Burseth Farm opens on Woodstock Square, sells goat milk soap made on local farm

WOODSTOCK – At Burseth Farm, owners and brothers Derek and Gavin Burseth sell their all-natural goat milk soap and other products while incorporating their Norwegian roots.

The store, 110 N. Benton St., Woodstock, has been open for about a month, and already they said one of the largest challenges of the business is keeping up with demand.

Derek Burseth, 32, owns a farm in unincorporated Woodstock where about 30 Alpine goats are raised, and where Burseth Farm products are made. He said he’s always had a connection with animals, and has been interested in farming since he was a child and visited his ancestor’s farm in Norway.

Eventually, the brother’s took their interests and history, and made it into a business by tweaking an old family recipe for goat milk soap.

“We started making products for ourselves, we liked it, we started giving it to friends and family, they liked it, and it kind of just grew from that,” 18-year-old Gavin Burseth said.

The brothers started their online business about three years ago, and operated a kiosk at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg before moving their business to the Woodstock Square.

What makes their soaps, lotions, laundry detergent and other products different, they said, is the chemical-free process they use to make them, and the care they put into raising their goats.

The goat milk can help with skin problems from eczema to psoriasis, Gavin Burseth said, adding he has had mothers call him crying because they can’t believe the difference the soap has made on their children’s skin.

Creative names for the soaps help reach any age group and gender, Gavin Burseth said.

Names for soaps include “Fluffy Candy,” “Butt Naked,” and “OMG,” which stands for “Oh My Goat,” Gavin Burseth said. The bars can be used for face, hair and body, he said. Another popular product has been the Nordic Ice Rub, which contains essential oils that provide natural pain relief.

Burseth Farm produces about 1,000 bars of soap per week, Derek Burseth said, and the job keeps the brothers and their mother, marketing manager for Burseth Farm Cheryl Burseth, extremely busy.

Although it’s a 24/7 job raising the goats and running a business, Gavin Burseth said his favorite part of it is working with his “30 four-legged employees” and socializing with the goats, who all have their own personalities and names.

The store is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, noon to 3 p.m. Sunday and closed Mondays. Visit the Burseth Farm Facebook page, YouTube channel or bursethfarm.com.

Editor's note: This story has been changed due to a correction on what skin problems the soap has been said to help.