and they contradict each other. So, it truly is about finding the information you can and then using intuition and common sense to choose the right packaging, or ingredients, or even labels. It’s about making sure as best as I can with the information I have, I’m using supplies and ingredients that aren’t leaving a negative impact on people and the planet, 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I absolutely love creating stuff! Making natural soaps and salves just seemed like a beautiful way to bring nature to others, not to mention the benefits of the product itself. There are many awesome makers out there and many creating natural body care, one thing that is a bit more unique to our product is that I grow as well as ethically wildcraft most of the herbs/botanicals used in our products. like arnica or plantain, comfrey leaf, calendula, etc… I also am an intuitive guide/energy healer, so all of the products are infused with energy. 

Another uniqueness is that our product names, especially our soap are named for places and people in Colorado, Like Telluride mornings or red rocks. Not only are the names cool and specific, but each scent is blended reminiscent of the place or person. Take Devil’s Crotch (yes you read that correctly!), this soap bar is one of our best sellers, it’s named after a ski run at Breckenridge. but what people may not realize is that the scent was created trying to emulate that smell of cold, fresh snowy air as you are going down the mountain on your sticks or board. Larimer Street Lavender has a mellow lavender undertone, and then a bright pop of citrus that reminds me of the lights and an evening out on Larimer St. 

Any big plans?
Ahh changes, yes! There are many BIG changes happening right now. First essentia5 became Purple Fence Farm and Apothecary this past year. I will still be formulating and making the product, the business is just expanding to include a lavender farm! My business co-creator Ty Ingmire and I started a Lavender farm just North of Denver. He is the business guy, the landman, community liaison, and overall good guy! We will be distilling our own Lavender essential oil as well as hydrosol. And eventually, be open for folks to come visit and stroll through the lavender! And new Product is always in the works! Stay tuned to see what’s brewing next! 

Contact Info:

• Email: purplefencefarm@gmail.com
• Website: https://purplefencefarm.com
• Instagram: @purplefencefarm
• Facebook: @purplefencefarm