August 2021 Update
Happy August!
Each farming season I aim to single out a favorite summer month; they each offer something different. August, however, has to be my favorite. Not as lush, tidy, or vibrant as July, but fruitful (and the creeks are warm by now too!). The winds shift mid-July and the evenings begin to feel a little more crisp. The fogs set in during August and ease the fields toward autumn. If summertime were a concert, July would be the hit you wanted to hear, but August is the B-side you really wanted to hear. August is a transition.
A time for change.
The 2021 season has been ever-changing for us, here on the farm. Since the beginning of the season, we have been looking toward expansion; as the season grew on, our vision for expansion became more clear, circumstances changed, opportunities arose. Long story short?
We are moving an entire farm to Abingdon.
Huh? What? Yeah you read that right. These Stormbrew people are crazy.
(If you saw the pro/con list, you'd understand ;) ).
Our new location offers more growing space, access to more markets, and (for me) proximity to my best employee and business partner (hi, Ma). It is bittersweet to leave the incredible vistas and comforting mountain forests of the Atkins farm, but the opportunity presented by the Abingdon land is unmatched.
So what can you expect to see out of Stormbrew Farm 2.0?
In our first year we will focus on spring plant sales, cut flower production, and maintaining our apiary. By year five, we hope to be a small venue that offers tastings of our home-brewed beer and home-grown/home-cooked food, still specializing in all things floral. We want Stormbrew 2.0 to become a place where folks can gather, be with the land, learn, and enjoy the priceless pleasures of a homesteading lifestyle.
To our Smyth County supporters: WOW y'all. You grew this business and I don't have enough space to keep up with your appetite for flowers and fresh veggies. The enthusiasm and abundant help I have received from my hometown has been the most rewarding part of starting this business. I am going to miss Marion terribly, but I will be back every week with loads of flowers
Thank you for reading this far and letting me spill my guts on this exciting (and busy!) adventure I am on these days.
All of my thanks for the endless support. I hope you join us for this next chapter.
Daisy