Coming up with the perfect Christmas present is often a challenging feat. Using our Got to Be NC members for inspiration, we came up with a list of creative ideas that support North Carolina agriculture. Check out our list of ideas below for gifts and gift certificates for everyone on your list.
Give the gift of discovery and conservation
Do you have a child or an adult in your life that just loves butterflies? Order a Caterpillar Castle Life Cycle Kit from All A Flutter Farms in High Point. Wrap up the certificate now and when the weather warms your loved one will receive their caterpillar castle. The premium caterpillar castle: cost $65 and includes 3 Milkweed plants with 6-9 Monarch eggs laid on the leaves inside of an easy viewing “pop-up” netted enclosure, plus a Conservation Care Pack. Once the butterflies are born, hand feed your butterflies, & release them into the environment. Hurray for you for contributing to the Monarch population — Monarchs are nearly an endangered species — they need our help to continue to be around!
About All A Flutter Farms
All A Flutter Farms is owned by Brandon & Nora Aker. Brandon’s mother Donna & step-father Tim started All-A-Flutter as a side business in 2001 on the family farm, located in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina. In 2007, the business and land changed ownership to Brandon. With Brandon’s love for business and the farm grounds, All-A-Flutter Farms LLC flourished in his capable, dedicated hands – growing to what it is today. This little piece of heaven is the ideal place to raise beautiful Monarch butterflies as well as a vast array of host & nectar plants. While the areas around the farm have long since been industrialized, the acreage is still home to an old barn, guinea hens, deer, racoons, turkeys, a bluetick hound and all sorts of wildlife. The farm is truly a labor of love!
Give the gift of creativity:
Order a needle felting kit or purchase your crafty friend or family member a beginners hand spinning technique class from Alpacas at Cherry Run in Willow Springs. The beginner’s hand spinning techniques is a three-hour session, students learn the basics of making yarn from fiber using a drop spindle. Drop spindles have been used since ancient times to make sturdy fiber and they are a great tool to learn hand spinning without incurring the cost of a spinning wheel. Master the fundamental mechanics of twist and draft to create your first yarns and become a proficient hand spinner. If time permits, a brief turn with a spinning wheel may be possible. Wheel spinning is taught in another class. Equipment and Supplies included, classes are one-on-one with times determined by mutual agreement. A needle felting kit is $25 and includes everything you need to get started with needle felting including foam work surface, alpaca fiber, felting needles, alpaca felting shape and instruction kit.
About Alpacas at Cherry Run
Alpacas at Cherry Run is an alpaca farm located in central North Carolina, about 30 minutes southeast of Raleigh. The farm hand spins, felts, processes and dyes its own roving and yarns, giving the select fleece a soft handle, ample staple length and acceptable fiber fineness for broad marketable appeal and use.
Give the gift of history and preservation
This gift is sure to become a much loved item for your friend or family member that appreciates preservation and supporting worthy causes. Purchase a tobacco stick cutting board, cheese board or Appalachian butter knife to support the Appalachian Barn Alliance in Mars Hill. Your gift purchase will go towards preserving agriculture in Madison County.
About the Appalachian Barn Alliance
Explore Madison County, NC, agricultural history through photos, oral histories and architectural details of significant barns in Madison County and simple self-guided driving tours by geographic region targeted for local residents and tourists.
Give a Farm Experience
Want to surprise a family on your shopping list? Purchase a Public Gift Tour to Apple Hill Farm in Banner Elk. To purchase a gift card for a loved one (or yourself!), simply select the number of tickets for each age person you’d like to pay for, then follow the booking flow from there. Your loved one will still need to follow the instructions in their gift card email to book a day and time for their tour. Advanced reservations are required for all tours.
About Apple Hill Farm
Apple Hill Farm is home to more than just a few alpacas and animals for the farm family’s personal enjoyment. Apple Hill Farm is a family of 9 kinds of animals, 15 fields, 4 barns and many sheds covering 10 acres of mountaintop land.
Give the gift of pasture-raised beef:
Have relatives that may have moved away from North Carolina, Send them something delicious in the mail There are many options if you want to purchase delicious North Carolina food products. One to highlight is Baucom’s Best in Monroe. Their grass-fed beef is raised exclusively on their farm and sold by farm pick up or at the Matthew’s Farmers Market. They will also ship to anywhere in the continental United States.
About Baucom’s Best
Our 100% Grassfed Beef is raised exclusively on our farm. We care for our cattle their entire lives. All of our beef is dry aged which creates more tender and flavorful cuts. Our goal is to produce a quality eating experience for our customers every time. We know this is a lofty goal, but this is where the true artisan nature of grass farming can shine. Everyday we are crafting our product by selecting the best mix of forages and cattle genetics to create a one-of-a-kind eating experience
Give a one-of-a-kind experience
This one is for your sweetie or for your 21-plus year old children looking for a cool experience. It would also make a great friends night out or fun day adventure. Reserve a Heated Igloo at Botanist and Barrel in Cedar Grove. The event can be a family affair with seating for up to 6 people.
About Botanist and Barrel
Botanist & Barrel crafts a variety of ciders, sours and dry fruit wines. Using techniques from wine-making, brewing and mixology, Botanist and Barrel are constantly blurring the lines. The business is Orange County’s first winery and cidery, situated just north of Hillsborough, on Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm. They are also farmers raising dry farmed, no-spray, organic blueberries, for the best estate grown fruit on earth. Founded in 2017 by brother and sister team and Orange County natives, Lyndon and Kether Smith focus on light-handed winemaking using old world methods with modern sensibilities. They lean towards whole fruit fermentation and make natural beverages with no additives or forced carbonation. They ferment to zero residual sugar and the ABV ranges from 7% to 15.5%. The ciders and wines are raw, wild, unfined, unfiltered, unpasteurized and you will find both still and sparkling ciders. They age in everything from tequila barrels, to sea salt bourbon barrels, to rum, to sauternes, to tawny port to bourbon maple syrup barrels. Botanist & Barrel is hyper-local, sourcing ingredients whenever possible from within 200 miles of the farmhouse winery.
Give the gift of U-pick Flowers
Have a friend or family member already dreaming of spring. Purchase them a certificate for a 2023 u-pick flower session from Firefly Farm in Hillsborough. The farm opens once the flowers start blooming at the end of April.
About Firefly Farm
Firefly Farm is 26 acres of rolling hills, friendly animals, beautiful flowers (and more flowers), and the highest quality fruits, vegetables, and a nut or two, grown using sustainable farming methods. The Farm’s pasture-raised hens supply tasty and nutritious fresh eggs.
Give a girls night out or a fun couples activity
Give a gift card that takes the recipient off the beaten path to Duplin Winery in Rose Hill. Gift cards are good to use in the Duplin Winery retail locations, The Bistro in Rose Hill, NC or online.
About Duplin Winery
Take a step off the beaten path and discover a hidden gem in Rose Hill, North Carolina filled with rustic charm and southern hospitality. Delight your taste buds with award-winning Muscadine wines and learn about our family history on a winery tour. Staff will share entertaining and amusing family stories and educate you on the winemaking process. Enjoy a delightful meal in the Bistro or relax in the courtyard with a glass of sweet Duplin wine. The retail store offers a variety of wine accessories and specialty boutique items.