NORTH STONINGTON — In their effort to feel better, live better and sleep better, Kim Welch and Lynn Goodwin started a business that is changing lives.
The two businesswomen own Farmtrue on the Norwich-Westerly Road in North Stonington where they mindfully make ghee, a nutritional powerhouse with healing qualities and ancient roots.
Ghee, a staple of Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine and a favorite of the Keto crowd, has been called a superfood; it’s loaded with vitamins A and D, promotes healthy digestion, and has been used for centuries to increase energy, improve skin and eye health, lubricate joints and alkalize blood.
Touted by Dr. Oz, Oprah and natural health experts, ghee is becoming more commonplace in American kitchens these days, the two women said.
Essentially, said Welch one morning last week as she and Goodwin conducted a tour of their glistening facility, ghee is butter.
“Clarified butter,” explained Welch. “A pure form of clarified butter.”
Farmtrue ghee, she said, is made by cooking butter using traditional ayurvedic practices and removing all of the milk solids, water, and impurities. What’s left is a lactose-free, casein-free, and shelf-stable cooking oil that becomes solid at room temperature.
As students of ayurveda — the traditional medicine of India said to be the oldest system of natural health care in the world — Welch and Goodwin had been familiar with ghee and its healing properties since they first began their studies.
Both graduates of the California College of Ayurveda, Goodwin and Welch met at a workshop.
“We both wanted to continue learning and sharing what we learned about ghee,” said Welch, a Michigan native who lives in North Stonington with her husband, Sean, and two daughters, Hannah and Maggie. “We knew how important it was.”
“There are so many benefits,” added Goodwin, a Narragansett native who lives in South Kingstown with her husband, Kyle. “There was a lot to learn.”
The two woman spent years studying about ghee, which, according to Hindu mythology, is divine in nature.
“Not all ghee is created equal,” said Welch with a smile. “The better the butter, the better the ghee.”
“Our ghee begins with the beloved cow,” the women have posted on their Farmtrue website. “Since ancient times, the cow has been regarded as the most sacred animal in India, revered for her gentle spirit and giving nature. The cow must be protected and cared for, so we hold her with the highest gratitude and is the heart of our logo. We are committed to aligning with US dairy farmers who care and respect the cow as much as we do.”
“Consumers are paying attention to how animals are treated,” Welch said. “They want to make sure they’re treated well.”
“We believe in mindful living,” added Goodwin, noting that Farmtrue works diligently to keep their mission, their products and their lifestyles in alignment.
“At Farmtrue we’re inspired to eat, live, and act with more care,” says one of their mottoes.
Farmtrue Ghee is certified organic, Welch said, by using butter sourced from certified organic Amish farms in Pennsylvania whose cows are pasture-raised and grass-fed.
“We would love to use local butter,” she added, “but there are no local organic farms that sell butter.”
“Our mission is to keep everything local,” added Goodwin. “We would love to find a Connecticut farm or a Rhode Island farm that makes organic butter.”
Like all their products, the Farmtrue ghee is artisanal, slow-cooked and hand-poured in small batches.
Inside their sparkling clean, state-of-the-art kitchen, Goodwin and Welch oversee the production of their signature ghees and their assortment of ghee-containing products. They sell their products — several kinds of ghee, ghee-infused nut butters, candles, lotions and balms — online and inside their tidy, cozy shop where classes, workshops and talks also take place.
The two purchased the property in 2016 and began building soon after, an experience that still amazes both of them.
“It was magical,” said Welch. “The property wasn’t even for sale but we went to the town hall, found out who owned it and offered to buy it.”
It was the ideal location for their business, added Goodwin, a lifetime student of yoga, and there’s plenty of room for gardens and growth.
“We grow our flowers and herbs back there,” said Welch, pointing out the window to a field behind the building where in-season, plants like calendula, lavendar and sage fill the beds and rows.
Welch and Goodwin said customers who use their products often see immediate results.
“Ghee hydrates better than water,” said Welch. “It’s easily absorbed into the body and has nourishing effects on our skin and nails.”
Farmtrue also makes lip balms, oils, soaps and body scrubs infused with their ghee.
“Ghee is a healthy fat,” added Goodwin, “and a great remedy in our culture which has become so dried out.”
“Our natural state is a state of balance,” Goodwin said, and “since food is medicine, ghee goes a long way to help nourish the body and the mind.”
A natural antidote for anxiety and worry, she said, ghee is also delicious.
Farmtrue recommends using their Garlic Scape Ghee vegetables and their Vanilla Maple Chai Ghee on roasted sweet potatoes or oatmeal, for instance. With its slightly nutty flavor, the plain, traditional ghee is delicious on just about anything.
Farmtrue supports a number of local causes, added Welch, and aims to not only provide the community with quality products, but to support other businesses as well.
One of their newest products, Golden Turmeric Superfuel Latte, is offered at Junk and Java, a popular Westerly coffee shop, and Farmtrue products are sold at such local businesses as McQuade’s Marketplaces, Herbwise Naturals, Sandy’s, High Tide Juice Company and Christina’s.
The latte mix includes a combination of ayurvedic spices, coconut milk and “gut nourishing ghee,” according to the label.
“It’s an immune booster,” said Welch, as Farmtrue Marketing Director Mary Buonocore Strafach of Charlestown poured samples of the golden brew into small paper cups.
Goodwin said because a major goal at Farmtrue is to educate customers about the wonders of ghee, they plan to hold lectures, talks and workshops on a regular basis.
The next workshop on Farmtrue’s schedule, “Ayurveda for Beginners,” will be held next Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. The class will also be available virtually, Welch said, for those unable to make it in person.
Next month, a four-week series called “Spring Refresh,” a program combining yoga and ayurveda, is scheduled. More information about Famtrue, ghee and the other products is available at farmtrue.com.