It’s interesting how horrible and unexpected events can turn into the sweetest things. That’s exactly what happened for Jeff and Tammy Ramsey, creators and owners at MoraMade Home, where they create locally-sourced, small-batch fruit jam and related products, including handmade wooden cutting and charcuterie boards.
“MoraMade Home began from a deeply personal chapter in our lives,” shares Tammy. “In 2023, Jeff was diagnosed with stage 4 head and neck cancer, and the year that followed was full of unexpected challenges. On December 31, he completed treatment and, gratefully, emerged on the other side — healthy enough to retire from his career and step into a new season of life.”
Creating Low-Sugar, Natural Jams in Thurston County
Tammy laughs that Jeff is not one to sit still for long, even after a cancer scare. “As he regained strength in 2024, the small-business dream he had carried for 29 of our 30 years together finally had space to grow,” she adds. “He made a nifty cutting board design that friends loved using scrap wood from our construction projects. We figured if friends liked it, maybe others would too.”
Tammy, originally from Alaska, says that having fresh fruit growing on bushes locally became a passion project of hers. She started by creating jams for her kids. Her focus was on low-sugar versions that actually tasted like the fruit. “In the beginning, we made jam in tiny apartment kitchens,” she adds, “boiling water baths on little electric stoves, mashing fruit on slivers of countertop, and cooling jars wherever they’d fit.”
To kickstart their business, Tammy and Jeff turned to the Enterprise for Equity courses. “E4E gave us clarity, structure, and confidence,” shares Tammy. “There are a lot of steps, forms, licenses, registrations, certifications and more! We learned how to organize all this in one system. While each government agency has a decent website that can tell you how to get a business license or how to register as a food production facility, no one except Enterprise for Equity puts it all together to help create the end-to-end knowledge a small business owner needs in a class-based format.”
Tammy says things were rocky at first, but the training from Enterprise for Equity, along with help from other small business owners, including Lou Nemeth of Covabrelli Coffee, helped them get off and running.
Now, her commercial kitchen allows her to boil 100 jars at once. “But the heart of it hasn’t changed,” Tammy says. “We still love making jam that celebrates real fruit and now get to explore ways to continually reduce the sugar while maintaining the quality, while also testing out creative combinations of flavors.”
The fruit is all locally sourced from small family farms in the Pacific Northwest, including Spooner’s here in the Olympia area.
And as for low sugar, Tammy and Jeff did not want to use artificial or alternative sugars. Instead, it’s all about the pectin. “Everything changed when we found our secret ingredient: a natural citrus pectin, not the chemical kind,” she explains. “It was a game-changer, letting us make true low-sugar jams that set beautifully and taste incredible.” She says while her family loves sweet treats, they try to limit sugar, so the idea of low-sugar jam that was full of flavor made sense to the entire family, kids included – though she says her kids are strict “strawberry only” when it comes to jam. MoraMade Home jams contain about 50-60% less sugar than traditional jams!
All of their jams are also small-batch. “Small-batch jam making is intentional and calming — each berry is hand-washed by us, each jar is made by us,” shares Tammy. “A friend asked us recently if we have outsourced the recipes yet to have some food manufacturing company just make our jam for us. That was the craziest question – it is the process of tree to fruit to jar that is so enjoyable – why would we outsource that! If anything, I would outsource marketing, creative design and accounting!”
MoraMade Home Wood Gifts and Morning Companion Mixes Pair Perfectly with Your Jam
In addition to jams, MoraMade Home has gorgeous wood-worked items thanks to Jeff’s amazing skills. A woodworker for decades, Jeff’s designs are simple, elegant and unique. “After retiring following his cancer, woodworking became both a grounding creative outlet and a way to rebuild purpose and strength,” shares Tammy. “Every board is hand-crafted with attention to detail, using wood chosen for its uniqueness – each cutting board is a work of art with the patterns of grain.”
In addition, they now make Morning Companion Mixes that pair wonderfully with their low-sugar jam. They have healthy versions of pancake mixes, scones, protein-filled oatmeal as well as premium beverage syrups!
Tammy and Jeff say their favorite part has been connecting with people. “Whether someone discovers a new favorite jam or finds the perfect handmade cutting board, we love knowing that something we created is becoming part of their daily life,” Tammy says.
You can find their locally-sourced, low sugar jams, wood products and mixes on the MoraMade Home website, South Sound Fresh, Maggie’s Market and local markets and events, including Loblolly Lavender’s Annual festivals, Lynch Creek Dahlia Days, Shelton Farmer’s Market and more.
