Winding Stair Farm and Nursery is a diversified business
that has worked patiently and precisely to produce and offer unique high
quality products.
The farm and nursery is located
in Franklin, NC, a couple of hours from Atlanta and about one hour from
Nashville. Their advertising has been local and regional via radio and
newspaper but has grown with social media to reach surrounding cities to share
their specialty products.
Ezra Gardiner and his wife Michelle
Ruigrok are the managing owners of the business. The couple grew up around
farming and landscaping. They originally joined the state’s Beekeepers
Association, where they learned about the honey and hive bee. At this time they were introduced by a friend to
silent owners seeking a talented team to manage their farm – which would become
Gardiner and Ruigrok.
This began the journey that led
them down the winding path to their unique business. On the farm they started
with Icelandic sheep, which they used domestically and sold the wool from. They
also raise chicken, duck and geese. In addition, they raise harder to find
produce such as artichokes and Native American variety vegetables. With the more common vegetables
such as green beans, they are able to offer them later in the season, as the
farm is at a high elevation –they can harvest vegetables later than most. All
their vegetables are sold at the public market.
The nursery, which is about 20
miles from the farm, was purchased from a previous owner who ran it as a retail garden center. Gardiner
and Ruigrok have expanded the nursery to include flowering perennials and shrubs and a large variety of harder to find varieties produced from
seed. They have worked diligently to find people with experience and the proper knowledge to
ensure a quality product. Gardiner noted it took a decent amount of time to
find a market in his area and skilled people able to produce from seed the
unique plant products he offers. He
employs 10 people during their busiest season, reducing to five during the
slower season.
Gardiner explained his
greatest challenge as being the process of working into the community and
finding his market there. Conversely, his greatest accomplishment is earning
the trust of the community and becoming the nursery many visit to learn about
plant varieties and qualities. Winding Stair offers free programs and workshops
to the public. Landscapers and homeowners also
seek Winding Stair plant products because
of their high quality for large and small projects.
Gardiner and Ruigrok have
provided a market for native plant and vegetable lovers. Their combination of farm and nursery provides a
creative edge to their knowledge and investment into community living.
