Dear Flowering Rock Farm Community,

It has taken extra time to write this newsletter. It’s the first since Helene. I think I put it off the longest because the last newsletter written, our farm was doing so well. I’ve been nervous coming back, but there have been so many wonderful things that have happened and we are so excited to be back in business!

First, we want to send a few huge thanks to our family, friends, and community for your support! Secondly, we want to recognize several organizations that helped our family after the storm: Christ in Action, Secure Restoration, The Rogue Initiative, 13 Stripes Construction, EJ Willis Home Improvement, 3B’s Inn, and many friends & neighbors. Without them, we wouldn’t be in our house yet, let alone be progressing on the farm.

So, here’s the latest news and updates from our farm…there’s a lot!

ASAP: We are now Appalachian Grown Certified! Appalachian Grown™ is ASAP’s (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) certification program for food and agricultural products grown or raised on farms in Western North Carolina and the Southern Appalachian Mountains. This non-profit has been so amazing to work with! We received a Marketing Cost Share Grant and Professional Services Grant from them to help expand our farm!

Flower CSA: We are excited to offer a summer flower CSA subscription starting this June! CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It connects you, the consumer, directly with our farm by purchasing weekly “shares” of our farm’s harvest upfront at the beginning of a season. With that commitment early on, we are able to invest in the growing season. You can purchase our CSA now at our online store!

Lots of Learning: We recently attended the Business of Farming Conference hosted by ASAP. It was a great opportunity to learn from local farmers and network. We also were accepted in the New & Beginning Farmer Working Group! We are excited for what this year of learning entails!

Baby Chicks for Sale: We are hatching baby chicks! Our first chicks will be ready for their new homes by March 15. Around mid-May we will have pullets and in mid-August laying hens will be for sale. You can find more information on our website!

Flower Bar: Our flower bar will be available for your events come May. Reserve your date today!

Free-range Eggs: Our eggs are available for purchase starting March 1st! The past few months production slowed, and we decided to donate most to the Bat Cave Supply Hub to support local families. With the longer days and our new Black Australorps beginning to lay, we have plenty of eggs ready for your breakfast table! Contact us to purchase today!

As always, we’re incredibly grateful for your support as we continue to grow and nurture our farm. If you have any questions or want to subscribe to our newsletter, feel free to reach out. We hope to see you soon!

With love and gratitude,

The Stanfords