What happens when you bring together Huckleberry and Cackalacky? You get the means to propel a dream forward. Even before day one we have wanted our farm to be accessible to all, including those with limited mobility who may need wheelchairs or other aids to get around from place to place. That’s a tall order for a farm, but we believe we can make it happen! When tthe great people at Cackalacky got wind of this (they’re the folks that make some of the most delicious hot sauce and barbecue sauce you ever tasted!), they didn’t hesitate to get on board with us. This festival season, they donated product for us to sell to our guests. 100% of the sales went towards making this dream financially possible. When you come for a visit to our farm, be sure to pick up a yummy bottle of sauce or a tasty can of nuts and enjoy them knowing you’re helping make something great happen in Chatham County.
As we worked to propel this dream forward, we applied for and were awarded a grant from the NC Tobacco Trust Fund and the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI). This grant will help cover about 60% of the costs for the construction of a wheelchair ramp and walkway that will lead to a deck (or as Uncle Bob is calling it, “The Dock”) in the farmyard. Thanks to RAFI for making this part of the dream come true for the 2016 Fall Festival!
As we began to procure materials for this project, one of our stops was Lowes in Pittsboro, NC. Uncle Bob spoke to the store manager Jamie, told him about HAPpy and let him know that we were going to need a bunch of lumber for this project. Jamie asked many questions about the farm and our mission. He came to the conclusion that our project might be a good fit for the Lowes Hero initiative. After several more conversations, Lowes awarded Huck a grant to help with material costs for HAPpy! As if this was not enough, Lowes also sent a team of people out for a day to help build the ramp! While helping, one of the Lowes team members (Amanda) documented the day and put together a short presentation that she shared with her store employees. Click on the short “Lowes” video below to see this presentation. Thank you to Lowes in Pittsboro for helping us make this happen!
Are you interested in helping us take the next step to make the farm fully accessible? We have a number of sponsorship opportunities available.
Do you or someone you know have expertise in this area? We’re looking for some great minds to get on board with our HAPpy (Huck Accessibility Project) Initiative and provide us with the guidance we need to do this right. Please contact us at unclebob@huckleberrytrailfarm.com or 919-432-4825.
