Homesteading Made Easy

Old-Time Life Skills in a Modern Shop

It’s a sunny day on Carpinteria Avenue as I drive past an organic farm stand and pull into a dirt parking lot. I walk into a breezy red barn, home to Heritage Goods & Supply, and instantly I’m transported to a place of homesteading traditions for the modern world.

“You can live in an apartment and [still] bring in elements of a handmade life,” said Ashley Moore, one of the shop’s three founders. Moore, an herbalist, joined forces with Lauren Malloy, who lives on a ranch and specializes in animal supplies, and Emma Moore (no relation), an esteemed home cook. The mothers and friends began their creative union as Women’s Heritage blog, through which they hosted a series of workshops, putting their talents together and offering tutorials on everything from making sourdough bread to milking cows. “There’s something for everyone,” Ashley said.

Soon enough, they discovered that a yearning to resurrect a more do-it-yourself way of life had a powerful draw in the community and decided to open their store as a way to make the homestead life more available. “I can learn the new skill and then get completely set up to bring it home,” Ashley said of their store, which stocks supplies people need to learn new skills. The group now hosts a handful of classes and free demos every month on diverse skills such as foraging and vegetable pickling.

Ashley Moore (left) and Emma Moore (no relation) of Heritage Goods & Supply.

The store also features necessities for beekeeping, incense creation, and more, including a preservative-free skincare line set up next to a coop of baby chicks. For those looking to walk out with a finished product, there are beautiful handmade items, including dresses, hand-dyed quilts, vintage jeans, ceramic mugs, children’s books, and more treasures from the founders’ circle of friends. The store also features classic names such as Dansko shoes and Patagonia. “And you could literally leave [the store] with a [fully assembled] chicken coop,” Ashley said.