16 - Mossflower Abbey Farm (Locust, NC)

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Hi and welcome back to the Biscuits and Gravy podcast. I'm Michelle and today it is a beautiful day in North Carolina. We've had some unusually warm weather for the past week but it's actually starting to get cold now. And I say unusually but in North Carolina you just have to expect the unusual weather. It can be 70 degrees one day and it can be 15 the next. It's like

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wild. So that's kind of what we've experienced lately. And so I, you know, they're talking about maybe snow next week. And, you know, my kids are excited about the possibility. But I, and this may not be a popular opinion, but I am ready for spring. As soon as the Christmas decorations come down, I'm over winter.

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And I am ready for spring to start and for flowers to start budding out and all the things and the problem that we experience here in North Carolina is that We have this unusual warm weather in January and all of the fruit trees start budding out and the you know, the daffodils are coming up and then everything gets killed because

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we have several more months of potential frost. So it is quite a conundrum. But anyways, I, and too, it does not help with sickness either, I don't think. The fluctuating temperatures really do a number on our bodies. And so I feel like I'm always sitting down to record a podcast when I'm getting over something. And today is no exception. So...

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Last weekend I had some sort of respiratory virus and it didn't last for very long. I didn't feel bad for very long but I have this lingering cough that I'm pretty sure I will die with one day. Maybe not, maybe not. But you know how those coughs seem to linger. So I'm gonna do my best to get through this without coughing to you guys. But my husband is very gracious. I wanna just.

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throw that out there. He is very gracious to me. And he, as I've told y'all before, he would be perfectly content never going anywhere, just being at home for the rest of his life. But he knows that I love to travel and I love to experience new things and that that's very important to me and it's important that my kids experience things as well.

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And anyways, he, you know, we've had many conversations about my need to travel and just also my need for a break every once in a while, just, you know, being at home 24 seven with our children and homeschooling and running the farm and talking to customers and all the things that I'm accustomed to doing every day, you know, sometimes I feel the need for a break. And so he has given,

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graciously given me permission to take a break when I need to and I was approached several months ago by Pat Kopp who owns the Mossflower Abbey farm and bakery kitchen in Locust, North Carolina which is about 45-50 minutes away from us so it's not far. She approached me many months ago about coming out and

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staying the night at their bed and breakfast and just experiencing their place. And I was so excited to do that. And so we saw the opportunity for a time when Adam could keep the kids and be at home with them while I go and experience the Moss Flower Abbey Farm. And that happened this past week. So I

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implore you to check out the moss flower abbey farm and Moss flower abbey kitchen I will leave all the links in the show notes for you guys and if you'll head over to our website biscuits and gravy podcast calm you'll be able to see all of the pictures I took from My trip there. They have such a beautiful place. I noticed it right away when I pulled up first of all they are way way out in the country and

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which is perfect because they want to market their farm, their bed and breakfast as a retreat, as a respite place for caregivers, for moms, for people that just want to get away from the city life, or they were telling me that recently they've had people that wanted to, like families that wanted to get together but didn't have room to do that, so they would rent some rooms at their.

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farm to stay and it's beautiful. It's just way out away from everything. Like I said, it was unusually warm this past week and so even when I was sleeping that night there at the farm, I could just hear the frogs.

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that night and I didn't hear any traffic or anything like that. It was just so peaceful and such a nice retreat. So let me start back at the beginning when I when I arrived. It's beautiful. Beautiful scenery. Way out in the country and I pulled up and their house is is enormous. It's just a beautiful farmhouse. It doesn't look

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You know how a lot of farmhouses look kind of weather worn and just kind of falling apart? It was not like that at all. It was very well taken care of. The grounds are well taken care of. And the house is just, I would say, immaculate. They might not agree, but I believe it was. And just beautifully designed, beautifully...

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landscaped and they have a wraparound porch with lots of seating and so I was just automatically just kind of taken by the charm of the place even though it was a dreary day when I was coming there it had been raining it actually rained pretty much the entire time I was there for 24 hours but it was just it was just wonderful it was very dreamy so I walked up

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And I was welcomed by Sam, which is the other owner, Sam and Pat. And he welcomed me in. He was very friendly, had a smile on his face the whole time. And Pat was in her kitchen baking. She said, so I arrived on a Thursday and she said that Tuesdays and Thursdays are her official baking days. So she, she apologized for the smell and I was like, oh my goodness, why would you apologize for the smell? It's delightful, you know?

