Peninsula local Kimberley Kidger started Polly's Farm with a small plot of dirt and a big dream.
What began as a passion project – crafting products for friends and family over her kitchen stove in Shoreham – has blossomed into a range of botanical soaps, scrubs, salves and candles made from all-natural ingredients.
As a child, Kimberley was drawn to natural therapies and she spent her teenage years burrowing into the veggie patch at her family home in Main Ridge, and scouring op shops for books on gardening and herbal medicines. Having gone on to study nursing and herbalism, she developed a deep understanding of natural remedies and the medicinal properties of plants.
For Kimberley, Polly's Farm is a dream come to fruition; crafting natural skincare products that nourish the body and protect the land from which they're made. Polly's Farm products are free from chemicals, parabens, phthalates, sulphates, silicone, synthetic fragrances and artificial colours – all the nasties basically. They’re filled only with goodness direct from Mother Nature.
The products are made with a luxurious locally grown extra virgin olive oil that is filled with skin-loving antioxidants and vitamins. Kimberley carefully blends botanical extracts and essential oils to create a heavenly selection of scents, such as Calendula, Lemon Myrtle and Australian Sweet Orange, or Lavender and Rose Geranium. Several of the source ingredients are grown organically in her own garden.
"We can do so much with so little," says Kimberley, "Particularly when growing herbs and producing natural products. You don't need much!".
The bath soaks contain a combination of soothing salts rich in minerals and trace elements alongside therapeutic botanicals and are available in three signature blends, inviting you to Relax, Replenish and Rejuvenate.
All skin types are catered for, with a Castile Goats Milk soap perfect for soothing sensitive and inflamed skin. Even furry friends are included, with a nourishing pet soap blend of Tea Tree, Nettle and Calendula produced with minimal scent to accommodate their keen sense of smell.
Polly's Farm products are all handmade and small-batch in line with the brand's sustainable ethos. The soaps are available 'naked' or packaged in eco-friendly drawstring bags, perfect for gifting. The vessels that house the botanical soy candles are designed to be re-used, with Thyme seeds woven into the label to transform the pot into a beautiful home for herbs.
Having grown up on Boon Wurrung Country on the Mornington Peninsula, Kimberley draws inspiration from the native flora and landscape. "This land and coastline is part of my DNA", she says. "It has such a unique ecology, and if you're up early enough, you can still get your head under saltwater on a beach where yours are the first footprints of the day."
Whether you're after a thoughtful gift or a special something to add to your own self-care collection, you can find Polly's Farm products online at www.pollysfarm.com.au or in stockists across the Peninsula, including Store 360 in Rye, Red Hill House in Red Hill, The Somers General, Home Goods Hardware in Balnarring, Red Hill Candle Co, or Jepara, Elements Eatery and Zarb & Ru in Rosebud.
