My friend and sister Weston A. Price Foundation nutrient dense food lover, Erin, moved away from Raleigh but was still sort of nearby. Sustainable food sources were fewer, but she discovered a fantastic sustainable farm, Be Nourished Farm. This is a farm that I knew by its excellent reputation but not experience. Erin has returned to Raleigh, and her loyalty to the farm remains strong – so strong that she is seeking to find cost effective ways to bring Be Nourished Farm’s products to Raleigh. Be Nourished Farm doesn’t have a website, but you can get a look at the farm via their Facebook page.
Here is Erin’s story:
We left Raleigh 9 months ago in the middle of the night when my daughter was coughing and wheezing from mold in our apartment and headed to Greenville, North Carolina to stay with my in-laws. We thought we were going for just a couple weeks or months at the most, but we ended up staying 9 months in Greenville. My in-laws were so generous and kind to us, but still, it was a difficult and stressful time in my life.
We had been off of dairy for a few months in an attempt to cure my daughter of asthma, eczema and food allergies, as we were doing the Whole 30 and then GAPS diets. Feeling like it was time to start dairy again, I contacted Laura Combs about the possibility of finding farm fresh milk near Greenville, NC. She referred me to Gary and Mary Margaret Donaho of the Be Nourished Farm in Snow Hill, NC, where they offer cow and goat shares as well as many other products.
Gary and Mary Margaret require potential shareholders to come out to their farm for a tour before they can begin receiving products, so I went out with my kids and mother-in-law to see the Be Nourished Farm for myself.
The farm was small and unassuming, yet for me, magically beautiful. They had everything from bees to produce to big milking cows! When I met Mary Margaret it was like seeing an old friend--we had so much to talk about.
I was amazed by Gary and Mary Margaret's practices. They did everything the way I would do it if I had my own farm: the grass-fed cows, the goats, the free-range/soy-free chickens, the soil and produce, fruit trees, berry bushes--everything rotating and working together to make a healthy sustainable farm. I was surprised to find out how much they can produce on a relatively small area of land by having such great practices. My family and I loved the products from Be Nourished--the cheese, the eggs, the butter, the blueberries!!! So delicious!
Mary Margaret and Gary's vision is not only to bring healthy, wholesome food to their shareholders, but also to bring emotional and spiritual healing to those with broken lives by allowing people to work (and hopefully someday soon, live) on their farm.
I talked with Mary Margaret about the possibility of me volunteering on their farm. I am a stay-at-home mom and I *really* needed to get out of the house and take a break! Mary Margaret agreed to let me come out to volunteer and so I started going out to the farm each week to work. It became sort of a personal retreat. My kids also got to enjoy a day with their grandparents while I was out at the farm.
Milking goats, pulling weeds and sweeping the floor might not sound like a retreat to many, but it was just what I needed during my time of living in Greenville. My weekly trips to Snow Hill truly kept me happy and sane! I loved being part of farm life at Be Nourished.
Last weekend we moved out of my in-laws home and back to Raleigh to our own home. We are now an hour and fifteen minutes from the farm, so my weekly times of volunteering have come to an end. I miss the farm already but will use the skills I learned there in my own home and soon-to-be "backyard homestead." :-)
I can't thank Mary Margaret and Gary enough for how they have invested in our family. The dairy products, eggs and produce have made a huge difference in our health. And their friendship? What can I say, friends for life.
Are you burned out on city life? Need to get out for some sunshine and to exercise those muscles? I'm sure there's a farmer near you who could use another hand...
If you are interested in receiving products from the Be Nourished Farm, please contact Mary Margaret at benourished@embarqmail.com. We are trying to start a group in the Raleigh area to receive products from their farm. If you have any other questions you can contact me at erin.leanhardt@gmail.com.
If you want to learn more about Erin’s healing foods journey, check out this post: Guest Post - Treating the Triad: Asthma, Eczema and Peanut Allergies.
Here is Erin working at the farm:
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