12/23/2016
As I pulled the last batch of cookies out of the oven today and packaged and labeled the final order to be delivered this morning before Christmas, I took a few moments to reflect on this past year and how good God has been to me. The first thing to come to mind was you, my customers. The overwhelming response to Oak Hill Acres has meant so much to me; I have the best customers in the world! Then, I began to reflect on the journey that has brought me to where I am today. It all began in the summer of 2015 when I started building a greenhouse. This was my first summer to use the greenhouse and had tomato plants up to the rafters! What to do with all the tomatoes? Fiesta Salsa was born!!!! ;) I had put in a huge fenced in garden attached to the greenhouse that did very well, for it's first year! I planted a tiny apple orchard and fenced in every apple tree. The trees grew very well this year and am looking forward to offering organically grown apples in the future. The rhubarb patch produced in abundance and was able to offer organically grown rhubarb for sale. This last fall, I started an asparagus plot and in about 3 years will have organically grown asparagus for sale (that's how long it takes for it to mature!). Last fall I started to build a chicken coop. I will be completing the building of the coop in the Spring with about a weeks left of work left for me to do on it to see it to completion and ready it for baby chicks. Not this coming year, but the following year, once they are grown, I will be offering eggs for sale. The chickens will be fed a natural diet with no chemicals involved. I am striving to have the cleanest, most naturally healthy products available for sale. I have had some amazing friends that have been on this journey with me! Alyssa did an amazing job working with me on developing the logo for Oak Hill Acres and helped me design my business cards. She is such a talented artist and could not have done this without her help! Leroy has been there since Day #1 for me with labels! He prints my product labels and worked with me to develop an amazing label for my Fiesta Salsa jars! Could not be more pleased with the wonderful work he has done! To my taste-testers, who have sampled fudge (20 different flavors already!!!) and other products prior to marketing, thank you! You people have been so wonderful to work with and I appreciate your honest feedback! How else am I going to produce the best possible product without your help? To my family, who has helped me on occasion with the building of the greenhouse and chicken coop, thank you! Wow! What a ride this has been! I am so excited for the future!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my wonderful customers and the wonderful people who have helped me on this journey!!!!
