Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. My dear friend Vicki, who has made a few trips to this side of the Atlantic, invited me. It was now my turn to join her and two of our mutual friends for a weekend of reconnecting in her happy place. There was no better place than among pine forests and mountain landscapes as autumn began to reveal its colorful spectacle. Among that beauty was the story of where your blueberry farm could be.
It was during that weekend that we met a wonderful couple that became the inspiration for this post. Two guys had taken a risk on an abandoned blueberry farm in search of their “la nostra terra.” They returned to a place they knew well as children to rediscover it again. Their story made me think about my journey to find my metaphoric blueberry farm in Italy. I thought it might resonate with those of you who are still searching for your blueberry farm, wherever it may be.
I hope you enjoy this step back into small-town America away from my home in Italy.
Welcome to Lansing, North Carolina
On our last day together, Vicki took me for a morning walk in the town of Lansing, North Carolina.
Lansing was founded in 1926. As of 2020, it had a population of 126 residents and one stop sign. There were probably more deer roaming around the town than actual people.
I researched on Wikipedia and discovered that Lansing was a bustling place in the 1920s. Lansing was on the railroad line that stopped to pick up iron ore pulled from the region’s local mines. Like much of the Appalachian mountain region, iron and coal mines were the region’s economic engine in the 20th century.
From the picture above, you get the kind of place Lansing is, right? Picture small-town America, really small-town. Despite the economic turbulence in Appalachia, Lansing remains charming and resilient after 100 years. Along with many small communities surrounding it, Lansing is reinventing itself as a Blue Ridge mountain tourist hub. It’s a town where vacationers go to find a return-to-yesterday kind of getaway.
Vicki and I stopped at a local coffee bar after a beautiful walk along the river. The coffee bar was part of the Old Orchard Creek General Store. It was a one-stop spot offering coffee and pastries in the morning and a bar for the evening. The general store offered local artisan crafts, books, and various specialty food items. It was the perfect place to bring together locals and tourists in a social setting. It had a very good vibe.
We enjoyed our coffee on the terrace, and that’s when we met Walter, one of the two owners.
It was more than blueberries–it was the beginning of a community.
The owners of Old Orchard Creek General Store, Walter and Johnny, were a couple who grew up in the region but had left to pursue various interests. They were kind to share their story and how they found their way back to Lansing after being away doing big-city things.
In 2002, they returned to Lansing for a weekend visit. That same weekend, they stumbled upon a blueberry farm on the outskirts of town. There was a crumbling farmhouse standing guard amongst the bramble-infested blueberry bushes. They were intrigued by the property even though it wasn’t for sale. However, the seed of fate was planted.
A year later, the couple returned, and as they were strolling down the main street, they saw a real-estate office with an advertisement, “Blueberry Farm for Sale.” Sure enough, it was their blueberry farm. The same one that captivated their imagination a year before was now up for sale. They made an offer that very same day, and as they say, the rest is blueberry history.
I don’t profess to know all of their details, but from what I gathered in our brief conversation, the couple restored the farmhouse to its original splendor. They cleaned and pruned the blueberry orchard to make it productive again, and over time, they began to think about something bigger.
You never know where your blueberry farm will take you
Fast forward to 2023, the blueberry farm now has a restored barn for an event space and cottages for rent. The blueberries are turned into cider and other treats from those same bushes Walter and Johnny first laid their eyes upon 20 years ago. They even offer pick-your-own blueberries during the summit harvest.
In 2020, they acquired a general store and brought the Old Orchard brand to downtown Lansing. That was the coffee shop where our conversation began.
Before we left, Johnny came to introduce himself. He was on the front terrace talking with locals when we arrived but was kind enough to come back and say hello.
Walter and Johnny are pictured on the left with their two loyal companions.
In their quest to find their blueberry farm, they had expanded to become a hub for the townspeople and tourists looking to experience something original.
They also became local business people dedicated to preserving the best of Lansing while perhaps changing hearts and minds in this predominantly conservative small Appalachian town.
The final twist in our brief encounter that Sunday morning was learning that we share a common connection with Italy. Johnny worked quite a bit in Florence in the textile trade, and the couple recently purchased a holiday home in a small Tuscan town.
Perhaps the next time we connect, it will be over a Campari spritz in Tuscany. I expect Walter and Johnny will have a vision of how to bring a little bit of Lansing’s charm to Tuscany.
Sometimes you have to wait for your blueberry farm.
There is a beautifully serendipitous lesson to the story of Old Orchard Creek and what Walter and Johnny have created.
Life will bring you your blueberry farm when you need it. You have to be clear about what it is you want. The hardest part is stepping out of the way to let the creation process work its magic.
Perhaps Walter and Johnny didn’t know where they would be 20 years after first laying eyes on their future blueberry farm, but they knew it was the right step forward. It makes perfect sense when I think of what they created for the town of Lansing.
Creation works in small steps and simple surprises. It requires us to take the next obvious step, do the work right in front of us, and then look and listen for the next door to open. Your blueberry farm is there, and once you reach it, you’ll be surprised how far you have come.
We don’t relieve ourselves from the hard work of achieving. However, it is clearer and easier when we let it unfold. One step leads to another “un passo dopo l’altro”. It’s just like finding your blueberry farm and making that offer. The flywheel begins, and then it builds momentum to take us places we never imagined.
Thanks for reading this latest posting and for following along. If you find yourself in the Blue Ridge Mountains, stop by Lansing and say hello to Walter and Johnny. They are just two of the kind and hospitable people waiting to greet you in Lansing, North Carolina. If you want to follow my blog and receive my posts automatically, please subscribe below.