The Land Connection

I’ve just returned from a 250 mile drive to visit my brother, passing a vast amount of fertile, rolling farm land. My drive lasts 5 hours, and during the entire time, I never turn on a radio, nor listen to any music.  I prefer to use this time to observe the land, a hawk floating effortlessly on warm air currents in the wide open sky, and to think.  If I allow any auditory distractions, it’s the sound of the wind, a train whistle, or the occasional song of a Meadowlark; it’s pure, sweet call that drifts across the prairies.  At this time of year, corn, soybeans and alfalfa (leafy feed for cows, horses, etc.) are being harvested, and the wheat crop is in. Corn and soybeans are being trucked from the fields to grain elevators, and alfalfa must be cut, dried, set into rows, baled, and then stored for the winter.  For hundreds of miles, across flat land, hills, dips and hollows, I see where the American farmer has stitched his patchwork of crops across the fabric of this country.  A farmer can be proud when he sees the fruit of his planning, sowing and reaping–it is his connection to the land–to this earth.

For centuries, farmers have known the wisdom of being good land, air, and water stewards. They have learned it from those who came before them; those who, by the sweat of their brow, dogged determination, vision, and the long-held value of a strong work ethic, were able to create a good and healthy life here on earth.   To be successful in farming– or whatever you do, there is no other way.  When practicing good land or crop management, quality is the key–whether it be choosing the proper crop for certain soils, quality seed, or diligent crop management, if you don’t start with the best, you’ll find yourself with inferior results. I won’t soon forget the time I met up with a person who didn’t understand the reality of farming… he said, “All you have to do is plant the seeds and then just love ’em…”   I smiled. I’d been there before.

J.R.LIGGETT’S wouldn’t be where it is today–as the top choice for a 100% natural shampoo bar, if J.R. wasn’t a good steward of his resources… if he didn’t make a conscious choice to use prime ingredients for his shampoo bars, if all he did was arbitrarily throw some concoction together and hope for the best and, “…just love them”.  He has a vision, he has a plan. He possesses the all- American work ethic, and has the drive to bring you the best product that can possibly be made. He cares about quality, he respects our resources, and his utmost desire is to give you a product that is healthy for our bodies and our environment.

There are no second-rate nor inferior ingredients in J.R.LIGGETT’S Shampoo Bars, just pure, fresh, crystal-clear New Hampshire spring water, and unadulterated, natural, healthy for you and me, plant-based oils. Jojoba promotes skin healing and fights bacteria. Peppermint neutralizes dryness of the scalp and reduces redness and its fresh scent invigorates and lifts our spirits. Aloe Vera is excellent for cuts, burns, minor skin irritations, and is very soothing and healing.  Tea Tree is capable of killing stubborn germs and blends easily with our skin’s own natural oils making it inhospitable for the growth of organisms.  Rosemary contains anti-oxidants, is good for a dry itchy scalp, and stimulates blood flow and circulation.  Lavender is quite effective on lice, lice eggs, and nits. It’s also well-known for its calming and relaxing properties.  Almond oil, a great source of Vitamin E, also moisturizes and is excellent for itchy, dry skin. It makes hair strong and thick and controls hair loss. All are plant-based oils for an over-the-top quality product. J.R.LIGGETT’S  products do not contain the harsh detergent Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and never will.  J.R. knows that lax planning, inferior ingredients,  and sloppy product management produces an inferior ‘crop’… he understands the long-lasting consequences of poor choices, of poor stewardship.

By using J.R.LIGGETT’S Shampoo Bars and his top of the line products, I can feel, smell and experience my own personal connection to the land that sustains me. I can grab onto and hold in my hand values that aren’t temporal, but lasting.  The refreshing fragrances and soothing, healing oils can take me away to a natural, healthy, wholesome place in my life–a quiet corner, a private place where I know that I too, am making a difference in my own small way, to make this world a better home for all who live here.

Joy Richter  2011                       ©copyright 2011 J.R.LIGGETT LTD