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I mean, who doesn't love freshly baked bread smell? So, but she was in her kitchen. She invited me to sit down at the kitchen table and we literally sat there and just chatted for an hour and not necessarily about their business or anything like that. It was just about life. I found out that we have a lot in common. She...

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homeschooled her four children all the way through. And I have four children that I'm homeschooling, hopefully all the way through. And yeah, they have a farm and do a lot of, you know, handmade things, like all of her baking that she does. And just, we had the entrepreneurship in common with that. And I even told Adam later that I could see him and I doing something similar, just baking.

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and hosting people and that kind of thing. So it was just really delightful to sit down and talk to them. A lot of times I get kind of anxious to meet new people and a little bit nervous and awkward and not know really what to say, but it was not like that at all with them. It was just like sitting down with some mentors or some parents or whatever. And...

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and I just felt very comfortable and at ease with them. So they have a gift. They have a gift for hospitality and I want everyone to know that. That's one reason why I was so excited to share this with you guys. All right, so after we had sat down and talked for a little while, then Sam showed me around the house. He showed me the room that I was gonna be in and then he also showed me the other rooms upstairs in their farmhouse. They have a...

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three official rooms for rent. One of the rooms, the one that I stayed in, has a private bath inside the room. The other two rooms are at the other end of the hallway and they share a bath in the hallway. But it works out perfect like he was telling me about the family that came for a family reunion of sorts and they stayed in all three of the rooms and just had a great time.

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Another huge plus I believe for this bed and breakfast is they have a family room. So upstairs where all of the guest rooms are they have a room that is just for community. It's just for conversing with other guests or with Sam and Pat. And it's set up with a big TV. It's got...

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A puzzle table with a puzzle already started on it. It's got a popcorn popper. It's got a little mini fridge with sodas and water in it. Couches, recliners, like it is set up for just hanging out. And I love that. If my family was to come with me, I imagine we'd probably spend most of our time in there, just playing games and watching a movie together, hanging out or whatever.

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Sam and Pat want people to know that this place is a place for people to rest and to relax. They want everyone to feel at ease when they come there and to have everything that they need and they have done such a marvelous job at executing that ideal. So they said you know like this is our home too so we're gonna be

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about were going to be like I heard her in the kitchen most of the time but that evening they came up and they sat in the family room and they want people to know you can come hang out with us you can stay in your room you can go for a walk in the woods they have some walking trails around their farm which I didn't get to take advantage of since it was raining the whole time but they have a nice driveway that's gravel that you can actually walk

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a circle around their apple orchard there. So there is lots to do, lots to keep you occupied or not. One thing that when Sam was showing me the room that I was gonna stay in, he said that Pat felt very strongly about not having TVs in the bedrooms, but he thought that, you know, that.

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people might want the option of watching TV if they're there. And so they have TVs that are inside the closets that can be swung out on an arm and turned on if that was needed. But I like the idea of not having the TV because I know for us, sometimes it's very, it's like an automatic reaction. When we see a TV, we turn it on, especially on vacation because we don't have a TV at our house, that that's like the first thing that you do,

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to kind of like relax and unwind, but then you kind of regret like the noise, you know? And how it didn't provide a, you know, a restful environment because it was noisy the whole time. So I like that it's like, it's there and it's accessible, but it's not necessarily like here, like here's your invitation to turn it on right now, kind of thing, like it takes a little bit more work. So I like that. That's a great option for families who really do want to kind of unplug.

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But they do have Wi-Fi. So I actually did not ever turn the TV on while I was there, but I had my laptop with me so that I could watch something if I wanted to and use their Wi-Fi to work on some work things or answer emails or whatever. The bedroom was so sweet. It was called the Blue Room. It was the room that I stayed in. And it was beautiful. It was very...

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It was very much my style because it had some antique furniture, it had some antique items in there, but nothing looked like you were going to break it. You know what I mean? Like, and everything was very clean. There were no cobwebs anywhere. Like, it was not old looking, if you know what I mean. The bathroom was gorgeous and there was a free-standing soaking tub, which is like my love language.

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I love a good bath. So I took several baths while I was there actually. I'm not ashamed to say. And just relaxed in the bathtub. It was a beautiful open large bathroom that was had modern but very vintage looking amenities and appliances and things.

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It was very, very nice. Such a retreat, such a getaway, and I loved every minute of being there. They had on the bed when I arrived, they had a little tray, and it had the options for breakfast that you could choose from, and they asked that you would just check off what you'd like. Of course, everything homemade by Pat. I chose a mushroom quiche for breakfast.

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and coffee and orange juice and she had all that ready in the morning when I went down. She said her husband was excited because she doesn't usually make quiche unless we have guests. So she said he was excited that I had chosen that as what I wanted for breakfast. But she has all kinds of things scones and muffins and all kinds of things as options as well. So that was on the tray as well as a little welcome card and you'll see a picture of this if you check out our website.

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that just said welcome Michelle to Mossflower Abbey Farm and then it just it inside it just gave like some information about their their farm and that they were excited to have you there and like I said hospitality is definitely something that they are gifted with and that showed in every single detail. On this tray also they had some little caramel apple caramel

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candies that Pat had made herself And they were delicious as well And they had a bottle of water for anyone that wanted it when Sam showed me around He told me I was welcome to go into the family room and get anything I wanted with in their little fridge They had all different kinds of drinks. So he was like, please help yourself feel at home here. I had just a wonderful time truly truly wonderful time

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I honestly didn't want to leave. I wanted to have a little bit more of a break. When I was leaving, I walked down and I said, well, I'm gone. And she said, back to reality, huh? And I was like, yeah. So the story behind their farm is that, or behind their bed and breakfast, is that they really wanted to provide a place for people to come to kind of get a break from.

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just the everyday duties of caregivers. She had told me before I had made my reservation, she had told me that they cater to moms who need a night away from the kids or caregivers of people with brain injuries. That's something that's near and dear to their hearts because Sam actually has had some strokes.

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and has suffered through some of that. And thankfully he is very mobile and the strokes did not affect his mobility as much as some cognitive memory loss and that kind of thing. But they just have a heart for people with brain injuries and their caregivers. In fact,

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They use their facility for events to bring more awareness to brain injured people and the caregivers that take care of them. So they've already scheduled in April a Champions and Community Day at their farm. So I implore you to check that out. They have two different places that you can really check out what's going on with the farm and the kitchen.

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So they have on Facebook Mossflower Abbey Kitchen, which is their bakery part, and then Mossflower Abbey Farm, which is the bed and breakfast part. Pat says she's learning Instagram, but she does most of her business on Facebook. And so that's really where you can get more information. Her bakery that she was, you know, in her kitchen all day and all night, she was making just dozens of

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loaves of bread and scones and things. Most of those were orders for the Greater Grounds coffee shop in Locust. This is a ministry by a church in Locust for the community. She provides bread to sell there.

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I was looking on their Facebook, they do free delivery to Locust with a $10 minimum order. On her Facebook, you can see her menu, all the things that she can bake, and everything that I saw and smelled was delicious. The quiche that I had for breakfast was delicious as well.

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And then she was also telling me that she was thinking of doing a Mother's Day tea I think she's got a beautiful place for a tea room And so she's thinking about doing a Mother's Day tea this year, so I'm looking forward to taking my girls to that If she ends up doing that so just I would just ask you guys to go and follow her on Facebook both Accounts the moss flower Abbey kitchen and the moss flower Abbey farm so that you can stay

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in the loop about what kind of events they have coming up. You can actually rent their place for like a gathering, a function of some sort. I think they can seat up to 50 people is what she was saying. If the weather's good, they can use, they have a nice back patio to use. And it's just such a neat place, y'all. I was just thrilled to death. I didn't really know what to expect when I went there.

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I've been to some bed and breakfasts before that were, they were nice, but they were a little rusty. Rusty and crusty. They were just old houses that creaked, which are charming as well, but this was not like that. This was like going to my parents' house to just be taken care of.

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As an adult, you know, sometimes us moms feel like, who takes care of us? You know, like we're just busy taking care of other people all the time. Well, Sam and Pat have created a place where even us moms can go and just feel like we're just being taken care of, you know? We don't want for anything while we're there. We have people kind, gentle.

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people just to have conversations with who understand about the hardships in life and Are just so encouraging and I really cannot say enough good things about Sam and Pat and the place that they've created so I would love love love to ask you guys to first of all go to Facebook and follow their kitchen and their farm

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Accounts and then I would love for you guys to book a stay there Order some things from the kitchen You know, I think it would be wonderful for like if you're having some sort of event or party even if you were having it At your own house, but just going just ordering something from her To serve, you know, this helps them as far as their business goes their income goes and

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I love supporting local people, local artisans who know what they're doing. You know what I mean? Instead of just going to Walmart or going to Food Lion and picking up something from who knows where and how it's made, but someone who is local and who made them with their own hands and took the time and the love to do this for people, I think those are the people that are worth it.

