Heirloom Acres officially opened for business in the spring of 2021. My original vision was to grow vegetables and berries here on the farm and then sell them at the local farmer's markets. It didn't take me long to realize this plan had two major flaws:
1. It is almost impossible to grow food at the edge of a field growing row crops. Everyone in the family was very stressed when it came time for them to spray the fields with herbicides.
2. Growing vegetables and berries to sell in large quantities is very labor intensive. I was a one person operation and I could not tend the crops, pick the produce, and market it alone.
I absolutely applaud those farmers who grow food for us locally! I so appreciate their efforts, even more after the spring of 2021. In order to have more to bring to the farmer's market, I started making some hanging baskets and planters. These were very well-received, allowed me to be a little more creative, and were much more manageable-especially since I bought the plants at a local greenhouse.
Anyway, I persevered with the vegetables throughout the summer of '21 and grew some mums to sell that fall. My mums were pretty, but very small. I obviously had a lot to learn.
That winter, my first greenhouse was erected and I started hundreds of plants by seed and ordered thousands of plugs. I spent the entire winter potting plants. The spring of 2022 we opened our on-farm business. The Clinton-Hickman County Chamber of Commerce graciously offered to have a ribbon cutting for my grand opening, and I was overwhelmed by the community support that day and throughout the season. That fall I knew I wanted to do something to give back to the community, so I decided to host a Harvest Bazaar. The idea was to invite other area entrepreneurs, crafters, and vendors to come set up and just have a fun day of community fellowship. It was a fairly small event, but a huge success in my book. We did something similar the next spring and have continued these events each spring and fall since. This fall's Harvest Bazaar is set for Saturday, September 7. It will be our largest event to date. We have around 20 vendors setting up, plus 8 different food and beverage trucks. I have also invited Reed Swindler, formerly of Hickman county, to come provide some entertainment.
We have been busy making improvements to our greenhouses, parking area, and garden shop this summer. Much love and effort is put into every decision made here. We hope you will bring a friend or two, come spend the day with us, support local businesses, and be blessed!
1. It is almost impossible to grow food at the edge of a field growing row crops. Everyone in the family was very stressed when it came time for them to spray the fields with herbicides.
2. Growing vegetables and berries to sell in large quantities is very labor intensive. I was a one person operation and I could not tend the crops, pick the produce, and market it alone.
I absolutely applaud those farmers who grow food for us locally! I so appreciate their efforts, even more after the spring of 2021. In order to have more to bring to the farmer's market, I started making some hanging baskets and planters. These were very well-received, allowed me to be a little more creative, and were much more manageable-especially since I bought the plants at a local greenhouse.
Anyway, I persevered with the vegetables throughout the summer of '21 and grew some mums to sell that fall. My mums were pretty, but very small. I obviously had a lot to learn.
That winter, my first greenhouse was erected and I started hundreds of plants by seed and ordered thousands of plugs. I spent the entire winter potting plants. The spring of 2022 we opened our on-farm business. The Clinton-Hickman County Chamber of Commerce graciously offered to have a ribbon cutting for my grand opening, and I was overwhelmed by the community support that day and throughout the season. That fall I knew I wanted to do something to give back to the community, so I decided to host a Harvest Bazaar. The idea was to invite other area entrepreneurs, crafters, and vendors to come set up and just have a fun day of community fellowship. It was a fairly small event, but a huge success in my book. We did something similar the next spring and have continued these events each spring and fall since. This fall's Harvest Bazaar is set for Saturday, September 7. It will be our largest event to date. We have around 20 vendors setting up, plus 8 different food and beverage trucks. I have also invited Reed Swindler, formerly of Hickman county, to come provide some entertainment.
We have been busy making improvements to our greenhouses, parking area, and garden shop this summer. Much love and effort is put into every decision made here. We hope you will bring a friend or two, come spend the day with us, support local businesses, and be blessed!
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