In September of 2024, Hurricane Helene hit Western N.C. with a force that leveled farms, houses, roads and more. Personal lives and livelihoods were torn apart at the seams as the winds roared, and flood waters rose. Amy Fiedler, owner of Springhouse Farm in Vilas, suffered tremendous damage at her farm, but thanks to the help of community members, other farmers, and businesses, she is standing stronger today than ever before.
Springhouse Farm opened its doors to the public in 2008, offering fresh fruits, vegetables, and cut flowers. “My mother, Jean, and I started this farm as a way to offer fresh products to the community,” Amy said. Through the years, the mother-daughter duo has raised a variety of products, including peppers, tomatoes, squash and cut flowers. As a women-owned and operated business, Amy has a true passion for pouring into women throughout the state and teaching them how to launch their own agricultural careers. For this reason, she developed an internship program for the farm that empowers women to grow vegetables and flowers, teaches them how to implement agritourism events, and how to operate an agriculturally based business. “We host a lot of interns from local colleges, including Appalachian State University, as well as volunteers, to teach about the importance of farming,” Amy said. “Not only are these individuals a big help to my mother and I on the farm, but we also take pride in watching their agricultural dreams flourish.” Today, the farm continues to grow a variety of produce and cut flowers, while also leasing half their land to Brooke Kornegay, a local vegetable farmer.
When news of Hurricane Helene started to surface, Amy and her mother did everything they could to prepare for the storm. “As a farmer, there are many things out of your control at all times, and weather is one of them,” Amy said. “We prepared the farm as much as we could leading up to the storm, but we were not prepared to weather anything as strong as Hurricane Helene.” At Springhouse Farm, there are two creeks that converge on the property. During Hurricane Helene, these creeks flooded over, ultimately flooding the entire farm. “We had so much damage,” Amy said. “Not only did the farm flood, but the produce stand floated away, our stream banks were destroyed, the water was contaminated, our farm pump was submerged in silt, and we lost all of our crops, both produce and flowers, for the 2024 year.” In fact, farmers in Western NC continue to struggle with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene today, because now that repairs have been made above ground, the underground damage is starting to surface. “Our plants and trees are suffering from more pests and diseases than ever before, the water is still contaminated in some areas, which effects the crops, and more,” Amy said. “Due to the help of our community and individuals across the state, however, we have rebuilt our farm even stronger and will continue to do so in the months to come.”
Once the storm passed, community members, college students, local businesses, farmers and more rallied to help residents of Western NC, including Amy at Springhouse Farm. “I learned what the true meaning of community is after Hurricane Helene ravaged our farm,” Amy said. “Immediately so many groups and individuals came together to help us with anything and everything and wanted nothing in return!” College students at Appalachian State University rebuilt the produce stand on-site at the farm, which is based on an honor system and features in-season produce items throughout the year. The Chamber of Commerce, Second Harvest, ASAP, and NC State Extension are just a few of the groups that helped Amy, and her family, clear the damage and rebuild the farm. “It took us ten months to build back everything that was destroyed, and like I said earlier, some things are still be effected by the underground damage that is just now coming to light,” she said, “but we are absolutely stronger than we were before the storm.” From new, beautiful buildings and greenhouses to scenic ponds, flower fields, and pollinator gardens, Amy is proud of the resilience of her farm and how it stands today. “Disasters put things into perspective and make you realize what you’re working for,” she said. “There is so much beauty here on the farm and rebuilding after Hurricane Helene made me slow down to enjoy it.”
Amy and her mom, Jean, are not only back to growing produce items and cut/dried flowers in full force, but they are also diving headfirst into the agritourism arena! “We want to share the story and peace of the farm with others, and agritourism is the perfect way to do that,” Amy said. From farm tours and dinners to yoga and date nights, Springhouse Farm offers many events throughout the year for you to enjoy alongside your family and friends. During peak flower season, Amy offers pick-your-own for interested customers from Thursday through Saturday on the farm. “Farm tours can also be made by appointment if people would like to pair a tour with their flower picking,” Amy said. “We want people to come out and enjoy everything the farm has to offer, from beautiful scenery and pollinator gardens to the farm stand and fresh flowers.” Other upcoming events on the farm are U-Pick Date Nights, Farm Workshops, and Brunch & Bunch. They are also planning a Helene Appreciation Day this month, so keep an eye on their social media for more information on that event.
As Amy stated, farmers across the world face challenges every day due to elements outside their control. Amy’s advice for farmers preparing for a storm, whether immediately or in the future, is to get connected and get organized. “Dial in and get connected with organizations in your area, like extension, FSA, crop insurance companies, farming organizations, and farmers markets,” she said. “Not only will this help you get involved and build relationships, but it also establishes a community that will respond when disaster strikes.” Amy also recommends getting all necessary paperwork in order now, so it’s one less thing to think about when a disaster occurs and taking photos of the farm prior to the storm. “Before a storm is expected, I always go out and take pictures of the farm for documentation purposes,” she said. “That way, once the storm is over, I can easily assess the damages.”
We are so proud of the strength and resilience of Springhouse Farm to not only go through the storm but come out stronger on the other side. We know that Amy and her family are going to continue benefitting the community in a plethora of ways, and we can’t wait to see the impact they will make in the years to come!