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investing in your time and your money. I would love to take my kids back here to stay maybe for the night. Sometime I think they would love that. I've definitely got that on my radar and any of her events that she's got planned I plan on taking my family because like I said not only are you investing in an experience and having a wonderful time.

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where you go but you're investing in people who are doing hospitality the right way, which you guys know, you've heard me say many times on this podcast, is really the heart of my podcast. I really want to feature people who are doing hospitality the right way. There are so many people who don't see out there and they don't know really how to interact with people and they're trying to run a business and...

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not very successfully because they don't have the hospitality piece. So when I find people who are gifted in hospitality and who are just kind-hearted people, I love to promote them and to ask people to also visit their places and check out what they have going on. Very quickly, I do want to go over some of the questions that I had asked Pat to answer about her farm.

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And so the first question I had was, where did your farm get its name? And she answered, our farm gets its name from a book series our grandchildren loved called Red Wall by Brian Jacques. The name is a play on names from two of the books, Red Wall Abbey and Mossflower Woods. Both places in the books are a refuge, a safe place.

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So I love that because she has definitely created her that safe place that the second question I had was, what's the most challenging part of running your business? And she said, the fact that we are somewhat off the beaten path for retail has made the bakery a challenge. We don't have a retail store for people to just walk into. Because of that, we are always looking for ways to draw people out to the farm. COVID and my husband's health made getting the farm open for visitors the biggest challenge.

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What do you want people to know about your business? That we love visitors and providing quality products our customers can enjoy. Our goal is to give people a place where they can get away, relax, enjoy the quiet, and let us minister to them, whether it be in social gathering or giving them space to just relax. And I believe they have hit the nail on the head with that. What's your favorite dish or baked good that you serve to your guests? That is a hard one, she says.

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We make many different baked goods, breads, cookies, muffins, scones, but my favorite is scones, all kinds, and breads, I am a bread person. What are you most proud of about your business? That we can provide opportunities to minister to so many different people, especially those with physical challenges caused by brain injuries and the caregivers whom they rely on. What do you enjoy most about your business?

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getting to know our customers and making them friends as well as customers, sharing in their lives through the things we provide. And then I asked her to tell me anything else that you'd like us to know, future plans, events, et cetera. She said, future plans include being able to hold events like vendor fairs, opening our place to small groups for meetings, parties, et cetera. Also enlarging the events like the Champions and Community Day we're holding in April to provide an outreach for those with brain injuries.

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See our website for an event post about that. There are a couple hundred apple trees in our orchard that will start producing apples in the next couple of years with the goal of being a pick your own orchard. We also plan to open a small store on the farm where people can come to buy bakery items, pick apples from the orchard, or participate in an event that we are holding. And I am so excited, Pat, to see what

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the future holds for your farm and your business because I love all of these ideas. I think they would really, really work there. And y'all are just creating such a great environment to host people there. So I'm excited. I'm excited to watch your business grow and just love that you guys are just so gifted with the hospitality and helping people, that you really have a heart for helping people.

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Thank you so much Sam and Pat if you're listening to this. Thank you so much for having me out. Y'all were lovely. Y'all truly were lovely. I hated to leave because I enjoyed speaking to you. I enjoyed your place so much. Maybe I can talk my husband into letting me go off for another night there sometime soon. But it was great. I can't say anything negative about my experience there. And you guys know,

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We'll be honest with you guys. So if I have a bad experience somewhere, I will definitely share that with you because I believe in honesty and I want people to know what they're getting into, but I can't say anything negative about my experience at Mossflower Abbey Farm. So I can't wait to hear from you. I've already heard, I posted one picture on Instagram the other day and I already heard from a friend of mine that she had spent a night away just as a rest for herself.

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She's a homeschooling mom herself and business owner and she had spent a night away at Mossflower Abbey Farm and had a wonderful time as well. So it's not just me, I've heard from other people as well. So I can't wait to hear from you. If you've experienced anything with Sam and Pat before, their farm or their bakery, then I'd love to hear from you as well. And that will be all for today's episode. Thank you guys for listening.

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and I can't wait to talk to you again next time. Bye.