About Us: Full story

Healthy living and nature have always been at the heart of my life. Back in high school, I spent my summers on extended backpacking trips to Alaska, Wyoming, and Idaho through a YMCA program. In 2002, my love for the outdoors led me to Bozeman, Montana, where I studied health and nutrition and took classes on natural healing at local co-ops. I kept going on backpacking adventures, and it was during that time that I attended my first lotion and lip balm–making class at the sweetest little herb shop — I still have the original recipe! I fell in love immediately: the ingredients, the aromas, the process, and the endless creative possibilities.

I quickly realized the traditional college setting wasn’t for me — I’m a hands-on, creative learner who craves adventure. So I joined a summer program that let me study botany and ecology while backpacking in Utah. That’s where I discovered my “gateway herb” — yucca! Learning how its root could be rubbed with water and used as soap opened my eyes to the power of herbs and sparked my passion for herbal healing.

Back home in Mankato in 2004, I worked as a CNA but spent my free time foraging and studying local plants with my fiancé, John. Our first joint purchase was Edible and Medicinal Plants of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and we spent countless weekends harvesting stinging nettle, Solomon’s seal, burdock, Virginia waterleaf, and more. Nature has always been our point of connection.

When our first daughter was born in 2006, I started making cold-process soap as a hobby. I’d sneak downstairs during nap time to whip up tiny batches, using essential oils and local herbs. We gave the soaps as gifts and set up a tiny table at the Mankato Farmers’ Market. From that humble start, our soap batches have grown from 1 pound to 22 pounds (about 100 bars!) — and today, we’ve developed an entire skincare line built on years of herbal knowledge and hands-on practice. We still sell at the Mankato Farmers’ Market, along with local shops and online.

Our 10-acre farmstead, which we purchased in 2014, is managed like a nature preserve. Our goal is to build an ecosystem focused on edible and medicinal plants while supporting biodiversity — our bird list alone is already over 150 species! We grow many of our herbs ourselves, so we know exactly what goes into every product. I keep expanding my knowledge through herbal courses, workshops, and foraging adventures with John and our four kids.

John is not only our behind-the-scenes builder and permaculture mastermind — he’s also the artist behind our handcrafted soaps, blending colors, layers, and swirls so that each bar is its own little work of art. He builds our soap molds, cutters, displays, and labels, and he’s passionate about connecting people to their local ecosystem through what we make.

In 2010, we left our part-time jobs to commit to YULA full time. Together, we’ve learned to lean into our strengths — I create new formulas, and John invents the tools that help us make them better and more efficiently. We love what we do and feel grateful every day to grow, create, and share products that help people feel confident, comfortable, and connected to nature.

Thank you for being part of our story — it means so much to our family.

Melissa and John Kruse