Vendor Profile: The Farm Fairy

Once upon a time, a family wished for a farm, one like Old MacDonald had with plenty of animals. Like a tooth fairy that brings money for a treasured tooth, a farm fairy would come and bring them a farm. For Sandra Sarlinga and her husband Fabian Lujan, their wish came true. Today they are living on a peaceful farm in Elon, N.C., and growing their business, The Farm Fairy.

Plenty of animals…maybe not, but there are some valuable bees and chickens roaming about, which contribute greatly to their offerings at the Western Wake Farmers’ Market. These include honey, eggs from free-range chickens, tasty foccacias and paninos featuring veggies from their garden, along with seasonal jams and jellies, and more.

“We enjoy being at the market and getting to know the people who come back each week. They appreciate what we do, and we do the best that we can for them,” Sandra said. The couple moved here from Argentina nine years ago with their daughter Fiamma and son Fermin. Since then, they have built their business based on a simple way of eating and living.

Busy Bees
Sandra and Fabian keep 10 beehives where the bees “dine” on the nectar of wildflowers and blackberry plants. Beekeeping is a year-round venture, said Sandra, but it is seasonal with the busy honey harvesting time now to early August.

A few years ago, the collapse of bee colonies was big news. Without bees, fruits and vegetables simply cannot grow. Fortunately, The Farm Fairy hasn’t experienced this problem. Sandra said scientists studied the problem and learned that huge commercial farming operations were most affected by Colony Collapse Disorder. A virus, plus their practice of trucking bees to a new field after another crop is harvested, put undue stress on the bees and and didn't provide them with the variety of nutrients they need. At The Farm Fairy, bees are free to feast on a variety of flowering plants and do the pollinating work they are meant to do.

Visit the Education Tent on August 1 when The Farm Fairy will discuss beekeeping .

Gardening Made Easy
In a pretty savvy business move last year, Sandra and Fabian launched The Farm Fairy @ Your Backyard, a service where they install raised garden beds using the square-foot gardening method. The Farm Fairy installs the beds (maximizing soil composition and minimizing weeds) and irrigation, and then plants the seeds or vegetable plants. They follow up with visits once a month. “The time-consuming projects are taken care of,” Sandra said, “so you can enjoy your garden.”

Learn more about The Farm Fairy at their web site and by chatting with them at market each week!

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