applehillfarm, Author at Apple Hill Farm NC

We are Open!

October 30, 2024 by applehillfarm

We are pleased to say that Apple Hill Farm is OPEN and ACCESSIBLE!

We were fortunate to be just outside the worst of the storm to our west

Crews have been working tirelessly throughout the High Country to get our beautiful area put back together, and doing an amazing job! ALL roads to Apple Hill Farm from Banner Elk and Boone are open and easy to drive. Well, as easy as our curvy roads can be

GETTING TO APPLE HILL FARM:

From Boone: 105, Broadstone, and 194 are all fully paved! With the exception of unplanned traffic, there are no delays from Boone to Apple Hill Farm along this route.

Directions From Boone (30 minutes)

From the 105/321 intersection (Wendy’s) in Boone, NC, follow NC105S towards Linville/Banner Elk.
Go 4.8m to light at Broadstone Rd. Turn right, towards Valle Crucis.
Go 2.9m to NC194S. Turn Left.
Go 3.9m to Oliver Hill Rd. Turn right.
Go 0.8m to Bladen Rd. Turn right.
Go 0.2m to Apple Hill Road. Turn left.
Go 0.3m to farm. Follow traffic signs.

From Tynecastle/Banner Elk: 184 and 194 through Banner Elk are both OPEN and EASY to travel. There are two sections of unpaved road, but they are filled with gravel and easy to drive over with any car.

Directions From Banner Elk (15 minutes)

From NC184 & NC194 in Banner Elk, follow NC194N towards Valle Crucis.
Go 3.7m to Oliver Hill Rd. Turn left.
Go 0.8m to Bladen Rd. Turn right.
Go 0.2m to Apple Hill Road. Turn left.
Go 0.3m to farm. Follow traffic signs.

GENERAL REMINDERS:

– Plan ahead and leave extra time to travel to our farm.

– Check the NCDOT map for any closures ahead of time! Their map is very accurate and up to date! https://bit.ly/2SQKXZU.

– Please stick to the main roads and towns. Only visit places welcoming visitors.

-Work is ongoing throughout Western North Carolina. There may be unexpected delays and closures.

-Remember to take your time and enjoy the drive! We’re on mountain time – no need to hurry!

WANT TO SUPPORT WNC?:

Support Apple Hill Farm directly by purchasing gift cards, shopping online or in person, Sponsorships, or booking a tour!

Supporting WNC is a great hub for donating money, donating supplies, or donating your time! : https://www.supportingwnc.com/

Support WNC Farms through WNC Communities:

https://wnccommunities.org/

Visit NC High Country has an extensive list of openings and closures for local businesses:

https://highcountryhost.com/High-Country-NC-hurricane-helene-tourism-openings-closures

Store Gift Cards

Virtual gift cards that can be redeemed online or in person

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Tour Gift Cards

Gift tour tickets to your friends and family!

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Sponsorships start at just $5!

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Apple Hill Farm 10/11/24 Update

October 15, 2024October 11, 2024 by applehillfarm

On Friday, September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall and wreaked havoc across several states. The Appalachian Mountains in NC, SC, and TN were hit particularly hard with rain, wind, mudslides, and power outages. Even 14 days post storm – thousands are without power, water, and more. This was a truly historic storm – one of a kind.

We are blessed that all of our animals and team members are safe, healthy, and in one piece. Our farm only suffered from property damage – around 40 trees down in fields and pastures, several broken fences, and a handful of roof repairs. We have been fortunate to have some amazing neighbors and volunteers come by to help us get things put back together again. Half of our team members were displaced by Hurricane Helene due to loss of power and water, loss of bridges and roads, and even loss of their cars.

Our area has received tremendous support over the past weeks, and things are improving daily—roads are being repaired, power is being restored, and life is slowly returning to normal. We are fortunate that where we’re located has been on the outer edge of the worst damage. As Boone and Blowing Rock gradually return to business as usual, we are also formulating our plan to reopen to the public.

When will we re-open?

Friday, October 18! Utility crews and road crews have been working daily since the storm, and the roads from Boone to our farm are now safe and secure!

How can you help?

Our webstore remains OPEN, and we are shipping orders Tuesdays through Saturdays! We offer a variety of socks, yarns, dryer balls, and Lee’s memoir, “Farm Family”, on our website, alongside hats, gloves, blankets, and vests. While our full inventory isn’t online, we’re happy to send you pictures and process orders via phone or email!

