an afternoon in the mountains
Last weekend a friend of ours stopped in our neck of the woods on his off day from touring. He was headed up to an organic farm in Burnsville, North Carolina and asked us to come along. As I never turn down an opportunity for a day outside with my hands in the dirt, we hopped in the car and made the hour trek.
The farm is called Snaggy Mountain and it's a year-round retreat for artists of all kinds. It's a sixty-seven acres of beautiful countryside complete with a subterranean greenhouse, solar-powered music studio, a wooden stage for live shows that overlooks the mountains, tons of growing fruit and veg, and multiple cabins for artists, gardeners, weary travelers and everyone in between. They even have an old tour bus on the property.
Jared is the owner and founder of this beautiful place and his vision is truly inspiring. The greenhouse alone is worth visiting. It's partially underground to keep temperatures up in the winter. When I walked through the doorway I felt like I was in Eden. There are beautiful things growing on every inch, up the walls, along the floor, hanging from the ceiling. It's multi-level, the main floor has a tub that Jared fills with hot water to heat the space if temperatures start tapering off. The second level has a bed to rest in and enjoy the life that's growing. The third level is the top floor, technically ground level and gave the perfect view. I wish I captured more while enjoying this space, but I was so overwhelmed with all the beauty..
Jared built the music studio that is fully powered by solar. There are musical instruments everywhere, they are even spilling into the other cabins on the property. The cabins are filled with an eclectic groups of people, writers, dancers, singers, farmers, travelers, chefs, photographers, builders, all sorts of creatives who co-exist together in this space. I loved seeing so much love and community among everyone and I am grateful that I could be part of it for the day.
Out of everything that Snaggy Mountain has to offer, I think Jared himself is the greatest gift. He's gentle and kind and takes the time to talk and listen. We walked around tasting, smelling and eating all sorts of plants on the property. We even found wild morel and oyster mushrooms.
If you ever find yourself is Western North Carolina, anywhere near Burnsville - make the stop in to Snaggy Mountain. You'll leave with a full heart and lots of good memories.
