Natural Baby Products at Whitt's Place

We see a lot of young families come through the shop, and one of the questions we hear most is what we carry for the littlest ones. The answer is more than you might expect from a butcher shop. Sallie put this list together, so here is a tour of the natural baby products at Whitt's Place, from first foods to bath time.

One thing before we start. We are butchers and farmers, not doctors. Every baby is different, so before you introduce any new food to yours, your pediatrician is the right first call. With that said, here is what folks are picking up for their babies, and why.

Whipped bone marrow, a first food from the butcher case

Bone marrow has been fed to babies for generations, and it is coming back around for good reason. It is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the shop. Marrow is naturally rich in iron, which matters a great deal once a baby starts solids, and it brings collagen and amino acids like glycine and proline along with it, the same building blocks folks have always gotten from slow-simmered broths.

The texture is the other half of the story. Roast the bones until the marrow is soft, scoop it out, and whip it, and you get something light and spreadable that a brand-new eater can actually manage. Serve a little on its own or stir a spoonful into vegetables or whatever else is on the tray. It is a simple thing to make, and a little goes a long way.

We cut fresh marrow bones right here from our own Fugate Farms beef. You will find them under More Beef on the preorder site, and we are glad to talk you through roasting them.

Pasteurized goat milk from R&R Farms

Our goat milk comes from R&R Farms, the same local family farm behind our lamb, from their herd of Nubian milk goats, and they pasteurize it themselves. Families ask for it every week, often for kids with sensitive stomachs, and plenty of grown folks around here were raised on goat milk. It tends to sell out, so reserve it under Dairy on the preorder site or ask us to set a jug aside.

For babies especially, milk is a subject with a lot of opinions attached, and what is right depends on the child and their age. Have that conversation with your pediatrician first, then come see us.

Shawville Farms strawberry yogurt bites

Shawville Farms makes freeze-dried strawberry yogurt bites with real strawberries, and they have turned into a favorite with toddlers and with the parents hauling them around. The bites are small and dissolve quickly, which makes them an easy snack for the diaper bag and a good size for little ones practicing picking food up and feeding themselves. You will find them on the shelf in the store.

Goat milk baby soaps from The Soap Gal

The Soap Gal makes her soaps by hand right here in Claiborne County, and her baby line is made with goat milk and kept gentle on new skin. The bars come in calming scents or unscented, and she tops them with little ducks and dinosaurs, which does not hurt one bit at bath time. They are on the shelf in the store too, alongside the rest of her soaps and lotions.

Whipped Tallow Frog Butt diaper cream

The best product name in the building belongs to Rogue Springs, the homestead skincare brand run by Sallie's family. Frog Butt is an unscented whipped tallow diaper cream built from four simple ingredients: Whitt's Place beef tallow, jojoba oil, arrowroot powder, and zinc oxide. No water, no harsh extras, no fake perfumes.

Tallow is the old answer here for a reason. Its fats are close kin to the skin's own natural oils, so it sinks in instead of sitting on top. The zinc oxide is the same ingredient you will find in the classic diaper creams, there to soothe a sore bottom and leave a gentle shield against wetness. And the tallow itself is ours. Michael renders it in house from our Fugate Farms beef, so we know exactly what went into the jar. Order it under Rogue Springs on the preorder site.

Whipped tallow body butter for mom

Rogue Springs makes a whipped tallow body butter with the same short, recognizable ingredient list, and new moms are exactly who it was made for. Between the constant hand washing and everything else a newborn brings, skin takes a beating, and this is a deep, rich moisturizer that handles it. Nursing moms in particular tell us they want an ingredient list they can read at a glance for anything that spends the day on their skin, and this one passes that test. It sits right beside the Frog Butt under Rogue Springs.

Where to find all of it

The marrow bones, the goat milk, and the Rogue Springs jars can all be reserved on our preorder site. The Soap Gal and Shawville Farms goods live on the shelf in the store, so stop in, have a look around, and meet the rest of our local producers while you are at it. And if you are not sure what to try first, ask whoever is behind the counter. Odds are they have handed one of these to a new parent already this week.