In the beginning, Dan Mitchell was like most other young candlemakers, starting an operation in a small apartment with little more than a large pot, an electric stove, and a handful of oils and extracts. Soon enough, his sales would wildly outpace other candlemakers, and his wares would be available around the province, country, and world.
What made him and his product stand out? How did The Farmer’s Son and Co enter such a competitive, saturated market, and win? Well… after following the business, speaking with Dan about his youth on the farm, (yes he is an actual farmer’s son) the business’s growth, and his philosophies on life… the answer became crystal clear. He doesn’t sell candles. He sells stories. He sells memories, and experiences. The candle is simply a medium in which the stories are told… and what a story he can tell.
Scent is a powerful sensation. Can you not remember crossing a scent, and it immediately transporting you back to your youth, a quiet moment around a campfire, or a past romance?
Consider one of their best selling fragrances, and description thereof repatriated from the online site, Prairie.
“How does one describe the smell of the prairies? How does one describe the feeling as you find yourself in awe with beauty all around you? How can you describe the feeling of spending the afternoon bouncing down endless backroads in a rusty old farm truck? Sun in your eyes, and warm on your skin. Blue skies and a cloud of dust behind you. How can you describe a perfect looking barley field to someone who’s never experienced it for themselves?
A complex scent years in the making, Prairie contains notes of prairie barley, common blue violets and currant, along with subtle notes of wild grasses and white musk. Light and green with subtle musk and sweetness. Prairie will take you back to your roots, no matter where home may now be.”
And so the story starts, with a scent… But their now foray into crafted and curated homes wares, and purveying of fine middle eastern rugs, the greatest story unfolds. The story of a space. Materials, decor, and functional pieces. Tactile and layering… a new story, room to room.
We have a saying in advertising… everything communicates. Or, more eloquently… everything tells a story. You’ll be hard pressed to find anything at The Farmer’s Son and Co that won’t start the story in your home. After all, a home really is nothing but a collection of great stories.
I would argue that a farmer, like a rancher, or a sailor, are vocations only for the truly romantic. Hard work, outdoors, wild weather, danger, pests and problems. Why else would they do it? Well the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as they say. The farmer’s son may have left the farm, but the farm has not left him. Whether him aware or not, romance is found in all he does. In every product, scent, space, and story therein.
What else could you expect from the son of a farmer?
If you don't love it, just unsubscribe. But, we promise that you will. : )
