Gracie
At the Farm {Living Locally}
…Economic Development, Education, Hunger Relief, and Community
The other day I had the privilege to get to go to a place that I had heard about for years and had wanted to visit. I have always thought extremely highly of both the organization and the people involved. Cobblestone is an actual working farm that has a sold out program where locals can buy a basket of seasonal produce and free range eggs for themselves and then donate one to a family in need.
They are beginning to host groups of children on field trips to teach them about farming, raising chickens and sustainability.
(In the interest of full disclosure, I work for with Great Day Farms (@greatdayfarms), who has been a supporter of them for a few years and their involvement with Cobblestone was something that was very attractive for me personally. I was not paid to do this post but I’m honored I was asked to visit.
)
I grabbed my almost 3 year old and set out to observe one the the filed trips with middle-school children. The farm is located off one of the main roads in what seems to be in the middle of town, down a side road, then further down a dirt road. I was surprised at how “country” it felt being surrounded by trees yet still in town!
My experience on farms is… NONE. I listened as one of the main farmers shared with kids which plant was which and how it grew. There is so much about growing things that I had no idea existed! The green house had a lot more produce and I was surprised that the early May snow didn’t seem to affect any of the growth.
Bug wasn’t super impressed after about the 5th row of vegetables and kept asking to ride the tractor and see the chickens. As the rain began to come down, the school children went inside one of the green houses and I talked to Scott & Katelyn more about the people and their mission. The number of volunteers they have had over the years is amazing!
One of the coolest things, for me personally, on this trip was the fact I was able to show Bug WHERE vegetables came from and he ate a strawberry freshly picked from the ground- he seemed in awe and like I must have been joking with him that the food we ate came from the ground.
To quote them, “The Farm is designed to use sustainable agriculture to help the under resourced in our community by focusing on 4 strategic pillars: Economic Development, Education, Hunger Relief, and Community.”
Living Locally: The Mustache {Bentonville & Fayetteville}
Photo Credit to Rebecca Pilotte Photography
As part of my “Living Local” series I’ve started this spring, I decided to poll my friends on Facebook and ask others in person, what their favorite local places to shop were. Most people got excited about 1 or 2 stores and had a quick sales pitch of why they liked that place. After talking to a few hundred people who live in this area, I felt that I had a good idea of what most locals and blog readers like. Last month I decided to visit each store recommended to me. I was able to chat with the owners and learn about what makes them special and unique- as well as do a fun fashion shoot with a friend!
I felt that this series also fit in perfectly with April’s theme of Inner & Outer beauty. (Read my intro post to the Beauty Series) and see last week’s fun post.
Over the next few weeks I’ll share some of the best places to shop in Northwest Arkansas based on YOUR suggestions. Even if you don’t live in NW Arkansas, you will probably still enjoy all the posts because we are getting fashion tips from the experts! With a wide variety of shops visited, there is something for everyone.
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When I think of someone who is beautiful inside and out, I immediately thought of Claire Bailey. Claire recently contributed an amazing blog post. I asked her to come by and to have some fun shopping. I mean, I love fashion but how much more fun is it to have a friend to shop with and get their insights and see what they loved? I feel having a shopping partner took the focus off of me and spotlighted them in a fun, guest post kind of way. Diverse fashion choices are great! Just my opinions would get old!
I’ve known Claire’s family for YEARS and got the opportunity to know her better when she was in high school. She had an independent but down to earth fashion even then and her confidence was pure. She fell in love with a twirly dress as I found a dress from the Mad Men era that was perfect for a curvy girl. I had no idea mint and navy were a thing!
I was able to talk to the owners, Ashley and Brian, and was able to get a glimpse into their passions and heart for their business, The Mustache. I asked a few questions about who they really are and below are their answers:
The Mustache {Bentonville & Fayetteville}
Other places I’m at:
