Six months after opening its doors in a new downtown location, Nu-Beginning Farm: The Store has become a hub for more than homemade soups and farm fresh produce.
Past the refrigerators of locally sourced cheeses and meats comes a different local flavor: a rotating cast of regional musicians offering up everything from jazz to traditional flute music, folk favorites from the ’70s to good old fashion rock and roll.
Featured local musicians have included Lou Boden, Nadine Chase, Perry Davis, Danny Dolinger, Matt Getsey, Larry Ragland, from Cary, North Carolina Harp Guitarist Andrew Kasab and more.
“It was always our vision to offer up the best of what the region has to offer,” says John Matheny, owner of Nu-Beginning Farm; The Store and himself a longtime farmer. “In the beginning, for us that meant food but that vision grew when we moved to our new larger location. Today, we’re expanding to be a home and destination for regional musicians, as well as pop-up vendors, authors, poets and educators.”
Partnerships with other regional entrepreneurs have included free chair massages offered by Pure Health Massage & Bodyworks, nutrition classes from Nutritional Therapist Susan Blasko, a book signing by Cameron C. Nickels, and “pop-up vendor” days with Accessible Fruit, Country Rhodes Produce and Bakery, and Barn Quilts by Sally Shomo just to name a few.
As music lovers come to hear the sounds of local talent, The Store’s most basic and original mission has always been to connect them with nourishing, delicious, local food. The in-store restaurant offers homemade soup selections, all-day breakfasts, seasonal salads, sandwiches, as well as an array of inventive desserts. Their grocery store section connects customers with area farmers like Mountain View Farm Products cheese, meats from R-W Farms, wine from Bluestone Vineyard and specialty items from growers and producers around the region.
“What’s come together in the space is truly amazing,” says Lou Boden, a regional musician who specializes in Native American flute playing as a healing technique. “Beyond the musicians, there are over 75 local vendors represented in some way here. I would encourage anyone interested in local food or music to find their way to the The Store.”
For additional information about upcoming events, check out https://www.facebook.com/Nu-Beginning-Farm-222014413619 the web page at www.theStoreInStaunton.com.
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