All proceeds from our farm store and ticket fees directly support our animals and team.

Shop our online Apple Hill Farm Store.

We also offer Gift Cards for our Public Tours! These cards never expire and are easy to redeem. When you purchase a Farm Tour Gift Card, your loved one receives a digital gift card via email, complete with booking details for their farm experience.

Purchase a Farm Tour Gift Card!

You can further support our farm by commenting, liking, and sharing our posts! Additionally, we’ve introduced Hurricane Helene Sponsorships on our website, allowing you to sponsor a bag of feed or a bale of hay to help keep our animals happy and healthy.

Explore Hurricane Helene Sponsorships!

For those interested in supporting our broader farm community, WNC Communities is a wonderful organization aiding farmers like us in recovering from Hurricane Helene: WNC Communities.

Any support helps, but to give you an idea on how much feed and supplies cost, see this list:

1 bag of alpaca feed (feeds our herd of alpacas for 1 day): $28
1 bag of goat feed (feeds our herd of goats for 2 days): $16
1 bag of horse/cow feed (feeds our herd for 2 days): $12.75
1 bag of chicken feed (feeds the chickens for 3 days): $15.50
1 bale of horse hay (we feed 3 a day): $9.25
1 bale of alpaca hay (we feed 3 a day): $15
Pine Bedding (5 bags a week): $7
Pine Shavings (7 bags a wek): $5

Thank you so much for your support – we hope to see you soon!

Fall Fun at Apple Hill Farm 2024

October 11, 2024September 13, 2024 by applehillfarm

Happy Fall from Apple Hill Farm!

We have had an incredible summer here at Apple Hill Farm. Each day we’ve welcomed new people into our Farm Family through our guided tours, Baby Goat Yoga, and Barn Quilt Painting classes. It’s always fun meeting new people, hearing their stories, and welcoming them into the family.

Each visitor is special – but we’re blown away by just how many people have found and read Farm Family with no previous connection to us, and then were so inspired they had to visit. THANK YOU THANK YOU for all of your support! It means the world to us.

The cherry on top of an amazing summer came on August 9, when Jane Lee Rankin was inducted into the Western North Carolina Ag Hall of Fame! Lee joins 78 other members in being recognized for this incredible honor! She was inducted alongside fellow 2024 recipient, James Ferguson; a pioneer and lifetime advocate for Soil and Water Conservation. Lee was joined by her son, Will Rankin, brother, Tom Rankin, and team members Brianne Harris and Karen Maj to celebrate.

The Ag Hall of Fame is located at the WNC Agricultural Center fairgrounds in Fletcher, NC, in the Davis Events Center. You can find her plaque displayed there, as well as here at the farm.

September has arrived, bringing with it cooler temperatures. We’re starting to get the first peaks at fall color at the highest elevations! We are getting very excited for all the events we have planned in the coming weeks for you.

Farm Tours & Shop

Shop our Farm Store

Stock up on your favorite socks, yarns, and cozy accessories from 10 am to 4 pm on tour days!

You can also shop online 24/7!

Public Tours

Daily through the end of October, then Wed to Sun through December 31

Join us for a guided 60-minute educational tour of our working alpaca farm! Fun for all ages.

Tot Tours

Wednesdays & Saturdays through Mid-October

Join us for 45-minute tour, geared towards kids ages 5 and under. This tour skips seeing the horses and cow.

Gentle Tour: Adults ONLY

Mondays & Saturdays

Join us for a 45-minute tour of our working alpaca farm! This tour is designed for folks who do not want to walk up our big hill. This tour skips seeing the horses and cow.

On Farm Events:

Spookley the Square Pumpkin Storybook Trail: Through Thanksgiving

Did you know you can enjoy a self-guided journey through the Spookley the Square Pumpkin Storybook Trail? Whether it’s before or after your guided tour, the story of Spookley comes to life in a way you won’t want to miss. Now through Thanksgiving!

National Alpaca Farm Days

Join us Saturday, September 28 as we celebrate National Alpaca Farm Days! We’ll be offering tours all day, and knitting in the orchard with the alpacas in the afternoon.

Angora Goat Shearing: October 5

Join us for a front row view of our twice-a-year angora goat shearing! Learn all about the fabulous mohair our goats grow, how it is shorn, and what we do to prepare it for spinning at the fiber mill.

