[itinerary | lodging] As Dolly Parton sang, working 9 to 5 is enough to drive you crazy. You sit at a desk eight hours a day, hunched over a screen in Zoom calls about compliance issues. Your Outlook inbox constantly tugs at your sleeve like a needy toddler. The phantom sounds of Teams and Slack notifications echo in your head. You look out the window — if you’re lucky enough to have one — and wonder what it all means.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Kevin and Becky White of KB White Farm in Conesus, New York, once sat at that desk reading emails — until one day they poured a cup of ambition, bought a farm in the country, and began selling homemade soaps for a living.

And they never looked back.

The Store

The Store at KB White Farm occupies a converted detached garage with a tall, triangular roof sporting the name of the farm under an emblem of a goat’s head. It sneaks up on you as you travel down McGinty Road in Conesus, surrounded by lush forest — now burning with the colors of fall — and farmland. When you pull up, Kevin White is waiting for you at the entrance of the store. He smiles and extends his hand to introduce himself, with an enthusiasm that invites you inside. It’s clear he’s excited to show the store.

^{A Kaleidoscope of colorful hand-made soaps at KB White Farm in Conesus, NY}

KB White Farm’s store is a perfect microcosm of rural life necessities coupled with a rustic, charming aesthetic. Small touches like the framed portrait of the farm’s goats, a ceramic pig, a curious little witch plushy, and a miniature toy pickup truck set the whimsical tone of the store and its owners, while the large variety of farm staples — jams, jellies, pickles, sauces, dried fruit and granola, baking supplies, and frozen meats and breads — establish KB White as a one-stop shop for all your local needs around the Lake. Of course, the main event is the myriad soaps, balms, wax candles, chapstick, facial scrubs, and other homemade beauty salves, all priced reasonably compared to big-name, chemical-based brands.

^{Ceramic pig invites you to peruse the menu}

Kevin explains that in addition to the store, they derive many of their sales from local festivals and food shows — including as far away as Florida. Most recently KB White participated in Livonia’s Autumn in the Village and Naples’ Grape Festival — perfect opportunities to display their wares to thousands of festivalgoers. As with any rural shop, the main challenge is foot traffic around the physical store in Conesus. But with McGinty Road spurring just off Route 15 at the town limits, it makes for a convenient drive from anywhere around Conesus Lake — or a nice little road trip from points elsewhere in Livingston County and beyond. Plus, if you’re lucky enough, you might just get a tour of the Farm itself.

^{Local baking mixes, syrups, and jams + Pickles and sauces}

Around this time, Becky walks up to the store with a tray of fresh soaps, and Kevin introduces you. The husband-wife team behind KB White Farm might be the Soap Kings of Conesus, but Becky is the Soap Queen herself — the maker at the center of it all. When you follow KB White’s Facebook or Instagram, you’re sure to catch Becky as the host of her own little “cooking” show, demonstrating her soap-making process from her studio. On a recent episode of “Soap Talk with Becky,” she uses a unique, multi-stringed piece of equipment — which kind of looks like a zither — to slice multiple bars of soap from a mother batch of Espresso. The fun fact of the day? This soap is created using natural coffee and coffee grounds. That’s sure to wake anyone up during their morning exfoliation routine.

^{Neon facial scrubs}

When introducing the episode, Becky notes that it’s Wednesday, “halfway through the week… well for some people.” She acknowledges that KB White’s schedule is really just beginning, a poignant reminder of the corporate life she and Kevin left to pursue this business and lifestyle. What strikes you most about Kevin and Becky is their cheerful and chill demeanor — they have a lot of responsibility to the store, but they don’t exude the type of manic stress that a salaried worker exhibits on their way to the rat race. They answer to no one but themselves, their vendors, and their direct customers. And as you recently discovered with the launch of your bakery delivery service, being one’s own boss can be worth the highest salary grade in any corporate ladder.

