Karrie and Gordon Nesbit “accidently bought 97 acres” about two years ago outside of the college town where they met Bloomington, Indiana – where they hadn’t lived in about 25 years. They were only seeking about one acre to “put up a shop for woodworking projects and have a garden,” but ended up with nearly 100 acres! They bought the …
South Whidbey School Farm Teaches & Nourishes Kids and Community
Cary Peterson has been rocking her soil-stained hands for the last three decades. In 2009, she helped the Good Cheer Food Bank start a garden to grow vegetables for food bank clients. “It was really transformative for the community right after the crash,” she explains. Being able to provide fresh, organic produce to people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to …
Meeting Essential Needs With Dignity – And A Few CoolBots
“CoolBot has been our favorite thing,” professes Robin Peacock, Executive Director at MEND. MEND, which stands for Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity, is a non-profit corporation that provides strength and support for its network of local food pantries in Essex County, NJ. MEND has been fighting hunger for both families and individuals since 1980 by providing supplemental fresh food, funds …
Grow, Cook + Share: Nashville Food Project Fuels Community With Help From CoolBot
The Nashville Food Project does a lot of amazing things. The simplest explanation is that they grow, cook and share. This non-profit organization’s cornerstone philosophy is that all people should have access to the food they want and need. The Nashville Food Project aids this mission with their gardens, where they grow organic food and share resources; in their kitchens, …
Where are they now? An update from Mayfield Flowers.
When we last spoke with Keely Sindler, she and her sister Marcy were about five years into their floral business, Mayfield Flowers. Needless to say, lots has happened since 2017. We recently had a chance to catch up with Keely and get an update from Mayfield Flowers — which has grown from blooming to flourishing. “The past year was interesting …
Where are they now? Revisiting Store It Cold’s First Turnkey Cooler Customer: Martin Prebula of Saints Row Brewing
When we last spoke with Martin Prebula in 2017 (aka a million years ago), he was in the midst of launching his passion project: Saints Row Brewing. Prebula took on the noble cause of pioneering the craft beer scene amongst his local community in Rockville, Maryland (about 20 miles outside Washington, DC). Not only was Saints Row Brewing one of …
Backyard Hobby Grows into Full Time Winery
When Ryan Pedvin went away to college at Sonoma State University to study pre-law and philosophy, his dad had jokingly suggested he learn how to grow a vineyard, too. His dad, who lives in Upland, California (about an hour east from LA), had about ¾ of an acre of unused land on his property. “I didn’t really take him all …
Billowing Blooms Business Blossoms With Additional Turnkey CoolBot Cooler
Before moving to the United States, Arash Esmaeili owned his own florist business in Costa Rica for about fifteen years. When he relocated to Texas from Central America, it took him some time to get back into the industry. Getting accustomed to different industry standards and climate restrictions took some getting used to, but after working with several local florists, …
Carol Ptak Talks Success During Covid At Gryphon Ranch
“Behind every successful rancher, there’s a wife that works in town,” laughs Carol Ptak, claiming that is every rancher’s unofficial motto. Carol is delightfully voluble, charismatically imparting her wisdom upon us regarding the local cattle ranching industry and how it’s been affected by the pandemic. She’s bright and energetic, describing how Gryphon Ranch, a modest cattle ranch in the Arizona …
Theodora Farms Kicks Off Its Inaugural Harvest With CSA Deliveries + Drive Through Services
Theodora Farms is kicking off its inaugural season as we write this, in the strange reality that is Covid-19 Spring 2020. And while Theodora Farms may be the fresh new farm in Godfrey, Illinois, their Farm Manager Kris Larson is celebrating his sixteenth year farming. He got his start in agriculture in college in Northern California and spent time volunteering …
