Mindy Stiles

Ferrum Chicken Lady

 

Hi there! Let me introduce myself!
I’m Mindy Stiles, a relocated Iowan to Virginia.
I grew up on a farm in Iowa where we raised about 100 broiler chickens every year.
As I got older, I realized that store-bought

chicken doesn’t have the same flavor, texture,

or good taste as the chicken I grew up eating.
So I started looking for ways to have access

to chickens not raised inside a building.
Then we moved back to Virginia, to the land where my husband grew up and I found some great new farming friends. We raised about 100 broilers on pasture in 2019 and I decided

it was time to try a few more.
 

My goal is to raise chickens that taste better than the ones you buy at the store.

I’ve sourced a local feed mill where the farmer grows or knows all the producers of the grains.

 

These chickens are raised outdoors in the sunshine of southwest Virginia.

They are moved once to twice daily across the grass where they have access to bugs and grubs (in addition to feed).

The feed they do receive comes from right here

in Franklin County, Virginia

and is a non-GMO chicken feed.

Raising chickens on pasture is good for them

and good for the land.

Rebecca McKeever

McKeever Pottery

 

Rebecca is a native of Roanoke County and resides in Vinton.  She was a Roanoke City Schools art teacher for 25 years & decided that she wanted to be an artist and have more control over her time.  Rebecca makes and sells a variety of functional pottery, as well as some decorative items.  Her wares include coffee cups (her most popular item), bowls, platters, butter dishes, butter bells (ask her about the history of these), buttons, roses, birds, hair pins & so much more.
Her products are microwave & dishwasher safe.  Each piece is an original.  
Rebecca frequently brings her potters wheel

to the farmers markets and works

on projects while there. 

She's happy to answer questions about her craft.

Wes Crandall

Sunnyside Supply Co.

 

Wes lives in downtown Roanoke where he runs Sunnyside Supply Co.'s manufacturing facility with his friends Kyle, Ethan, and Anna.

 

They produce hemp and sunflower seed oil, handcrafted cosmetics and soap, and other interesting food items using only

local raw materials.

 

The company also sells local produce out of their store, and is beginning to grow microgreens.