It's Been A Whirlwind

Whew! What a whirlwind the last month and a half has been, dear reader! We launched into the Shaker Woods Festival in August, and it was a great success. Only to come home and hit the ground running to prepare for two weeks of our sunflower maze. Yesterday, we took a breather, but today we are back to focusing on the studio, the blogs,  and our upcoming Halloween maze. It's going to be busy, busy, busy!

Let me begin by thanking everyone who came out to the woods to support us and many other small businesses. We are so grateful to you all for making us feel welcome, appreciated, and supported. You are our why. I met so many people who asked relevant, intelligent, and insightful questions. My true passion is educating people about the benefits of natural products. Of course, I hope that individuals try and love my products, but I emphasize that if my products aren't for you, find a small artisan who makes soap that aligns with your needs. The mass-produced products do more harm than good, especially for those who have skin issues. 

Being in our "neighborhood" in the woods, surrounded by friends, makes the show an absolute joy. Seeing familiar faces who visit us, share that they came specifically to see us, and love our products makes my day. I am already thinking about next year's show and how we can better serve you. Thank you for making the show a success. 

Secondly, thank you to everyone who came out to the farm to support our latest endeavor, the sunflower maze. Although it was not as well attended as I had hoped, I appreciate everyone who came out to try it and support us. The sunflowers themselves were worth the effort. They are stunning. I'm unsure whether it was the type of sunflower or all the rain we have received this year, but some of our stems are taller than twelve feet! They have attracted bumblebees, honeybees, a variety of butterflies, including monarchs, hummingbirds, doves, finches, deer, a little garter snake, and the very best, A BLACK BEAR! I think I am even more excited now that the maze is over to see the wildlife come in and enjoy the sunflower seeds. 

We have learned a lot this year. Learning something new is never a bad thing. We have ideas for what we will do differently, what changes we will make, and what we will add to the overall experience. Mainly, the timing of the sunflowers. Our opening day was the first day of school. Our first flashlight maze was the night of the entire county's first football game. So, next year we need to decide whether to do it before or after August. This will depend heavily on the gracious farmer who planted the seeds for us. We cannot infringe on his busy schedule. I believe mid-September would be ideal. However, it will depend on when our farmer friend can fit us into his planting schedule. 

My absolute favorite part of the experience was hearing all the laughter that came from the maze. Knowing we helped create something that brought people joy made it all worthwhile. I didn't hear anything negative from anyone. If anything negative was said, it was out of my hearing range. Children and adults alike laughed, expressed surprise, and oohed and aahed over the flowers, the displays, and the experience. That made me smile. 

I was a bit troubled and disheartened after the first weekend with so much pushback from some people who tried to take advantage. I know budgets are tight for everyone, but I think people forget that small business owners and farmers are in the same boat. We are all just trying to sustain our families the best way we know how. I know many people don't consider that everything a small business does costs money. From the seed, to the planting, to the cost of making things pretty, to the cost of insurance to allow people on their land, to paying help, to offering a restroom, to having the restroom cleaned every week, to making products, to offering small additions, it all comes out of the budget of the business. It's not about being advantageous; it's about creating something beautiful AND being able to pay the bills. 

The sunflower field will not generate income for the farmer or us. We are not harvesting the flowers and selling them. We planted them to invite the public onto our farm, enjoy a unique experience, and add another layer to our business. I was hurt that some people took advantage of that. I guess I need to develop thicker skin. I forget that not everyone thinks as I do. 

We are now preparing for The Bean's Halloween corn maze. The Bean is in charge; we are here to do her bidding. She has some really cool ideas to make the corn maze just creepy enough to be fun, but not over-the-top gruesome. We will adjust our schedule and try to spread the word as best we can. It is a very, very busy time of year for us. The work is a bit overwhelming at times and exhausting. However, hearing the fields filled with laughter, seeing big smiles, and offering people a joyful experience makes my heart happy. Stay tuned for details about the corn maze. 

The last few months have been a whirlwind, and it's not over quite yet, but it's been filled with laughter, learning, and new experiences. We love having happy, appreciative people on our farm. We have met some really great young people, been introduced to new faces, and enjoyed having you here. Our next Farmer's Market on the Farm will be September 26th from 10-2. That will be the grand opening of the Halloween Corn Maze. The haunted maze opens Friday, September 25th at 7:00. We can't wait to see you in the corn. 

On this gorgeous September Wednesday, stay safe, be smart. It's good to be writing to you again. Make plans to come see us in the corn every Friday night, Saturday, Saturday night, and Sunday from the end of September to October 31st, and keep washing your hands.