Raising Pynes LLC

Rachel Pyne opened Raising Pynes Refillery and Homestead Wares in Shawano on June 4.

816 E. Green Bay St., Shawano
raisingpynes@gmail.com

After living in places such as Virginia and Texas with her husband while he was in the service, Rachel Pyne, a Sheboygan native, now calls Shawano home and recently opened Raising Pynes Refillery and Homestead Wares, a business that offers natural health products, eco-friendly everyday products and a refilling station.
“The vision for Raising Pynes really began when my husband, Josh, and I moved back home to Wisconsin after he completed his service in the U.S. Army,” she said. “The transition from locations where everything was instantly accessible to a more rural setting brought a major realization that we had stores but were missing connection.”
The roots of her vision for the business, she said, came from her parents teaching her to rely on her own hands.
“I found myself wanting to learn traditional skills — how to garden, how to make things fresh or by hand, how to live a little simpler and more sustainably,” she said. “Living in this beautiful world, we need to be conscious of that, and we all live near water in one form or another here in Wisconsin. Whenever I asked questions at stores, the response was usually, ‘I don’t know, I just work here.’ I could only watch so many YouTube videos. I am one of those who learn by doing and using my hands. I realized our community was missing a space where people could simply ask questions without judgment and find genuine resources. I want this space to be a place of connection where people can get answers or find those who know them.”
Pyne said her background has always centered on helping others.
“I’ve worked in the veterinarian field, spent a few years working with children, particularly those on the autism spectrum, and worked retail here in Shawano,” she said. “As the years went on, I knew I needed to align my daily work with my deepest passions. I wanted to spend my days in the garden, working with my birds (chickens and ducks), creating with my hands and living more authentically. When I turned 40, I hit a milestone. I decided it was time to stop building others’ dreams and start working toward my own joy and being me.”
As a result, Raising Pynes was born, as Pyne said, to offer her family and others “better options.”
“I am working to create a place where you do not have to spend an hour reading every single label just to ensure a product is safe for your family,” she said.
Some of those products include a safe, pleasant-smelling insect and tick repellent,  plant-based laundry detergents and safe deodorants, a wide selection of reusable glass pump bottles, sprayers, oven-safe storage containers, pressure canners and clean dog treats.
Raising Pynes also offers products made locally such as real maple syrup harvested in Red River, handmade wooden items such as wall sconces and candle trays.
There are also handmade aprons; handmade and upcycled bracelets; handmade earrings and earrings utilizing bird feathers; salves; infused oils, and Wisconsin honey. She also carries items from the Lavender Homestead in Suring and plans to add dried herbs and quality teas.
Pyne said she’s working to add more items including wood cutting boards.
“We provide practical tools you need to live a toxin-free, low-waste life,” Pyne said. “More than a shop, I want this to be a space for curiosity,” she said. “If you have a traditional skill, craft or hobby that you love to teach or talk about, I want you to connect with me. Knowledge is power — it builds confidence, fuels self-esteem, and fosters self-reliance. You are your own best advocate, whether you’re learning to listen to your body or learning how to grow your own food. If I have the knowledge to help you on that journey, I will gladly share it. If I don’t know the answer, hopefully we can build the connections to find someone to teach both of us. This space is for those creators and educators who want to share their knowledge.”
Pyne believes we are rapidly losing traditional, hands-on skills, and she wants Raising Pynes to be the place where people reclaim them.
“My plan for this space is to utilize some of it as a community classroom,” she said. “If there is anyone out there who has a craft, a skill or a traditional hobby that brings joy to them, I want to utilize my storefront to help them share it. Whether it is teaching the younger generation or helping adults learn something new, my doors are open to local creators and educators. I want to provide the physical space for these classes so that anyone with knowledge to share can connect with people who want to learn and allow us to keep these vital skills alive together.”
She said parents can shop with peace of mind at her store because they don’t have to spend a lot of time checking if a product has dye or added chemicals.
“Everything in this store is something I feel safe giving to my own children,” she said. Raising Pynes also serves as a refillery.
“Think of a it like the bulk-food section of a grocery store but for your household and personal-care products,” Pyne said. “Instead of buying a brand-new plastic bottle of laundry detergent, dish soap or body lotion every time you run out, you simply bring in your own clean container from home or grab one of our reusable glass bottles, weigh it and fill it up with whatever product you want in the amount you want. You pay by the ounce, meaning you only pay for the product itself, not the single-use plastic packaging. It’s a simple, affordable way to eliminate household plastic waste and keep toxic chemicals out of your home and our environment.”
While Raising Pynes was born out of her desire for better options,  Pyne said it was also for her children.
“My kids deserve a mom who lives authentically and is happy,” she said. “They are my world and my ultimate ‘why.’ I wanted to build a place where my kids could watch me stand up for what is good for them, their health and their future. The name itself is a tribute to them with our last name being Pyne. In my logo, you will see three pine trees — the tall tree in the center is the oldest who is flanked by my twin daughters on either side. I love that my kids are growing up a little feral – connected to the dirt, the garden and animals. I wanted a business that reflected that wild, authentic life that we live.”
Open Thursday – Saturday 10am – 6pm
Sunday 10am – 4pm