09/22/2026
It's the co-op's vision to support a thriving local economy, and in this weekly series we will introduce you to some of the local vendors providing our community with good, local food. Meet Summit Hill Gardens!
Patsy Smeed's approach to soapmaking has remained remarkably personal, even as her craft has grown. She began making soap with her grandmother on her farm as a child. Using the fat from their animals mixed with lye, they created a pure white soap for their family’s everyday use.
She’s been making soaps ever since.
Each bar is a unique recipe, made with different ingredients for different people’s skin, rather than a base recipe with ingredients added in. She now makes more than 50 different bars for a wide variety of uses, scents and benefits.“I’ve made bars for certain people over the years too. I’m always thinking about certain people when I’m making a bar.” That connection to people is part of what Patsy enjoys most about soapmaking.
“There’s always some exciting new product with some incredible skin benefit to try. That’s a fun aspect of it too. Morocco, Brazil - these ingredients come from these other countries and it gives you a global tie. We’re really global anymore. We’re not just this little place in Chanute. That’s such a cool thing to be part of the whole big picture.”
Learn more on our website, and find Summit Hill Gardens soaps at the co-op!
https://www.themerc.coop/news/2026/9/15/summithillgardens
