Buffalo Ridge Orchard
The best thing about being an apple farmer is that, unlike a ripe tomato, [an apple] doesn’t have to be picked right now. It can wait until tomorrow. It is a nice pace.”
Central City, IA
Type: Producer
Produces: Skincare
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Miles from Coop: 1
Made from organic tallow sourced from grass-fed cows in Eastern Iowa (or from the Co-op!), Gray Toad Tallow Balm is pure and natural nourishment for all skin types.
Five years ago, Sharon's son began to get red patches on his legs and she developed red, dry patches on her face. She wanted the most natural remedy without side effects that can come from lotions and creams, even organic ones. After researching, she found tallow balm and began making it from locally sourced animals.
"By the time we saw our doctor two weeks later I had to point out where the patches had been and then cleared up with the tallow balm. It has since been used by friends and family to soothe eczema, psoriasis, dry skin, saddle sores from cycling, calluses, sunburns, chapped lips and more! "

Tallow balm is a skincare product made from rendered animal fat. Gray Toad Tallow uses organic beef tallow, often sourced right from New Pi's Meat Department! Tallow's rich composition of vitamins A, D, E, and K offer unique nourishing properties for the skin, with a lipid profile that mimics our skin.
Gray Toad Tallow can be used like a traditional moisturizer. Apply a small amount to clean, dry skin and massage gently. It can also be used as a targeted treatment for dry patches, chapped lips, or as an overnight mask for intensified hydration. It is safe for use on face and body, and suitable for children.
Checkout these great products from Gray Toad Tallow
Be sure to check out these others great local producers!
The best thing about being an apple farmer is that, unlike a ripe tomato, [an apple] doesn’t have to be picked right now. It can wait until tomorrow. It is a nice pace.”
Central City, IA
“We keep [the turkeys] rotating onto fresh pasture. It’s a true free-range program, outdoors from early spring.”
Cannon Falls, MN
Jeff and Jesse Eichenberger are sugaring the old fashioned way, with wholesome-looking metal taps and pails on each tree they empty every day the sap flows.
Lawler, IA
Herb & Kathy set out to elevate humanely raised Iowa pork to a top-class Italian delicacy, and they’ve done just that.
Norwalk, IA
Grown sustainably on a 4th generation family farm, this certified non-GMO rice is naturally 53% higher in protein than conventional rice with a low glycemic index.
McClure, IL
Lindsey and Kyle operate their kombucha micro-brewery with sustainability and harmony with the land in mind. Using locally sourced medicinal plants, they aim to celebrate 1-2 ingredients in their recipes.
Fairfield, IA
Our local source for non-GMO sweet corn! In 1999, at the age of 15, Blake Kerns rented two acres of abandoned crop land, borrowed a planter, and seeded sweet corn. Twenty years later he's still planting, picking, and delivering fresh picked homegrown produce.
Oelwein, IA
Levi's Indigenous Fruit Enterprise is known for their aronia berries, which are native to Iowa, through sustainable farming practices that work with nature.
Keota, IA