As we welcome spring and new life here on the farm, our thoughts also turn to our upcoming event Springtime at the Farm. Save the date, May 6th, from 9-1; we will welcome you and our talented vendor friends to our farm event. This year, we will miss a few well-loved friends but welcome a few new friends. Our event here on our farm is my favorite event of the year. Not only do I get to hang out with my favorite talented artists, but I also get to see my soap family at my favorite place in the world. Without you all, we couldn’t do what we love in the place we love the most. You help us realize our dream, and we are endlessly grateful for that.
Let me begin by sharing with you the vendors we all appreciate, the food vendors. I am thrilled that my dear friend, Julia, from Aunt Julia’s Donuts, will be here. I love donuts in almost any form, and I understand I may be a bit biased because I think Julia is an amazing person, but in my humble opinion, Julia’s donuts are the best. Julia’s apple fritters that she makes in the fall are my favorite fall treat. Until fall arrives, I enjoy her maple bacon donuts and her raspberry-filled donuts the most. However, if Julia makes it, it is guaranteed to be delicious.
I am so excited to share that Northburgh Coffee will also join us. I love coffee almost as much as I love donuts, and I can’t wait to meet Danyale in person. She offers coffee, hot chocolate, cold drinks, and bottled cold brew coffee. Having the best donuts on earth AND fantastic coffee will be like dying and going to heaven! I get to enjoy both right here on my farm. Sigh, life is indeed good!
If burgers, fries, hot sausage, chicken strips, and hot dogs are more your thing, Frank’s Red Rocket will be here for your dining enjoyment. We enjoyed Frank’s creations at Ox Hill Fair and can’t wait to welcome them to our farm. Frank’s Red Rocket offers everything my bean loves, and their Rocket Burgers are excellent.
My dear friends Joanie and Cody from Lone Oak Farm will also be here. Lone Oak Farms never disappoints. Most weeks, I stock up on cinnamon rolls for my bean. She loves to heat them in the microwave and enjoy them for breakfast. Rest assured, their mobile trailer will overflow with everything fresh, beautiful, and delicious. We know how hard this family works, and they go to great lengths to join us and support us at our yearly events. We adore and appreciate them for who they are and all they do.
Simply the Best Kettle Corn will also be in attendance. Over the years, I have tasted a lot of kettle corn, and Simply the Best Kettle Corn is an accurate name. We can’t wait to see what new flavors they will offer for the spring.
One of my favorite families, Sharon Smith and her nephew Chris, AKA Mrs. Nut Roll, will join us. Sharon and Chris make the most delicious nut, poppy seed, and apricot rolls. I love that Sharon and her sister started this business together. Sadly, Sharon’s sister passed away several years ago, but her nephew, Chris, stepped up to learn the family business. This is what it’s all about; families working together, creating something unique and spectacular, and working together to build their dream.
My bestie, Trisha Brown, who is Canine Confections, will be joining us with her delightful, all-natural dog treats. Trish and her mom started their Greensburg “barkery” over twenty years ago. Trish and her mom not only make beautiful and delicious dog treats, but they also make collars, bandanas, and jackets. My Buster dog, aka The Bus, Heavy-B, Big Handsome, Bubbie-Dubbie, Big Tasty, and my canine BFF is a bit of a treat snob. There are no Milk Bones in The Bus’s snacking repertoire. Oh no, he only eats Trisha’s snacks. Cindy, the mail lady, GramBarb, and the delivery drivers all offer The Bus dog treats that are not from Canine Confections, which are rejected. Every. Single. Time. He’s kind of like an ill-behaved child that takes pride in embarrassing his mom with his treat snobbery. If you have a fur kid, you must introduce them to the deliciousness of Canine Confection’s dog treats.
Andy and Morgan from Buds to Blooms will join us with their beneficial all-natural CBD and Delta 8 products. I promise I will not touch a Delta 8 gummy during this event! I continue to reap the benefits of Andy and Morgan’s high-quality products. I take half of a gummy an hour before I am ready for bed and experience the best sleep, lowered inflammation, less widespread pain, and lower anxiety levels. My blood pressure remains normal, my brain fog is mainly gone, and I feel better than I have for years. I genuinely believe in the benefits of these high-quality products.
My talented friend, Pamela Jean Werner, will be here with her beautiful hand-woven wraps, scarves, quilts, and blankets. Every year, I purchase at least one item from Pam. Her creations are classy, unique, and useful. Pam’s wraps can be dressed up or down, make a statement, and work wonderfully on cool summer evenings and fall days or to deter the winter chill. I am excited to see what new color combinations my talented friend has created for this season.
My amazingly talented friend, Carlene Dowell, the original PrAIRy Girl, will be here with her natural fiber creations. Carlene is the real deal. She raises her sheep and alpacas on her beautiful farm and uses their fiber to create hand-dyed wool, alpaca socks, knit hats, dryer balls, and many other unique and creative items. Carlene loves her animals the way we love our animals. They are family, not just critters. For this reason, we have a strong connection with Carlene.
My dear friend, Franny Stadtmiller, will join us with her beautiful hand-painted gourd creations. Franny’s talent amazes me. She looks at the shape of a gourd and envisions something totally different. Her designs are fun, beautiful, and whimsical. I have several of Franny’s creations, which grace my home for various holidays. Franny is a true artist; I am proud she shares her talent at our events.
The talented Jennifer and Jan Braughler, who are Color To Dye For, will join us with their uniquely beautiful creations. Jennifer and Jan create high-quality jewelry, shirts, and gift items. I always look forward to seeing what these talented women have made. Almost every year, my bean gets me a Mother’s Day gift from Jennifer and Jan.
Jessica Birge from Ageless Iron will be here with their custom signs and metalwork. Jessica created a custom metal sign for us, and it is beautiful. We display it on the outside of our building at the Shaker Woods Festival. Jessica and her husband can create almost anything you can think of. They offer beautiful finishes, unique gift options, and professional signs. We look forward to seeing their new products and how their business is growing.
We are waiting for a few more vendor friends to confirm their invitations to our event, but I love having these talented, family-owned small businesses at our farm. If you love to shop small and local, this is a fantastic collection of talented artisans. It also happens to be the weekend before Mother’s Day, so bring mom or the loved women in your life out for a special day, shop for a beautiful gift that supports local artists and businesses, and enjoy the sight of adorable baby goats and the beauty of the farm in the springtime. We hope you can join us and look forward to welcoming you to the place we love the most.
On this beautiful spring morning, stay safe, be smart, save the date, plan to visit us at the farm, and keep washing your hands.
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