Building Our Future
COLD STORAGE BUILDING
In September of 2015, our daughters left for school and we got to work. We spent many hours trying to figure out the best way to make our Hammered Inn Sauce shelf stable before we pursued our dream of having our sauce sold in stores. After working with a food processing authority at Virginia Tech for a few months, we realized that holding our product in a cold storage unit was the ONLY solution. We researched purchasing used commercial reach-in refrigerator units but all ideas came up wrong for our business. One fateful day, an acquaintance shared with us a secret weapon.... the Cool Bot. If you ever have questions about this amazing gadget, you can contact us. This tiny piece of equipment saved our business!
20' X 50' GREENHOUSE
In May of 2016, we added yet another important piece of the puzzle. To see a future picture of our venture and then to work hard towards completing the steps necessary to accomplish the vision is freeing. In years past, we germinated our seeds in our basement garage/ business kitchen space. Year one was not terrible as we only germinated 3 to 4 trays yet our 2016 season involved 40 + trays which became tricky in that space. A greenhouse space was overdue for our needs. We are grateful to the owners of Shenandoah Valley Produce Supply in Dayton, VA who have been key in the success of our plans. We designed and purchased all of our garden plot irrigation pieces from Mike and Brian with much assistance from them along the way. With over 400 sq. ft. of surface space, our greenhouse has been pivotal (literally) to the growth of Hammered Inn Farm and Garden.
VDACS CERTIFIED KITCHEN
In August of 2015, we completed most of the work for our second kitchen which would become our business kitchen inspected and certified by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). In 2019, our kitchen passed inspection and we moved forward with selling our Hammered Inn Sauce in markets across Albemarle County. Beyond the plants, produce, eggs and hogs is the dream of selling our Hammered Inn Sauce to a broader audience. Our friends and family have enjoyed the gourmet flavor of spices including sweet honey and peaches blended with our homegrown Paper Lantern peppers.
BRAND BUILDING JOURNEY
Over the past six years, our family and friends have worked together to make our wildest dreams become a reality. When you hear about organic produce, you are expecting fruit from a plant that has not been pushed too hard by chemicals for greater growth nor pesticides used to stop the bad bugs from spoiling the blossom. Our brand resembles just that organic process; let the seed grow, tend it well, give it your attention, visit with it thoughtfully while it grows, use your hands to ward off dangers to it's progress, and reap the harvest of your patience, love, and faith. Exactly. Hammered Inn Farm and Garden has certainly been organic in nature and our family is all the better for it. Opening our minds, seeing a future not yet mapped out, trusting the lessons in failure and recovery, pushing our muscles and mind to the point of exhaustion, making plans over and over again, surrendering our own timeline for that of a higher power and working side by side every step of the way. To believe is to live!