Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Tischer.
Hi Emily, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We purchased a small farm in a big city with ZERO farming experience! In 2022, the opportunity came our way to buy one of the last remaining small farms in a major city in North Carolina. This was never in our plan. We had never touched livestock, grown our own food or learned anything about agriculture. However, when it came our way, we jumped at the chance! We spend about a year learning everything we could using YouTube, podcasts and talking to other people in the industry. We had so much to learn so we were soaking in the knowledge. It became very apparent very quickly that we HAD to share this hidden gem with others. This way of living was second nature to families a few generations ago. Now people are completely disconnected with their food and any agriculture practices. We officially started Stoney Acres Farm in 2023 and it has been a huge hit! Families can visit our farm on Sunday afternoons to cuddle with our goats, sheep, chickens, dogs and cats. We host birthday parties, summer camps, field trips, story times and other small events. Neighborhood kids walk to the farm to do nightly farm chores and kids absolutely love running in the pasture and playing in the creek. We hope to use our small farm to educate families about farm life, partner with other farm and small businesses and build a strong community around agriculture. It’s been a blast so far and we cannot wait to see where it goes!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We had A LOT to learn (especially in the beginning!) We knew absolutely nothing about how to buy feed for the animals, hay for the livestock or how to even find a vet that would come to the farm. We had a massive garden that we had to learn to fill with produce and flowers. In the beginning, we questioned several time if we made the right decision to buy a small farm. However, just when our doubts started creeping in, something amazing would happen (We found an amazing vet! We grew food! People started showing up to the farm!) Our biggest obstacle continues to be the cost to run a farm. We had no idea how expensive it can be! As our business is growing, we are learning how to use our resources more sustainably and determining the best ways to create revenue so we can keep sharing our farm with the commuinty.
As you know, we’re big fans of Stoney Acres Farm. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a small farm in a big city. One of the last, little hidden gems left in a sea of houses and businesses. We specialize in Agritourism–inviting families to visit our farm to have a hands on experience with agriculture. There are a lot of small farms in our state–but it’s very, very rare to find one in the middle of a major city. We are tucked in the back of a typical, suburban neighborhood. Most people have no idea we are even here. We are so proud that families choose to spend time at our farm each week. And they love to tell their friends about it! We host weekly open farm times, birthday parties, camps, story times, field trips, etc. Our community comes around us each week to enjoy a little bit of farm life.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I absolutely loved curling up with a good book and getting lost in the story. That is still one of my very favorite things to do on the farm.
Pricing:
- $5.00/person for our open farm time
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stoneyacresfarmnc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stoneyacresnc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stoneyacresnc/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoneyAcresNC
