In 2014, we decided to expand our Blueberry farm business with the addition of Agritourism. Our incentive is to develop a Western Town style, family-oriented farm experience. We will provide: 1. Families and community groups a place to visit and purchase healthy fruits in a fun, family and educational atmosphere. 2. Maintain a Blueberry Museum, offering information on Blueberries. 3. Pedagogical (educational) issues, such as: a. How to properly handle Blueberries. b. How to properly store Blueberries. c. How to properly process Blueberries and fresh fruit. d. Demonstrate how to prepare: 1. Fruit pancakes and waffles. 2. Fruit Cakes. 3. Fruit Deserts. 4. The proper method to preserve fruits. 4. A family picnic area. 5. Hay rides for families to enjoy the outside and tour an active, functioning Blueberry Orchard. We are currently in the first stage of this project. Stage one: a. Complete and submit Grant...Completed 12/11/2014 b. Design Western Town...Completed 12/11/2014 c. Fence in U-Pick Orchard...Completed April 8, 2015. d. Repair/replace security fence Wright Rd...Completed 12/14/2014 e. Plant 200 Blueberry plants in U-Pick...Completed April 8, 2015 f. Prepare for 400 additional strawberry plants...completed 11/1/2014 g. Plant additional 1.5 rows Blackberries...by March 1, 2015 Postponed h. Prepare vegetable garden...by February 15, 2015 i. Order 18'x20' metal building...completed December 4, 2014 j. Install U-Pick building...approx. 6 weeks from order date k. Plant vegetable garden...april 2015, after frost conditions. l. Purchase 4x4x6 fence posts for Orchard..by December 31, 2014 j. Build frame for Museum/classroom foundation.completed Jan. 30, 2015 k. Build frame for Store foundation.. Completed Feb. 7, 2015 l. Build frame for Porta-Jon ADA slab.. Jan. 30, 2015 Stage two: a. Order building materials for facades...after February 28, 2015 upon Grant approval b. Build Western Town...April 1,2015, upon Grant approval c. Order 24'x25 Country Store building...june 2015 d. install Country Store...June 2015 e. Complete inside of Country Store...July 30, 2015, long delivery time f. Open Orchards for U-Pick: 1. Blueberries May 2015 2. Strawberries June 2015 3. Peaches June-July 2015 4. Blackberries June 1, 2015 Note: Picking will depend on weather conditions and available fruit. g. Picnic area: 1. Purchase 4 picnic tables...by June 1, 2015 2. Purchase platform lumber,..as fund become available. 3. Build platform..as funds become available h. Parking gravel...by June 1, 2015, as funds become available i. Move existing greenhouse...april 15, 2015, when cuttings are ready for potting j. Move/setup roadside stand in front orchard..by February 1, 2015. k. Setup blue picnic tent after last frost in 2015
Project Progress is listed below Progress Up-Date December 18, 2014. January 8, 2015 Attended a meeting with the Halifax County Zoning Department this morning. I feel the meeting was positive. We discussed toilet facilities, electrical permit and overall layout of project. Hope to have final approval shortly. We have installed all metal fence posts for the U-Pick Orchard. We have installed the customer entrance gate on the East side of the Orchards. We have installed both maintenance gates on the North side of the Orchard. January 28, 2015 Due to bad weather, we have had to adjust completion dates on several items. As of today, we have installed the cement forming frame for the museum/classroom building and the Porta-Jon cement slab. All pine logs for our fort are cut and we are waiting for clear weather to start building. On January 22, 2015 I met with Halifax County building inspector and environmental health personnel. They are requiring a building permit to install the car ports. We are waiting for the permit. All greenhouse vegetables have been planted in 6 pack trays. I have met with the Halifax County Tourism and Halifax Chamber of Commerce. I attended the North Carolina Blueberry Council Convention in Fayetteville on January 13, 2015. I attended the NCANA convention in Hickory on Jan. 16, 2015
January 31, 2015 Completed installing/cementing all wooden fence posts for front orchards. Installed service gate to South side of Orchard. February 4, 2015 Finished with Museum foundation box. Started building Country Store foundation box. February 7, 2015 Started building support braces for Western Fort. Installed Security fence on East side of Orchard Completed Frame box for Store, Classroom/Museum foundation. NOTE: unable to pour cement until we have three days of temp. above 40 degree s. March 2, 2015 NOTICE Due to the bad weather for the last four weeks, we are behind our schedule for completion. We hope to get back on schedule as soon as the weather allows. March 13, 2015 The weather has finally allowed us to pour the cement foundations and 10x10 slab for ADA toilet and sink. The building Manufacturer has been contacted for delivery. Electrical PVC has been installed.
