About Us

Welcome to Laura Rhodes Naturals: From Our Homestead to Your Home

Welcome to the Rhodes House Homestead, nestled in the scenic countryside between Clifford and Piney River in Amherst County, Virginia! Here at our one-acre abode, my husband Mark and I pour our hearts into every square foot, striving to enrich the soil, maintain our beloved property and animals, tend to our thriving garden, and be good stewards of what has been entrusted to us by God.

It’s from this fertile ground that we sustainably grow and raise nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers—just as nature intended. Our cherished cat and happy chickens roam freely, acting as our natural tillers and fertilizers, and providing us with wonderfully nutritious and delicious eggs.

From the abundance of our homegrown herbs and flowers, we meticulously create dried floral home decor that finds its way into homes both locally and nationwide. We also incorporate our homegrown treasures into a diverse range of products, including teas, culinary herbal seasonings, luxurious bath and body items, and medicinal products, many of which are also offered at the Rockfish Gift Gallery in Afton, VA.

We're passionate about sharing our homegrown bounty! Our fresh produce is offered for sale within our community and through the local Online Four Seasons Farmers Market. We also craft Baked Goods, Canned Goods, all-natural cuisine, fermented beverages, and teas, providing samples or selling ingredients for you to create your own wholesome meals and drinks at home. Every baked good we offer is made with ethically sourced ingredients, always with your health and well-being in mind.

A Glimpse into Our Natural Offerings:

At LauraRhodesNaturals.com, you'll discover a curated selection of products crafted with care and natural goodness. Here are just a few examples from our categories:

Dried Floral Home Decor:

Dried Annabelle Hydrangea Blooms: Beautiful bunches of naturally dried Annabelle Hydrangea blooms, perfect for year-round decor or spring accents. Grown without pesticides or sprays, offering pure, enduring beauty.
Rustic Dried Herbal Wreath: A charming, round wreath featuring homegrown dried herbs like catmint, lemon balm, mint, sage, and lavender. Ready to hang, it adds natural aroma and can even be used for culinary purposes—just pinch off what you need!
"Strawberry Vanilla" Dried Hydrangea Wreath: A simple yet elegant wreath showcasing the unique blush-pink and creamy white hues of our homegrown "Strawberry Vanilla" Hydrangea blooms. A beautiful statement piece for any season.

Culinary Herbal Seasonings:

Rhodes House Garden Herb Blend: A savory mix of our farm-fresh, dried herbs, perfect for seasoning roasted vegetables, meats, or adding depth to your favorite dishes.

Teas & Fermented Beverages (Ingredients/Samples):

Garden Berry Bliss Tea Blend: A refreshing and fruity herbal tea, featuring dried berries and herbs from our garden. Perfect for a comforting hot brew or a cool iced tea.
Homemade Kvass Starter: All the natural ingredients you need to begin crafting your own effervescent fermented Kvass at home.

Bath & Body Items:

Herbal Bath Soak: A luxurious blend of homegrown herbs, designed to relax your mind and nourish your skin after a long day.

Medicinal & Spa Products:

Herbal Immune Support Tincture: Crafted with select immune-boosting herbs from our garden, this tincture provides natural support for your well-being.

The Benefits of Shopping Local with Laura Rhodes Naturals:

Choosing to shop with Laura Rhodes Naturals means more than just getting a product; it's an investment in community, quality, and well-being:

Unrivaled Freshness & Quality: From our garden to your hands, our homegrown items are harvested and crafted with immense care, ensuring you receive products of superior freshness, potency, and beauty that you simply can't find in mass-produced goods.
Direct from the Source: You know exactly where your products come from. We believe in transparency and the genuine connection between grower and consumer.
Supporting Sustainable Practices: Your purchase directly champions our commitment to all-natural, no-spray, no-pesticide farming. You're supporting methods that enrich the earth and provide truly wholesome goods.
Community Connection: By choosing us, you directly contribute to the economic vitality of Amherst, VA, and help a small family business thrive. We're your neighbors, striving to provide healthy alternatives for our friends and community in Central Virginia.
Personalized Care: As a small business, we pride ourselves on exceptional customer service. We're dedicated to ensuring your satisfaction and are always here to answer your questions and share our passion for natural living.

At Laura Rhodes Naturals, we are driven by a desire to be the best we can be, offering healthy alternatives and beautiful, handcrafted goods to our cherished friends and community in Central Virginia and beyond. Thank you for supporting our dream!

The Rhodes Family: Laura, Mark, Graylin (Snowball - Rest in Peace)

Our Testimony:

Laura was born in Lynchburg, VA and raised in Amherst County along with her younger brother, Brian. She had many fun times as a child playing with her brother and the neighborhood children. After disobediance to authority figures and rebellion in her younger years the Lord began to reveal Himself more and more to her that she needed a savior and became convicted of her sin. By faith in Jesus to take away sin, repentance and turning toward Jesus to live her life for Him and not herself that she could become a new creature in Christ. It has been a continual and progressive progress, but God is faithful, longsuffering and patient. God gives more light as we go along in life and we are responsible to walk in that light as we get it. It is Laura's desire to be a doer of the Word and not merely a hearer and to encourage others along the way as she is continually being challenged by God's principles and plan for her life.

Mark was born in Lexington, VA and raised in western Amherst County at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He has three older brothers and a younger sister. Much of his early years were spent discovering and enjoying treasures in nature and playing with his brothers. Even from an early age, he sensed a desire to read and know the Bible. His father, whom he dearly loved died when Mark was ten years old. After that, he allowed bitterness and rebellion to enter his life. This resulted from resisted God's wonderful grace and power to submit to authority. During his teenage years Mark was asked by a man where he intended to spend eternity-heaven or hell? Mark couldn't truthfully say heaven, so the answer must be hell! Mark determined that morning he was going to settle the matter that day and at church went forward and confessed his need of Christ's forgiveness. After finishing high school, he started to work at Meredith-Burda (now R.R. Donnelley Printing Co.). In the 30 plus years he has worked there God has used his career as God's classroom. God used a co-worker to disciple Mark and is thankful for all that were used along the way to bring him to where he is today.

Our Story:

Even though we were both raised in Amherst County on Route 130, we had never officially met until the fall of 1998. After meeting in Sunday School class at church we began praying, hiking, and "hanging out". Mark sensed early on that God was awakening a desire in his heart for Laura. But it wasn't until the summer of 2001 that Laura began entertaining the notion of Mark being a potential future husband. During this time God was grooming Mark as he prayed and asked God to make him a Godly man. Our God, who is faithful, started to answer and brought problem areas to the surface where they could be dealt with through prayer, accountability and the blood of Christ. The Lord really started to work on Laura's heart through a mutual friend who became a mentor and asked very probing questions about her intents and goals concerning Mark. In the spring of 2002, after much prayer and soul searching, Laura came to the conclusion that this was of God and could not see the rest of her life without Mark. On April 22, 2002 at the corner of Keystone Road and Eastwood Drive faith became sight as Laura accepted Mark's official marriage proposal that he gave on bended knee!

In 2002 we said "I do" - September 21st

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. - Prov. 13:12

The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul. - Prov. 13:19a

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me....