^{A trio of entrepreneurs: Getting cozy with Kevin and Becky White, owners of KB White Farm}

Your travel companion offers to snap a photo of the three of you, the perfect punctuation for the store segment of today’s travel installment. It’s always nice to meet people and to make new friends around the Lake, and KB White’s warmth and hospitality encourage you to hang out longer for a personal tour of the farm — but not before buying a couple of jars of facial scrub and post-shave balm for yourself.

The Farm

According to Kevin, the farm spans over 16 acres, offering ample space for horse fields, cow pastures, a goat enclosure, several chicken coops, a barn, vegetable gardens, and even an area for hosting “DIY parties” where other makers can camp on the property. He and Becky dove headfirst into farm life, learning to harvest goat milk, pluck chickens, and care for neglected horses. While the goats are a bit shy during today’s visit, the property itself offers plenty of opportunities for entertainment and exploration for your little travel companion.

It’s like something straight out of an Andrew Wyeth painting.

^{Christina’s Little Companion’s World}

One of the great aspects of living in rural America is the wealth of used goods and equipment that are constantly being offered for cheap. From roadside pick-ups of children’s bicycles, camping supplies, and scrap metal, to unique farm deals — like the $5,000 chicken coop Kevin and Becky scored for free. A little elbow grease and new mesh, and now the coop is home to a gang of silkie bombshells. These ladies look like they’re ready for the salon. All they need is an escort — perhaps a massive tom turkey decked out in white feathers?

^{Silkie Gang in the house– I mean coop; meanwhile, a majestic beast of a tom turkey roams the field}

Kevin and Becky have used their farm for good deeds, too. In addition to a gorgeous white Arabian horse, they rescued a dappled grey who, after years of negligence, had the unfortunate fate of losing its eyes. This blog makes no apologies for describing real life on a farm — domesticated animals and livestock depend on owners to maintain their livelihood. It’s heartwarming to see KB White taking this responsibility seriously. The horses are happy — they have plenty of room to stretch their legs, plenty of oats to eat, and a solid fence to keep out predators.

^{Little close to that electric fence?}

And of course, little companion loves to see the horses. These gentle giants fill her with a sense of awe, maybe even inspiration to one day pursue farm life. For you, the inspiration is Kevin and Becky themselves. With a travel website, vacation rental, and a bakery business, you’ve been bitten by the entrepreneur bug. Will you take the plunge? Or continue working the grind until that elusive financial tipping point pushes you over the edge?

In any case, it’s the risk-takers who reap the benefits of crossing that threshold. What makes it all the more worthwhile is knowing deep down that you — the entrepreneur — have a hand in every step. From fixing up an old bulldozer tractor to building garden beds for peppers, tomatoes, and berries, Kevin and Becky are the masters of their little local empire. As Founding Father and staunch proponent of an agrarian society, Thomas Jefferson once said, “The small landowners are the most precious part of a state,” going on to elaborate that “agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.” Kevin and Becky personify Jefferson’s original idea of an American utopia, and you’re grateful for the time they took to show it to you.

^{Self-sufficiency at its best}

At the end of the day, it comes back to the soap. Becky uses natural ingredients such as herbs from her garden, milk from her goats, and local honey made right in Conesus to produce fragrant healthy beauty products for everyone. No bi-product is wasted; no expense is inflated by multiple levels of the supply chain.

“We don’t want world domination,” Kevin says with a grin. “But it would be nice to be known as the soap of the Finger Lakes.”

^{Charcoal facial scrub + Ocean Breeze post-shave balm from The Store at KB White Farm}

Back at home, you hop in the shower and give the charcoal scrub a try. With a clean and natural scent, the scrub feels gritty yet smooth, charging your face with a buoyancy you haven’t felt since your early 20s. It’s a lot better than the Nivea men’s scrub you were once used to — and better for you, too. No harsh chemicals or dyes, just all-natural ingredients grown and made locally, not even ten minutes from your house.

It may not be world domination, but as far as you’re concerned, you pledge fealty to the Soap Kings of Conesus: KB White Farm.

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