April 2, 2015 I have been working all week with fence, poles, cutting grass, tilling and rowing garden. We have finally started planting additional blueberry plants and vegetables. Vegetable Garden Blueberry Fence Peach Orchard Fence Peach Orchard Fence Peach Orchard U-Pick-Produce Trailer U-Pick Strawberries Blooming U-Pick Blueberry Orchard Western Fort going up We are still waiting for our 18 x20 Classroom/Museum building. April 8, 2015 we installed the new Greenhouse, previous greenhouse was destroyed by high winds
On April 12, 2015 we worked on the Western Fort Façade. April 27, 2015 We started building the Town Building the Façade Boardwalk
Finished April 29, 2015 April 30, 2015 Started Facades Frames
April 30, 2015 Installing Schoolhouse/Museum Building Started selecting layout for Facades
May 4 to May 7, 2015 Framing in Town Walls Left to right: Barber Shop, Dr s. Office, Jail, Post Office, Mining Co.
May 8, 2015 Framing Schoolhouse floor
May 9, 2015 Framing Schoolhouse Front May 11, 2015 Framing in Schoolhouse, Boardwalk poles and Country Store frame
May 12, 2015 Schoolhouse and Country Store Boardwalk framing May 13, 2015 Country Store Floor Framing and Boardwalk
May 14, 2015 Working on Country Store boardwalk and floor frame
May 15, 2015 Working on Boardwalk and Country Store May 16, 2015 Country Store floor frame, Schoolhouse front and Bell Tower
May 17, 2015 Finishing up Boardwalk, Overall View of Project
May 24, 2015 STARTED PAINTING As of May 27, 2015. June 11, Up-Date Over the past few weeks we have been working in the orchards and Western Town. Work is slow, but we are moving forward.
How the Town will look with signs First coat of paint New Gate Sign for U-Pickers and Visitors June 11, 2015 Summery As of today, we have completed the Town fronts, boardwalks, painted first coat, completed Country Store foundation, floor frame and boardwalk. The parking area has been completely fenced in and secured for safety.
Outreach We have received many visitors watching the progress of our project. We have started our add campaign with WPTM Radio, spoke with Roger Bell of the Emporia Newspaper, spoke with several Doctors in reference to healthy fruit, hygiene and holding healthy eating classes. We ran our WPTM radio announcements for 60 days. We explained our Fresh Market, Local U-Pick and the opening of our Western Towns. We have a scheduled visit from our local Chamber President for June 12, 2015 We will be present at our local 2015 Harvest Day held at the 4 H facility. We will have a booth offering handouts on our project, what we are offering to the public and demonstrations on caring and pruning Blueberry plants. June 11, 2015 Allen Purser, the Halifax County Chamber President came for a visit. He was very impressed with what we are doing for the community. He added our information on the Happy Acres Farm Market to the weekly e-mails for chamber members. We have had several members contact us in reference to our project. July-August We were very busy picking and packaging blueberries. Work was performed on the town, however it was in short time intervals. After our Blueberry season we were able to focus more on the town. September I ran and wired the Schoolhouse for electricity. I framed in the rear wall and covered it with 3/8 plywood. The following pictures are of the Schoolhouse/Museum. I feel this is an important building, we will train workers, educate others on life on a farm, agriculture and raising fruit. We have designed the Jail were you can go inside and have your picture taken through the window, behind the bars.
We have purchased a larger wagon for hayrides and kids to climb on and take pictures. This was purchased by James Matthews for this project.
September 22, 2015 Summery As of today, we have seen an increase in public awareness of Happy Acres farm through our daily radio broadcasts, our U-Pick increased 500%, we had a local Christian daycare center come and visit with us, even though the town is not completely finished. Our local Chamber has visited and is in support of us, our local Cooperative Extension office has visited and supports our mission. We have had local citizens stop by just to see what we were up to (you can see the town from Wright Rd.) The project has taken more man hours than I had expected, and we are running behind on our schedule. Although we will not be open during the winter months, we will offer our classroom and picnic area for birthday parties and other functions at a reasonable rate.