Two months ago we were able to say it’s been 3 years since we opened our farm as a business. We started as a small market in our old tobacco barn and by the end of 2023 we had hosted 16 markets (that went from just us to us and up to 15 other local makers and small businesses) along with many many other events from an engagement to styled picnics and more! This farm has been and continues to be the best surprise!
While each year has brought on many challenges each year we’ve learned a little more. It’s not always easy lessons but we do learn. This past year we hit a lot of bumps in the road with our markets. While I love so many of the events here I feel like our markets are really the heart of FeatherStone as a business. It’s where we have met some incredible people and it’s where we get little glimpses into other people’s lives and the joy and care they stamp onto this place.
It’s humbling moments to be privy too. We’ve witnessed teary eyes as women have held hands and walked here in honor of someone who passed before they could complete their plans to have a girls day out here, we’ve seen mother and daughter(s) make attending the market a tradition for them, and we’ve seen the great big bear hug tackles of friends who saw each other for the first time in years here at this old barn. We love seeing the giant arm waves from 30 feet away for friends who haven’t seen each other and spontaneous family reunions. We have seen individuals find themselves reminiscing over working and hanging tobacco in this old barn from decades past and those who used to play and run around these old barn doors as children.
We’ve seen all this and we believe these are the moments and memories that has given this little corner of the world a beating heart of its own.
Noticing something can create magic. I think a lot back to The Secret Garden. Mary asked for a little “bit of dirt”. A long forgotten garden grew into something truly magical when it was noticed and appreciated. So many people have been a part of creating that for this “bit of dirt” we call FeatherStone.
While we have continued to prioritize keeping the heart of FeatherStone in the magic that our community brings it a big lesson we have been learning is how we can properly care for it and help it to grow. Balancing passion and purpose with also being a business owner is one of my greatest challenges. Creating profitability that doesn’t just support sustainability but supports growth is one of my biggest goals this year. Change ins’t always easy but we don’t want to fear change if it will hinder growth.
In the past we’ve always held a minimum of 6 markets. This coming year we will be cutting that in half. We will have a spring market and our fall market followed by our Maker’s Christmas Market. We’ve decided with hosting few markets we really want to make the markets we do host a bigger event. We will be going forward with lots of intent and working with a new event manager who will help us bring to life some wonderful ideas and dreams we’ve had floating around for a while.
This past year our family faced some pretty big hurdles which took me away from the farm for a while. During this time we scaled down from what we had planned and somehow we saw more growth in that time than we had seen all year. It taught us that things will be ok even if we take a break and it also taught us the absolute value in having help. Sometimes it’s a fine balance to walk between doing what feels like everything but also creating space for you to enjoy life and enjoy the business you have. Hiring someone to help us with events lets us put more intention behind what we do and still create that space to help us to breathe and enjoy the process a little more.
We’re excited for the changes to come this year. We’re excited to step out onto a limb in a few areas and to work on nurturing this farm and the purpose we believe it’s supposed to serve right now. Thank you for making this place a capsule of your smiles, your laughter and so many memories. We hope this place is always a safe place for everyone to land for a bit and you always find your days spent here good.
I have truly enjoyed watching the farm grow into the wonderful place to gather and find treasures. You and Jordan have worked so hard and you should both be very proud of your accomplishments. May God bless you and your little spot of creation!