Happy Dirt

How many pumpkins can you fit in a gaylord box and on your porch? Over the last week, many of you were introduced to gaylord boxes, as you helped to fill over 10 with essential supplies for Happy Dirt farmer-owner Sanford Fishel's community in WNC! Want to know what comes to Happy Dirt in gaylord boxes? PUMPKINS! And, they are grown by Sanford. Each year, Sanford grows heirloom pumpkins, warty goblin pumpkins, and carving pumpkins for Happy Dirt. While Hurricane Helene did damage Sanford's farm, the pumpkins made it through, as they were resting in fields that were higher in elevation. So, what does this mean? The more pumpkins you buy for your porch, the more pumpkins Sanford can bring to Raleigh on his box truck, and the more essential supplies we can send back with him for his community! It's also another way to help us support Sanford's farm in general. Where to find Sanford's pumpkins? 🎃 The Bradford Market in Huntersville, NC 🎃 The Durham Co-op Market in Durham, NC 🎃 Rebus Works in Raleigh, NC 🎃 Local Jo's Natural Foods in Mt. Pleasant, SC 🎃 Low Country Street Grocery in Charleston, SC 🎃 Sevananda Natural Foods Market in Atlanta, GA Sanford will come regardless, as long as his community needs him and us, but we know he would say he might as well bring more pumpkins if the people want them!

Our Farmers Need Us Now More Than Ever For the past 20 years, Happy Dirt has had the honor of working hand-in-hand with farmers across the Southeast, helping them grow, thrive, and bring fresh, organic produce to all of us. But today, we’re heartbroken as we witness the devastation that Hurricane Helene has left in Western North Carolina. The farms we love and rely on are hurting—crops and equipment have been washed away, and homes and infrastructure have been destroyed. These farmers aren’t just partners—they’re our friends, our community, our family. They’ve always been there for us, providing the food that nourishes our bodies and souls. Now, they need our help to rebuild and make it through this incredibly tough time. We’ve set up a GoFundMe to raise money for several farms we’re personally connected to: 🌾 Fishel Organics 🌾 TendWell Farm 🌾 Clem’s Organic Garden 🌾 Dare Vegan Cheese 🌾 River Ridge Organics 🌾 R Farm https://lnkd.in/ex2KpVVr Every penny raised will go to help them recover what they’ve lost—from tractors to greenhouses, from wages to seeds. We know disaster relief programs take time, and we want to ease the burden on these farmers *now*, so they can focus on healing and rebuilding before the winter sets in. If you can, please donate. Even the smallest amount can help rebuild lives and livelihoods. And if you’re looking for more ways to give, the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association has put together a list of resources. Let’s come together for our farmers. #HelpOurFarmers #WNCStrong #HurricaneHeleneRelief

Did you know that persimmons symbolize luck, longevity, and perseverance? Friday morning as Hurricane Helene made it's way through Florida and Georgia, leaving destruction in its path, we had no idea what was about to take place in Western North Carolina. Hannah, who is part of Happy Dirt’s purchasing team and works closely with our regional farmer-partners, checked in on the farmer-partners who were in Hurricane Helene’s path, including Miles Berry Farm in Georgia. Before the North Carolina organic strawberry season starts, we source organic strawberries from Miles Berry Farm. This year, they grew organic fuyu persimmons for Happy Dirt for the first time. They responded with a photo of one of the persimmon trees and said that the damage around them was overwhelming, their landscape was forever changed, but the persimmons were hanging on. We will now forever see the persimmon fruit as a small, sweet symbol of hope, even when things seem utterly hopeless for so many. We will eat persimmons while we work hard to do what we can to help our farmer-partners, vendors, customers, and their communities in Western North Carolina. And if you see Happy Dirt persimmons at the grocery store, you now know that those persimmons came from the trees that persevered through the storm.

URGENT NEED: Happy Dirt is committed to supporting our farmers in Western North Carolina during this critical time. We have been in contact with our farmer-partners and customers in WNC, listening to and assessing their most urgent needs. Today, we sent one of our trucks loaded with pallets of water, donated produce, batteries, flashlights, and hand sanitizer to the Asheville and Hendersonville areas. We're also working to reach more remote areas of the mountains, where some of our farm-partners are located. These areas often face greater challenges in disaster recovery compared to larger towns and cities. This Wednesday, we’ll be sending additional pallets of water back on a farm delivery truck to Grassy Creek/Jefferson, NC, where the local fire department will handle distribution. One of our farmer-owners from the area shared that “anything and everything helps.” If you’re a retail, warehousing, or distribution partner in the Triangle area, we are urgently seeking pallets of shelf-stable foods (canned goods, packaged foods, etc.) to send out on Wednesday afternoon. We can coordinate with nonprofit partners for tax deductions if needed. Not a partner but want to help? Please share this post with your networks, and feel free to reach out to us directly to coordinate support. Thank you for helping us lift up our farming communities in this time of need. 💚 #HappyDirt #CommunitySupport #WNC

