In the Genesee River Valley of Upstate NY sits a property with a unique history. Built as a summer home by descendants of the Astor and Chanler family lineage, royalty from the grand and opulent Gilded Age, the homestead features a river front, water fall, and scenic valley views.
Perched on the Northern-most corner of the property is a tiny, white, unassuming structure that has lived many lives over its evolution.
Through the years, it has seen the full spectrum of use from adoring attention to utter neglect. No bigger than a single bedroom, it is an unassuming structure as seen from the road, but a little primping garners brings it to life, garnering the attention of everyone passing by.
During the pandemic, the building was renovated, the lights turned on, and The Little Fruit Stand was alive again. My sister was responsible for the updates, and she did a fabulous job. Her crown jewel on the shop was installing a one-of-a-kind farm vending machine. She commissioned world-renowned artist Real Fun Wow to design the exterior, and people from out of town would come just to see it.
It flourished, albeit seasonally, for a year or two before the door was once again shut and dust collected.
Then once more, just last April, my mother Shannon dusted it off, added a sprinkling of new products she produced here on the farm, as well as other local and non-local health, wellness, and beauty brands - including Good Psyche.
The fruit stand was reopened under a new name - The littlest Apothecary. With the doors open each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, both locals and visitors to the area timidly peaked their heads into the doorway of the tiny house to see what they might find.
Tinctures, tonics, teas, and elixirs line the North wall of the shop, while novelty candies, local raw honey, and the ever-popular local fudge joyfully occupy the Southern wall. Customers perk up as their eyes graze on the myriad of goods lining the shop, taking their time as they sift through each carefully placed product.
Along the back wall of the shop, atop plush mossy displays, sit Good Psyche products, eye-catching in their bright orange against the shades of green.
If you've been following me for a while, you know that I relocated here early this summer, opting for a new lifestyle away from the constant buzz of a city. I returned to the place where Good Psyche was born. This place was the impetus and inspiration for the brand we see today.
But I was nervous about transporting "headquarters" from an all-too-cool city where the Wellness Industrial Complex operates on overdrive, to a small, quiet town. I had nothing to go off of but preconceived notions of how GP would be received by the locals here.
To be honest, at first I didn't take the apothecary that seriously as a retail location for GP. I viewed it as a farm stand, one step above a farmer's market. Don't get me wrong, I love a farmer's market, but it isn't the first place you think of when you're building a luxury brand.
"Couldn't hurt" was the general mentality about stocking GP in the apothecary.
But I took a keen interest in the quaint little spot, and felt strongly that I could grow it into a fixture of the community.
And so I started managing the apothecary, adding more local goods like beef and cheese and pies, and added functional beverages and cold brew coffee.
I expected these things to sell easily, and they do, but our customers have surprised me. They enter the shop with curious minds, asking all sorts of questions about the tinctures, the tonics, and GP.
They're extremely inquisitive and interested in learning what the various wellness products can do for them. And it made me realize that as an industry, wellness is ignoring most of the country. The fact is, it isn't just millennials and genZers living in cities who want to optimize their wellbeing.
Everyone wants to feel well. As brands, I think we get so caught up in appealing to the shiny penny markets and only care about landing the big fancy retailers; the Sephoras and Whole Foods of the world.
But what I've learned, is that right here at home, in this tiny shop in this small town, exists a community of curious humans that are hungry for change. They are also disillusioned with a sole reliance on pharmaceuticals, are bored of buying the same old drug store skincare brands, and they're ready to shake up their routines.
What I discovered here was a population that has been neglected by the beauty and wellness industries altogether. What we are creating in the apothecary is a reprieve from the norm. A chance to step into a world where plants are medicine, exploration is welcomed,
Where else can you pick a local pie, a turkey tail tincture, a pack of blue lotus pre-rolls (our House Special is flying off the shelves), and a sparkling schisandra berry beverage?
At three months in, GP is the top selling brand in the apothecary, proving that there are curious humans everywhere, and every community deserves access to a new way to wellness.
Thanks for reading, and stay curious.
Ps: tune into YouTube for weekly videos on life at the farm, aka GP HQ