"The mission of Crabtree Farms is to connect Chattanoogans with our local foodshed. Crabtree Farms serves the greater Chattanooga community through education and advocacy programs that teach about growing food sustainably and choosing local produce."
They have a number of events throughout the year, with one being the Spring Plant Sale. This past weekend, I participated in that event as a vendor. It was a stellar weekend. The staff and volunteers were very helpful and accommodating. Even the weather was agreeable until the last 30 minutes on Sunday - then the wind picked up and it started to rain - but still not bad, considering the potential for volatile spring weather in the Southeast.
Mark always says "Go big or go home", so I went big. I packed as many plants as I could into the back of the SUV and he helped out with tables, tent, etc. in the truck. My display had been updated to reflect my 'brand colors' and I had a variety of non-plant products to add to the mix. I was also
able to get a few market totes decorated with my logo and my new 'Garden Girl' graphic. Saturday was sunny and relatively mild with a non-stop stream of customers. There's no doubt that the sunshine contributed to 'plant fever'. People of all ages were buying plants of all kinds, ranging from edibles to ornamentals. There were boxes of various sizes along with little red wagons, all filled to capacity. Before noon, I was calling for reinforcements and Mark brought another wave of plants. After I got home Saturday afternoon, I loaded up additional plants to fill the voids on Sunday morning. Sunday ended up being an overcast and much cooler day than originally expected, but there was still a decent crowd. I was also pleased that I sold several of my non-plant products. It was a lot of fun and a more profitable weekend than I had expected!
I also had great booth neighbors with great products. On one side was Rising Dawn Boutique (www.RisingDawnBoutique.com). This lovely young lady makes hand-tooled jewelry out of metal, wire, various stones, crochet and other mediums. On the other side was Sequatchie Valley Institute (www.svionline.org). They had glass work, ironwork, hand-applied batik, tie-dye and other offerings. Their organization is involved in sustainable living education and they incorporate the craft and artwork into that multi-faceted endeavor.
Crabtree Farms also has other event during the year, including a Fall Plant Sale that will be on my calendar as a try-hard-to-do! Check them out at www.crabtreefarms.org.
As always, keep digging in the dirt and stay Down To Earth!
Pat
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