Today we’d like to introduce you to Christi Falls.
Hi Christi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Falls Family Farms started with a garden. I wanted my kids to grow food and be in touch with where their food came from, so we had a garden and a chicken coop they would help me tend.
Our oldest was obsessed with trains, and his collection was getting pretty pricey, so I joked with him he needed to get a job to buy all the trains he wanted. Without skipping a beat, he said “ok, I’ll just sell your extra tomatoes and eggs”- he set up a little roadside stand. I advertised it a little with some social media posts, and people actually came out to get our fresh, locally grown produce and eggs.
At the same time, I was cultivating a nice houseplant collection in our home and wanted more space for them.
I finally convinced my husband to at least look at some land to enlarge our garden and have a greenhouse- and we found the perfect spot with old oak and pecan trees. We fixed up the farmhouse, which was built in 1900, and converted the old garage out back into a farm shop and built a greenhouse onto it.
Now, we are one of very few plant shops to carry rare and hard to find houseplants in a hands on shopping experience, rather than online only.
Our farm shop is eclectic- full of locally grown vegetables, flowers and of course our fresh eggs, plus a collection of things I love – with an emphasis on items made in the Carolinas.
During a visit, guests can shop the greenhouse and farm store, cut their own flowers, eucalyptus and lavender (seasonally), and walk around our working farm to meet the resident goats, sheep, cows, chickens and ducks- and even see our honeybee apiary and honey house.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely been a struggle- time and money are always in short supply- I have way more ideas than time and money allow.
We only purchased the farm in December of 2020, so we were still in the times of Covid and supply chain issues while we were trying to renovate and build.
We also had to remove old fences, put up new fences, and build multiple gardens.
We only got moved into the house December of 2023, and were able to soft open the farm shop.
Then, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in September of 2024, after about a year of health challenges with no idea what was causing it.
The next two years were a blur of complete double mastectomy, chemotherapy, and reconstructive surgery.
It definitely made caring for the farm difficult; but we got through it and look forward to getting caught up and moving forward now that things are starting to settle back down- on the cancer front, at least!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think we are mostly known for our rare houseplants. It’s not often you can walk into a retail shop and actually hold and inspect a rare plant, rather than having to mail order them. I’m really proud of our plant selection and actively stay on the search to always find the best plants.
We host free plant swap and sell events the first Saturday of each month April- October for anyone to come set up a table to trade and sell their own plants and propagations because we love connecting community.
We love bringing together to community, so we host vendor markets and dining events throughout the year, as well as other fun events and festivals.
I’m really proud of our cut flower gardens- they’ve been a little neglected through my cancer journey, but we are working to get them back to their glory for 2027.
I honestly don’t know if a place like ours exists anywhere else. We have so much going on, and so much to come- I think there’s something for just about anyone here.
What matters most to you?
My kids are my everything. I wanted to give them the healthiest foods I could- but I also wanted to give them the experience of growing and caring for living things and watching the results of their labor grow.
They’ve had so many new and interesting experiences and learning / problem solving opportunities here, and they’re my favorite to watch grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.fallsfamilyfarms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fallsfamilyfarms
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1837tvFMvq/
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/Oen7GatBkD
