Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen And Jeff Shipley.
Hi Karen and Jeff, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We are Shipley Acres looking to tell our story to Voyage KC magazine. Jeff purchased the 100-acre property in 2008. Honeybees and hives were on the property when he arrived. He learned the art of beekeeper through a class and old-fashioned trial and error. His mother tells the story that people were lined up outside her door for a spoon full of raw Missouri honey as it cured cancer, anxiety, and ED. He felt it was entertaining encouragement, but it did propel his efforts. He was successful in his apiary agenda to cut the wax caps off the frames to purify the beeswax and filtering the raw honey to remove any debris leaving liquid gold. He met Karen and she brought science and creativity to the property. She gently persuaded Jeff to take the abundance of the farm and multiply it into products to share with the community and beyond. As a research scientist with a background in molecular biology, forensic science, and chemistry she had the laboratory experience and knowledge to pull together a product line for skin care incorporating the beeswax as well as other ingredients from the property or carefully sourced to build a natural ingredient skincare line from lip balm to muscle rub, serums, moisturizers and beyond. We learned how to label, package, and ship products along the way and now enjoy sharing the bounty of 100 acres with others who value local, small-batch products formulated by hand and shared with great pride. The property also stewards 100 chickens that provide eggs for the local meat company, Odessa Meat Co. The chickens have been another adventure in learning slowly and purposefully. They require significant time and care to maintain health especially during the extremes of Missouri weather. Keeping livestock is a privilege everyone should experience. People benefit from knowing where their food comes from. There is great time time, sweat equity, and expense required for the proper care of livestock. In our case providing artisan eggs. It makes one think about what they buy off the shelf and that price point with skepticism.
Only two people are involved in every aspect of Shipley Acres products. This includes sourcing ingredients, formulating products, packaging, labeling, and shipping to our customers. We rise early to care for the chickens including Mary Francis, the special needs hen, and remove waste that will provide fertility back to the land or tend to the bees. Then we shift to our full-time, professional careers. Evenings and weekends are for washing and packaging eggs, formulating products and shipping to our customers. It’s been an intense, steep learning curve but much love has been incorporated into the process because we believe heart and soul in what we are doing and providing. We have both devoted our lifetime careers to bioscience and healthcare and that hasn’t changed. Our background is unique in that we have spent time in corporate America sciences and are privileged enough to have abundance on the property to provide natural alternatives to people who have never had handcrafted, small-batch, natural ingredient experiences.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
On a rural, farm property there are always obstacles and challenges. The challenges are more numerous than the successes. There have been international bee issues which Shipley Acres has also been impacted by. Chicken health, drought, insects, weather, supply chain issues, and equipment break downs. Any agricultural property has experienced the same. The only path forward is to find both creative and innovative ways to overcome. Mental flexibility is an asset that is more valuable than any other. Time is, hands-down, the biggest challenge. Time to devote to the farm and business once the corporate workday is complete. Without sacrificing time to devote to our family and each other.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Shipley Acres was never built to chase trends or volume. It was built from a place of stewardship, curiosity, and care. What sets us apart is that we are first and foremost producers, not marketers. We steward the farm where raw honey, beeswax, eggs, and inspiration all originate. Our pairing of science and agriculture allows us to create products that are natural without being naïve and effective without being over-engineered. No fillers. No shortcuts. No ingredients included just to sound impressive. Most importantly, Shipley Acres is personal. We live here. We work full-time careers outside the farm. We raise the bees, tend the hens, formulate the products, and pack the orders ourselves. Our customers aren’t buying from a brand persona they’re buying from people who passionately believe in our products and rural, agricultural America.
We’re proud that our skincare and gift offerings are built around ingredient integrity, not hype. We’re proud that customers trust us with sensitive skin, gift-giving moments, and daily rituals. We’re also deeply proud of the emotional connection people feel to the brand. Shipley Acres resonates with those who miss slower mornings, handwritten notes, farm kitchens, and the feeling that a product was made by someone who cared. That sense of nostalgia isn’t manufactured. It’s a reflection of how we actually live and work.
We want readers to know that Shipley Acres offers more than products. We offer an alternative. An alternative to big-box gifting, to anonymous supply chains, and to ingredient lists that require a chemistry degree to decipher.
Our offerings include raw Missouri honey, beeswax based lip balms, farm-inspired body care, and thoughtfully curated gift boxes that range from small tokens of comfort to more elaborate expressions of gratitude. Everything is designed to be useful, nourishing, and gift-worthy.
We also want readers to know that supporting Shipley Acres, or any small, rural, or artisan maker, is about more than a transaction. It’s about preserving skills, farms, and families who are choosing to create with their hands and hearts in a world that often rewards speed over substance.
If Shipley Acres isn’t the right fit for someone, we hope they’ll still choose to support another small maker, farmer, or rural artisan. When you buy from people who care deeply about what they make, you’re supporting health, joy, craftsmanship, and community. That choice, multiplied, matters more than most people realize.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Being present in listening to what the customer wants and needs has been the most vital lesson we have learned. The voice of the customer has been the catalyst in retiring some products and expanding others. Regardless of what we think would be great products the customer dictates what will be successful.
Another lesson we learned is the tremendous amount of work involved in product packaging and labeling. Our brand is simple. Simple packaging. Simple labeling. We have reserved the true magic for what is inside the container. It took a great deal of research to find appropriate packaging and labeling methods that keep costs for those items down. Therefore, the natural ingredients can be the best ingredients possible while offering a wholesome product that is affordable for as many people as possible. Our margin is extremely low because it is a cause we believe in so wholeheartedly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ShipleyAcres.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556521223890
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-howard-shipley-pmp-4b27a114b/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-shipley/
