Story by Madelyn Ostendorf
Michelle (Euken) Myers (‘09 agricultural business, economics) describes herself as a “scent storyteller,” using fragrance to evoke feelings and memories.
What began as a hobby in Myers’ spare time has grown into Dirt Road Candle Co., a brand rooted in rural Lewis, Iowa, built on storytelling and named for the dirt road she and her husband, Steven (’10 agricultural business), call home.
“I learned early that storytelling is important,” Myers says. “A blackberry and sage candle sounds nice, but if you name it Midwest Picnic, there's a whole story behind that. What feeling am I trying to evoke in someone so they connect with it? If a product makes you feel a certain way, you’re likely to come back for more.”
Myers started making candles as a hobby in 2016 while working full-time at Farm Credit. She would gift them to family and friends or sell them at local markets.
“I sat down and decided I needed to find a way to make money with candles, or I needed to stop doing it,” Myers says. “It was starting to take over my house, and I wasn't making any money. I worked to create a brand identity, and it all blossomed from there.”
In 2020, she left her job to become a full-time candle maker, launching her online business and starting an Instagram account to expand her brand. She shared candle-making adventures and everyday farm life with her followers, who fell in love with rural life.
As interest grew, Myers began offering in‑person experiences. Several times a year, she transforms her production space into a temporary storefront, welcoming visitors to the farm for weekend pop‑up shops, farm-to-table dinners and educational experiences. The hundreds of attendees shop for candles and other home products, visit the cattle and purchase homegrown beef.
“We have people come from all over Iowa to meet our cattle,” Myers says. “It’s so cool to see people connect with agriculture in ways they may never have before. My candles were the catalyst to make people from urban areas want to know more about farming.”
Myers is excited to find more ways to combine her products with educational opportunities. Her latest adventure involves creating a beef tallow-based skincare line, Rooted Tallow, to teach customers about beef byproducts and their uses.
"I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I would have never guessed my candle hobby would be what launched me into that role,” Myers says. “It was the best decision I ever made. I'm really glad that I took the leap of faith.”