A DELICIOUS—AND URGENT—WAY TO AID FLOODED FARMERS
by duluth, October 14, 2009 | Permalink
“It’s like moving to a new city, except you didn’t know you were moving in the first place.”
David Lennox’s words are an apt description of the circumstances he and his family face after last month’s floods. David and his wife Leslie own and operate Hope’s Gardens, LLC, a small specialty business named after their daughter. The floodwaters of Nancy Creek wiped out 4,000 of their basil plants, David’s entire garden and the electrical elements of their greenhouse. The waters engulfed the lowest level of their 3-story home and rose two and a half to three feet into the second level. Despite their losses, David and Leslie plan to have Hope’s Gardens’ back up and running before Thanksgiving—“beginning a new normal,” David says.
At 2 am Monday, September 21st, David awoke to the sounds of a struggling sump pump. At 7 am the family was moving furniture from the lowest level of the house to the second level. By late morning the waters of Nancy Creek had reached the greenhouse on their property, and by 3:30 pm there was approximately three feet of water in the main house and in the greenhouse. With water rising 6 inches an hour, the family evacuated to a hotel with their two cats and watched the flood coverage on the local news.
The next day, with the full extent of damage revealed, the family began the arduous task of assessment and recovery of their home and the little company that had grown as quickly and fruitfully as David’s garden. Hope’s Gardens began in 2007, when Leslie was invited to come to the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market and sell some of her homemade greeting cards. While at the market they noticed the “buzz” around locally grown food and persuaded her husband David, an avid gardener, to come down and sell some of his produce. When 15 bags of lettuce sold in one hour Leslie decided that the next week they would bring some of her homemade pesto, which had been winning raves from friends and family for years. They sold out at the end of the day and decided to procure a producer’s license for the product. Through a friendship with Elisa Gambino of Via Elisa Pasta, they started to build their business. Alisha Bess at Whole Foods on West Paces Ferry tasted the pesto at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market and helped them make the proper introductions to Whole Foods. Hope’s Gardens pesto has become a favorite on the specialty shelves at Whole Foods stores across Atlanta.
Though spirits are low and frustrations high, David and Leslie plan to have their jars of sweet basil, roasted jalapeño and sundried tomato pesto ready for customers before the holidays. They have found a rental house 3 miles from their current home and are working with FEMA and GEMA to get their lives righted. “This business is our family”, Leslie says, “it grew out of family days at the market.”
Besides the Lennox family, many local growers and producers have been deeply affected by the September floods. To help them out, all Whole Foods Market stores in Atlanta will donate 5% of their net profits on Wednesday, October 21st to Slow Food Atlanta’s Georgia Flooded Farmers Relief Fund. Our Johns Creek store will be having a special farmer’s market that day from 11am to 2 pm with some of your favorite vendors such as Will Harris and his grass-fed beef, Stokes’ famous purple sweet potatoes, Mercier apples, Sweetwater Growers, the Bee Factory and others on hand to provide samples and help out. Make plans to come visit us that day and shop for a most delicious—and urgent—cause.
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4 Responses to “A DELICIOUS—AND URGENT—WAY TO AID FLOODED FARMERS”
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October 14th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Such a great cause for the people who feed us - local farmers! Got Food? Thank a farmer! Great piece, Nancy!
October 16th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I’ll be there - working, shopping & donating to the cause! Thanks for bringing us this heartfelt story about one of our treasured local vendors.
October 19th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I was hoping to come to the farmer’s market, but I will be working at that time. Will their products still be available later in the day?
October 28th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Thanks for shopping with us, Caroline. Yes, all the products that were at the Farmer’s Market are available at our store. See you soon!