Lady Moon Farms has been one of our regional farm-partners since 2019, and we’re excited to announce that Lady Moon has chosen to strengthen their partnership with Happy Dirt. Through this strengthened partnership, Lady Moon Farms will lean more on our expertise and capabilities to help them expand their reach into untapped markets on the East Coast. We love being able to do what we do best for our farm-partners so they can do what they love to do, farm. At Happy Dirt, we’re dedicated to offering year-round organic produce. When the North Carolina season slows or ends for crops, we bridge the gap with fresh organic produce from regional farms like Lady Moon Farms. Whether it's filling in seasonal gaps or overcoming weather challenges, we know that we can always call on our trusted farm-partners. And during the winter months, our Florida program takes the lead, keeping our organic supply steady and strong. Together, we’ll expand our reach in the organic produce industry and continue to build a healthier, more robust regional food system that we can rely on for years to come. #sustainablefoodsystems #organicproduce https://lnkd.in/em5kYxNp

This week has been all about organic heirloom tomatoes as we relish the final weeks of summer. If you missed it, we shared Chef Konget's Organic Heirloom Tomato & Mini Gherkin Salad that she created to help us savor the lingering flavors of late-summer in North Carolina. Konget used organic heirloom tomatoes and organic mini gherkins Sanford Fishel, a Happy Dirt farmer-owner and organic farmer in western NC. Because the weather is cooling down faster than we thought it would this month, we may not have Sanford's organic heirlooms for much longer this season (or heirlooms in general). So grab heirlooms while you can and try your hand at this salad. https://lnkd.in/eSPYQ9PP We are thrilled to partner with Haandmade Pottery, designed and handmade in Burlington, NC to help us bring the full story of Konget’s North Carolina recipes to life. You never forget the vessels that sat on the table where you enjoyed a transformative, shared meal!

Sanford Fishel, a Happy Dirt farmer-owner and organic farmer in western North Carolina, is dedicated to growing the best organic heirloom tomatoes in the state. From field-grown to high tunnels, Sanford grows 40-50 different organic heirloom tomatoes, all while preserving the tradition of seed saving of his open-pollinated varieties. With rich soil, a temperate climate, and the use of high tunnels, Sanford can extend the growing season for his organic heirloom tomatoes, keeping the feeling of summer alive throughout September. As far as his favorites go, Sanford says it’s hard to have a favorite but a few that he loves are Chocolate Stripe, German Johnson, Emerald Green, and Cherokee Purple. For a sweet, flavorful bite, Fishel recommends the Pineapple tomato. He will tell you that all are delicious sandwich tomatoes, and you know how Southerners are about their tomato sandwiches. With Happy Dirt farmers like Sanford, we're proud to continue meeting the growing demand for organic heirlooms, bringing you the best of North Carolina’s fields.

Today’s Late-Summer Special: Organic Heirloom Tomato & Mini Gherkin Salad It’s the (Un)official last day of summer, and chef Konget Elias is helping us savor the lingering flavors of summer with a simple, beautiful salad. Nothing says late-summer in North Carolina like the taste of fresh organic heirloom tomatoes. Inspired by her time with Happy Dirt and her Southern roots, this salad is a celebration of the season: heirloom tomatoes, creamy goat cheese, tangy mini gherkins, and a splash of lemon and Graza olive oil. With each bite, Konget is reminded of her grandmother’s fried green tomatoes—summer on a plate. ✨ Here’s to the final days of summer sunshine, heirloom tomatoes, and the flavors that make summer unforgettable. 🥗💛 https://lnkd.in/eBQGv_wR We are thrilled to partner with Haandmade Pottery, designed and handmade in Burlington, NC to help us bring the full story of Konget’s North Carolina recipes to life. You never forget the vessels that sat on the table where you enjoyed a transformative, shared meal!

Organic watermelons from our North Carolina farmer-partners are still rolling in, and we’re grateful to still have fresh watermelon to get us through the pipin’ hot dog days of summer! The following are 4 very simple ways to eat watermelon and stay hydrated with watermelon (and water, of course): 🍉 Watermelon Popsicles: Either cut your watermelon into triangles or buy them precut. Put popsicle sticks in the rind, place in the freezer until frozen, and enjoy! 🍉 Watermelon Feta Salad w/ Mint: Cut the flesh of the watermelon into cubes or buy them precut. Make little craters in each cube for the feta cheese crumbles. Chop some mint leaves and sprinkle on top. 🍉 Watermelon Agua Fresca: Purée 4 cups of watermelon in a blender and add sugar to taste. If you’re a mint lover, muddle a few mint leaves along with a slice of lime in a glass. Fill with ice then pour the watermelon agua fresca on top. 🍉 Eat a giant, fresh watermelon slice bite by bite.

For our 2024 North Carolina organic peppers eason, we’re thrilled to feature a range of specialty organic peppers alongside our organic bell peppers, including organic shishito peppers packaged in Happy Dirt clamshells for the first time! When crop planning with @southwindproduce, we asked Miles if he would grow organic shishito peppers for us. And in true farmer fashion, he didn’t hesitate. His crop has been prolific this year, so it’s safe to say that Miles has ideal soil for organic shishitos peppers. By growing a diverse variety of peppers (or any crop), farmers are able to maintain the health of their soil! Having a diverse variety of crops also provides new opportunities for our farmer-partners because we're able to help them explore new markets. Learn more about organic shishito peppers, as well as Happy Dirt's must-have organic peppers for summer! #organicproduce #sustainablefoodsystems https://lnkd.in/eUxxndBp