Larry Schultz Organic Farm
“They have that old-fashioned flavor, the way turkeys used to taste. I think you’ll agree there isn’t a more tasty bird around!”
Owatonna, MN
Crystal Forestry Project
Type: small business
Produces: Household Cleaning Products
Location: Iowa City, IA
Miles from Coop: 2
“I wanted to bring sustainable cleaning products to market that are fun to use and smell fabulous.”
May, owner of The Crystal Forestry Project, has been making natural products for over a decade for use at home and in her work cleaning professionally.
She came up with the line to help families reconsider what cleaning products can be made from. Using a combination of natural ingredients, May leaned into elements from earth, water, and plant life.
She adds,
”While cleaning for a living, I found the unique fragrances and minerals made cleaning more enjoyable than working with traditional products, without compromising effectiveness.”
“Often, people clean with products that contain lots of chemicals and artificial fragrances, that when flushed into our drains or environment can have toxic effects over time.”
The right combinations of plant extracts and natural ingredients can make powerful cleaners for everyday use with less impact on the environment.
Crystal Forestry Toilet Cleaning Crystals are made with cinnamon and rosemary, the herbal vinegar concentrates contain herb extracts, and the multi-purpose concentrates contain lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus and mint essential oils.
Crystal Forestry cleaners are also infused with quartz minerals for a clean, neutralizing solution with no abrasiveness.
From cleaner to container, May’s focus is on keeping her product line as sustainable as possible. Using reusable dark glass bottles with concentrated solutions, customers can buy the spray bottle once and purchase the concentrate when they need to fill up.
“In our grandparent’s generation there were a few home remedies used to clean around the house. Now there are literally aisles of products that are made to clean one or two things. People can reduce their cleaning supplies greatly with just a few simple products.”
Try Crystal Forestry Project cleaning solutions in your home for a naturally fresh and clean finish.
Other Local Producers
Be sure to check out these others great local producers!
Rare Bird Soap Shop
Wende Fugate specializes in small-batch vegan soaps and skincare products free from sulfates, parabens, and preservatives.
Cedar Rapids, IA
Echollective Farm & CSA
Echollective Farm feels more like a family than a business. Members of this collective garden and CSA make their decisions gathered around the kitchen table.
Mechanicsville, IA
Trowel and Error Farm
Carly Andrews was inspired to start farming after attending The University of Vermont, and learning about the local foods movement. After seeing a panel of all women farmers in her undergrad, she decided to try it out for herself.
Iowa City, IA
Crane Creek Farms
Jeff and Jesse Eichenberger are sugaring the old fashioned way, with wholesome-looking metal taps and pails on each tree they empty every day the sap flows.
Lawler, IA
Beeler's Pure Pork
Their Heluka® breed and method of farming focuses on keeping their hogs stress-free: raising them with compassion, plenty of access to spacious bedded areas and sunshine, vegetarian feed, and no antibiotics or hormones.
Le Mars, Iowa
Cahokia Rice
Grown sustainably on a 4th generation family farm, this certified non-GMO rice is naturally 53% higher in protein than conventional rice with a low glycemic index.
McClure, IL
Echo Valley Farms
Echo Valley Farms, just eight miles outside Iowa City, produces certified organic, non‑GMO eggs on their family‑run farm.
Iowa City, Iowa