My husband is incredibly sensitive to poison ivy. Yard work makes him miserable, and it seems no matter how much of that awful weed we kill, one little patch of it manages to survive. Inevitably, he will find that lone survivor as he mows and suffer its painful, itchy wrath for the next week.

This problem has made us connoisseurs of cortisone, buyers of Benadryl, and all-around experts in anti-itch potions.

When I left to visit the Linton Farmers’ Market on Saturday, my husband was dejectedly marching out to mow the lawn, resigned to his fate, and I felt so sorry for him. Little did I know that my Saturday morning ritual at the Market would potentially solve our poison ivy problem for good. I stopped to talk to the always knowledgeable Sarah Wall, who staffs the Pure Hearts and Clean Hands Soap Company booth, and she told me all about the poison ivy soap in her display.

She said it was made with a mixture of jewelweed extract and French green clay, and it had kept poison ivy at bay in her family for years. I was eager to try it. At $11.00 a bar, it may seem a bit pricey to some, but given the bank I have invested in Aveeno products over the years just to treat the symptoms, I thought the price was very reasonable. It will keep for years, Wall explained, as long as it is allowed to dry before storing.

I was excited to bring the soap home and present it to my husband. He was just finishing as I arrived, and immediately took the soap in for a good wash.

I am happy to report that we are now three days post-lawn-mowing with NO poison ivy symptoms. Check out our lovely soap vendor this coming Saturday. Whether you fear an outbreak of poison ivy, or just want to smell really good, they will have something you cannot live without.

–Amy Lore, Linton Farmers’ Market Steering Committee