Memorialized in our logo is my grandfather who we lovingly called, Poppaw. His work ethic, farming, and giving back provided the inspiration for me to want to be a farmer just like him. He worked full-time at a factory and then came home and raised cattle, hay, chickens, and a family garden. I didn’t get to spend much time with him because he was so busy, but I loved his passion for farming. After
owning a business for 23 years, we sold it, and I finally got my very own farm. I started with one beehive, 10 chickens, and a family garden. That grew into nine beehives, nearly double the chickens, a very large garden, and an elderberry orchard. I originally started the elderberries to help my husband, who was born with a suppressed immune system and battled numerous health issues throughout his life. I wanted to use farming to improve his health, so I conducted research and discovered the many amazing attributes of elderberries and honey. I started with two bushes, got a time-tested elderberry syrup recipe, and started making it with my honey. The first year there wasn’t much I could make, but he noticed it helped. In the second year, I made him a year’s supply and the results exceeded our expectations. He went from 7 medications to only one and from being sick several months a year to rarely being sick. Our family and friends kept asking how he was so much healthier, and I told them it was the syrup and honey. They all wanted to try it, so in year three, I made as much as I could. It worked for them as well and we ran out of it, and they kept coming back for more! My husband suggested that I go commercial with it, and I loved the idea of helping anyone who wanted to feel better naturally. I now have an orchard with over 600 beautiful American elderberry bushes, our product, commercial kitchen, and label are all approved by the ODA, and here we are! The best part is that we also followed Poppaw as a Gideon. He visited prisons to speak God’s Word to the inmates and to hand out Bibles. We give away free Bibles at every event we attend, and in 2022 we gave away 85 of them! I am excited about the future of Poppaw’s Homegrown. We will continue to grow, add new stores and venues, and help as many people as we can to naturally improve their health and well-being. We hope to have you as a lifetime customer!