Liquid Gold: A Métis Entrepreneur’s Legacy from Pemmican to Tallow 

By John Wirth, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(ANNews) – Jessica is a determined Métis entrepreneur and owner of Jessica’s Liquid Gold Tallow, a company that is wholly Indigenous woman-owned and operated. She manufactures artisanal batches of locally sourced tallow into skincare products.

On April 25th, she set up a beautiful market stall in the vibrant, picturesque New Gen pop-up market in Vancouver, on the corner of 1800 Davie Street, English Bay. Here, the urban pulse of the West End meets the serenity of the Pacific, and the scent of blooming cherry blossoms drifts from the park to mingle with the salt air of the famous sun-drenched Sea Wall.

After realizing there was a niche market and receiving specific requests, she made a pivot to cosmetics and skincare. Her business is now expanding from online sales to in-person markets. “I doubled down and dug right in, then signed up for the Richmond night market,” she says. Reflecting on the experience at the English Bay market, she adds, “now I have to commit. Now, I’m in full production mode for the night market, and I think that one is gonna be really busy.”

Heritage and Foundations

Jessica draws on the history of the fur trade and traditional food preservation in her work. She has been passionate about working with tallow in different ways for many years. She explains that, “I started with tallow because I was really into food prep and preservation like making pemmican.” While Jessica has been making tallow for years, this is her first year “launching for everyone” to see her in person by participating in Local Vancouver markets.

Pemmican is a traditional food packed with energy and vital nutrition that was used by our ancestors to keep meat and berries from spoiling on long journeys on the trail. She adds that at one time, it was the “backbone of the fur-trade and survival in Canada.” Keeping these techniques thriving provides not only a timely alternative to ultra-processed foods but a deep statement on food sovereignty.

“I was born and raised on Saltspring Island primarily,” Jessica says, “that’s my home base and community of makers and artists who have always inspired me to pursue my curiosity and creativity.”

She looks back fondly on her upbringing and how it resonates within her work and life. “Saltspring Island is a really magical place,” Jessica remarks, “I always gravitate back to. It’s such an interesting mix of makers, farmers, musicians, artists. It’s fundamentally ingrained in me.”

She was raised in a way that prepared her and instilled a sense of sovereignty and independence. Jessica illustrates that, “My family are kind of like back to the land-ers, so that’s how I was raised in a lot of off-grid communities,” she says, “and so I’m kind of trying my best to carry that forward.”

Philosophy and Purity

Jessica is a “purist at heart,” avoiding artificial preservatives and complex chemical lists. Declaring that “there is no artificial preservative system in this at all. Tallow is the preservative and it will last forever.” While she prides herself on the inherent stability of tallow, she packages her salves in small batches to ensure peak potency during their recommended six-month shelf life.

She further elaborates what sets her product apart from the others, “In my lotions, I don’t add anything [extra]… There are a lot of other tallow companies across the planet, and they add food such as cocoa powder and honey to scent it; but these add food for bacterias as well.” Unlike these competitor brands, Jessica uses a blend of oils without artificial preservatives. This attention on purity led to her first skincare product line, ‘Ancestral Salve,’ which centers around its traditional health focus.

She declares that “my mission is to balance and protect our hormones and avoid all endocrine disruptions that conventional skincare products are full of.”

Jessica holds a strong line by using local products in the creation of her tallow. “I source mostly from the lower mainland and valley areas and then expand outward if I have to. I always source locally first, then BC, then outward into Canada.” However, because of this commitment to local prosperity she is limited in production when specific items, such as her preferred zinc that goes on the skin clear, are sold out in Canada.

Labor and dedication

The transition from philosophy to production is a demanding one. To maintain her standards without synthetic stabilizers, Jessica relies on a relentless, small-batch schedule.

“It takes a lot of effort. It’s not an effortless thing – it’s a labor of love,” she says. With the Richmond Night Market approaching, her home has become a staging ground. “My living room is a pseudo-market and my kitchen is a factory. It’s kind of taking over the house.”

She manages this by making something every day, often finishing batches the night before a market to ensure the product is fresh. For Jessica, avoiding artificial preservatives means staying in constant motion, rendering and pouring in high-frequency cycles to keep the tallow potent.

Healing Properties and Proof of Concept

Jessica shared that customers have reported that her products have helped heal severe eczema, psoriasis, acne, and rashes.

“I had a friend with one of the most severe cases of psoriasis anyone had ever seen. He went to conventional doctors and tried everything – tests, creams, steroids –  but nothing was working; sometimes it even made it worse. I told him, ‘Before you do anything crazy, let me make you something.’ I dropped off a big jar of tallow and some bath bombs for him to use throughout the day. He got back to me and said it helped so much when nothing else would touch it. That was my proof of concept. It gave me a real sense of purpose and encouraged me to explore this more.”

Key ingredients 

“We use Neem, Black Seed Oil, and Tallow, which all work symbiotically. Black Seed Oil is incredibly potent; these are very powerful oils.”

Neem oil is packed full of antioxidants and essential fatty acids; it has been shown to be effective in reducing acne inflammation and promoting wound healing. While black seed oil is traditionally known for being an antibacterial powerhouse, modern research is increasingly focused on its ability to support the skin’s defense against even the most stubborn environmental stressors and bacteria.

“I might add,” Jessica elaborates, “not all tallow is created equal! I am wholly committed to sourcing ethical suet, grass fed and farmed without the use of antibiotics or hormones.”

Suet is the high quality fatty tissue that surrounds organs such as the kidneys of the cow, is full of vitamins and prized for rendering into tallow. It’s important to use quality suet because toxins and pesticides are often concentrated in fatty tissues. When it’s of high quality, the tallow it renders into has anti-inflammatory properties that are perfect for balms, salves and lotions.

Family and Legacy

Jessica’s business is built on her desire for independence. The idea for her J.L.G. Tallow Co. line came from her own needs as a mom. Because she is a single parent, she makes sure every product is powerful, clean, and safe enough for her own children to use every day. Her small-batch tallow production is a family business; her children help with chores and lifting the heavy things. They are also the valued official testers for the business, often enjoying what Jessica calls, the “reject” bath bombs that don’t quite make it to the market stall.

She brings this same care to how she picks her ingredients and how she plans her work days. As a single mother who schools her kids at home, she designed her business to fit around her family. This allows her to be there for her children while building something for their future. In her home, work and family life flow together. Her children don’t just watch from the sidelines; they help out and learn the value of hard work and honesty.

She emphasizes teaching her children integrity by “doing the right thing when no one is looking” and the importance of being of service to others. “I always tell my kids that the number one thing in life is to have integrity.” To Jessica, this is a modern way to live out the traditional Métis values of self-reliance she learned growing up.