E ric Sparrow ships soy wax products f rom the New Hampton based American Soy O rganics.
Soy Glow Soy illuminates Iowa candle company BY BE T HANY BARATTA
D
eep, rich notes of freshly roasted and brewed coffee and warm, floral breezes of cotton mingling with soft apple, powdery musk and violet fully immerse the senses when stepping into the distribution center at Milkhouse Candle Co. in St. Ansgar. On this Wednesday, candles made with soy oil from Midwestgrown soybeans are labeled and sent down the line for further quality assurance before being boxed and shipped to the company’s network of 1,400 distributors. Some Milkhouse
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Candle Co. candles will be waiting for customers in shops at the Des Moines International Airport or the Paula Deen Store in Savannah, Georgia; some will journey farther to South Korea, Slovakia, Poland and South America. The higher oil content in Midwest soybeans makes it perfect for blending with beeswax for the Coffee Break, Cotton Blossom, Welcome Home and other scents available in the company’s product line.
Soy joy It all began when Eric and Janet
Sparrow were planning their wedding on Eric’s acreage. They wanted to add a personal touch to the wedding by making their own candles to adorn tablescapes and also to give as gifts for guests. Those candles were made with paraffin. But the Sparrows found joy in the process of candle making and wanted to explore using soy wax as a cleaner-burning alternative to paraffin, which is derived from petroleum. “At that time, soy wax was new to the market, and it was difficult to work with,” Eric says.