Purchase a pass to watch the shearing, learn about the goats, and shop in our store. Make a reservation and join us any time between 11 and 2!

Spookley Trick-or-Treat Tours: October 26

Join Spookley the Square Pumpkin and the Apple Hill Farm animals for a storybook trail Trick-or-Treat Tour!

On this educational and hands-on mini-tour, your Tour Ghoul will share fun facts about the animals at each stop and safely distribute goodies for each child. Together you’ll read the story of Spookley the Square Pumpkin, and end your tour by taking the Bullying Prevention Pledge!

Off Farm Events

Oktoberfest | Sugar Mountain, NC | October 12 & 13

Take in the beautiful fall foliage, cool, comfortable mountain temperatures, and a weekend full of festival activities from 10 am until 5 pm each day. Be sure to bring the kids because the event is for the whole family.

Arts & Crafts, Music, Food, Dancing, Scenic Lift Rides, and more! Admission, Parking, and Shuttle Services are FREE!

Valle Country Fair | Valle Crucis, NC | October 19

Food, Crafts, Mountain Music, and Family Fun, all for a good cause!

Join us and 150+ other vendors as we raise money for our community. 10% of all proceeds from all craft vendors go right back to those in need in the High Country!

Juried crafts, tasty food, and a downright good time!

Rankin inducted into WNC Ag Hall of Fame

August 31, 2024 by applehillfarm

We are excited to share that on August 9, 2024, Jane Lee Rankin was inducted into the Western North Carolina Agriculture Hall of Fame!

The WNC Ag Hall of Fame was started in 1991 by the Western North Carolina Community Development Association, which is now WNC Communities. The Ag Hall of Fame is located at the WNC Agricultural Center fairgrounds in Fletcher, NC, in the Davis Events Center.

The Ag Hall of Fame was founded to identify and honor significant contributions in agriculture, to recognize individuals who have been responsible for agricultural advancement, and to improve and promote agriculture as a result of the honorees’ work within the agricultural community in any phase of agriculture and related endeavors.

Lee joins 78 other members in being recognized for this incredible honor! She was inducted alongside fellow 2024 recipient, James Ferguson; a pioneer and lifetime advocate for Soil and Water Conservation. Lee was joined by her son, Will Rankin, brother, Tom Rankin, and team members Brianne Harris and Karen Maj to celebrate.

We are so thankful for the large group of supporters from the High Country who made the trip to Asheville to celebrate! We had representatives from the Mayor of the Town of Banner Elk (Brenda Lyerly), Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, BRWIA, Watauga County Farm Bureau, Watauga County Cooperative Extension, Shipley Farms Beef and more.

Lee’s plaque is also displayed here at the farm.

We can’t thank Jim Hamilton and Carol Coulter enough for their incredible words. Here are their full speeches honoring Jane Lee Rankin at her WNC Ag Hall of Fame induction, as well as her acceptance speech.

We hope you find them as moving as we did!

Farm Family Book Tour

January 30, 2024 by applehillfarm

We’re going on tour! Apple Farm Hill owner and author of “Farm Family”, Jane Lee Rankin, will be making stops starting this month around the country!

If you’re in the area and attending any of these events be sure to stop by, say hello and get your copy of “Farm Family” signed by the author.

Farm Family is the story of a single mom’s pursuit of a dream to start an alpaca farm in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.

At thirty-seven, Jane Lee Rankin receives news that upends her life: she’s pregnant. Lee is a cancer survivor eighteen months in remission. Her boyfriend won’t commit, and her father is unsupportive. When she decides to raise the baby by herself, Lee feels the scornful glances and judgmental whispers of her conservative hometown.

Armed only with a dream and a toddler, Lee marches into Banner Elk, North Carolina, a place where she knows no one, to start an alpaca farm. As a novice first-generation farmer, Lee faces nature’s most potent setbacks, from disastrous weather events to attacks from predators. And yet, she forges on. With vivid storytelling, Farm Family features a cast of memorable animal characters—including alpacas, Millie, Celeste, Frosty, and Wildcard—and immerses readers into the not-always-pretty world of farming. At Apple Hill Farm, Lee trades fear for freedom. She trades disdain for dignity. She learns that her connection to animals is more vital than she knew, and with bravery and persistence, she creates a home—a farm family.

Available everywhere books are sold!