by Vickie Holt
In the first half of the twentieth century, Charles and Kate Spangler owned and operated a cattle farm in Floyd County. They also grew Rutgers and Marglobe tomatoes, which they sold to Huff Cannery. At the time, the cannery was a cornerstone of the Floyd County community. It closed its doors, however, in the 1950’s, and the shell of the once-bustling business can still be seen about four miles south of downtown Floyd on Highway 221, at the corner of, appropriately, Canning Factory Road.
By 1982, the Spanglers’ granddaughter, Sara Dulaney, was continuing her family’s farming tradition. She had built a greenhouse on her grandparents’ land to grow tropical plants and flowers for the florist shop she’d opened. Sara’s husband, Glenn, had helped her while also working in technology manufacturing with working Hollinsworth & Vose.
One misunderstanding, however, was all Fate needed to turn an out-building into what has become one of the most successful businesses in Floyd County. A local business had asked Sara to grow some vegetable plants for an upcoming need. When the tomatoes and peppers were ready, however, it was discovered that there had been a miscommunication. The buyer had actually opted to get their plants from another source. Sara and Glenn found themselves with a surplus of peppers and tomatoes, so they did a little advertising, set a jar out front at the florist shop, and sold the plants on the honor system.
In 1982, Sara and Glenn made the growing of plants, vegetables, and flowers the focus of their efforts, and Dulaney’s Greenhouses was born. They grow flowers, vegetables, herbs, hanging baskets, and over fifty varieties of tomato plants, including the Rutgers an Marglobe Sara’s grandparents grew decades earlier.
With its thirteen bustling greenhouses, Dulaney’s occupies the last five acres of the Spangler’s cattle farm. Located at 148 White Pine Lane, NE, Dulaney’s can be found just two miles north of downtown Floyd, off Highway 221.
“We use a commonsense approach to growing what we sell,” says owner, Sara Dulaney, explaining that she uses no sprays or chemicals on her plants. Dulaney’s uses only non-GMO seeds, grown organically.
Customers and visitors are welcome to browse the greenhouses at their leisure, shopping among the vegetables, the flowers, and over four thousand hanging baskets! Sara and her crew are always available and happy to answer questions.
In addition to in-person shoppers, Dulaney’s also grows for commercial and contract customers. The City of Blacksburg comes to Dulaney’s for their hanging baskets. Christiansburg, Radford, and Salem also come for the hanging baskets, but contact Dulaney’s for their public bed plants, as well.
The hanging baskets are also popular with individual shoppers, but another favorite are the striped tomatoes! The size makes them perfect for sandwiches and Sara tells us the striped varieties are sweet, with low acid. The biggest seller from this variety is called Mr. Stripey. Ask for it by name!
Historically, Dulaney’s has operated each year from March through June, with herbs and vegetables being most popular in the spring. Last year, however, Sara tried an experiment that has turned into a partnership that will result in growth for Dulaney’s starting this year.
Leah Rodriguez has been Head Grower at Dulaney’s for three years, but she also wanted to start her own nursery. Seven years ago, Leah won $2500 to start her own business, Petals and Leaves, when she achieved Second Place in the EDA C4 Entrepreneurship. She bought part of Dulaney’s land will be setting up two additional greenhouses for Petals and Leaves, allowing shoppers to buy from two growers in the same location.
In 2020, Dulaney’s was able to extend its operations well into the fall by offering Leah’s chrysanthemums and Christmas wreaths after the spring and summer items were gone. The experiment was a success, so the new partnership will be going full bore in 2021. Leah sold 3500 mums last year and will be growing twice as many this year! Dulaney’s will be open for the spring and summer herbs, veggies, and flowers, then the business will switch over to Petals and Leaves for fall.
Dulaney’s hopes to enhance their online presence this year by upgrading their website at dulaneygreenhouse.swva.net. In the meantime, however, new folks can see Dulaney’s and get a virtual tour on YouTube! Citizens Telephone Cooperative filmed a tour and interview with Sara Dulaney which can be found on YouTube by searching “Community Show A Visit to Dulaney’s Greenhouse in Floyd, Virginia”.
Regarding the current climate, Sara says that Covid-19 hasn’t really affected Dulaney’s. Since they are outside and the greenhouses are spread out, it’s easy for customers to observe social distance. “We appreciate everyone’s support of our small, local business,” says Sara. “It’s going to be what keeps us going.”
Sara would also like everyone to know that she partners with the Floyd County Humane Society by fostering kittens in the spring that are available for petting, socializing and adoption.
Dulaney’s Greenhouses • (540) 745-2994
www.Facebook.com/Dulaneys.Greenhouses
Monday through Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday 8:00am – 2:00pm.
Throughout the season, the Gearharts hold a weekly buying station at their Floyd-based farm, RG Cattle. Cow and calf farmers from fifty miles around bring their steer and heifer calves, weighing between 300 and 700 pounds, to sell at the station. Colby and crew sort, sex, weigh, and buy the locally sourced calves, providing convenience and increased support of other area farmers. Once the calves are purchased, they are then backgrounded.
Looking past graduation and into the future, Colby plans to continue farming. He has dreams of expansion for both his personal herd and for RG Cattle. He will continue to work alongside his family, not only helping to increase their customer base, but to also become more efficient in raising healthy and happy cattle.
There is no doubt that the agriculture industry is a tough field, and recent COVID-19 disruptions to the supply chain and market volatility have not eased the plight of the American farmer. Colby summed it up best when he shared his motivation for continuing in such a challenging industry. “Every day presents a new challenge – the weather, market prices, you name it – there is always something thrown in the mix to slow you down. But for me, knowing that I’m a part of feeding the world and that I can show my passion for that every day – I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
In addition to strengthening the music and community around the Floyd Country Store, the couple also added new projects and revived others. They founded the Handmade Music School in 2016, and in 2019 reopened the historical County Sales music store, which was first established as a record label by David Freeman in 1965. In the fall of that same year, the Soda Fountain at the Floyd Country Store opened its doors.
The mission of The Floyd Country Store has long been to make their events accessible and affordable. Dylan and Heather are more dedicated to celebrating traditional music and dance than making profit from it, so they have kept prices low to allow many people to come and enjoy performances. The model works when lots of folks can be in the building, but not with limited occupancy and social distancing. Very fortunately, friends and fans of the Floyd Country Store were able to ease the strain of the pandemic’s impact with a fundraiser in late 2020. The local and global community rallied together to help sustain and ensure the institution’s future.
Dylan and Heather have learned new ways to engage with the community; ways they plan to keep offering in the future, including live-streamed events, virtual lessons, lectures, and workshops, online ordering for the café, and artisan goods available through the website. The two have also realized that The Floyd Country Store, Handmade Music School, and County Sales can work together to offer unique and inclusive visitor experiences, especially when it comes to traditional music.
Blue Ridge Alchemy is owned and operated by Floyd locals, Kenan Tiemeyer of Shady Grove Homestead Arts, and Caleb Storm Dickman of Liquid Fire Glass. The shop is located at 115 Sweeney Street SE, near the heart of town; behind DJ’s Drive-In and along The Crooked Road – Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Blue Ridge Alchemy features live glass blowing, classes, bench rental, and a retail gallery space. While browsing, guests can watch glass creations being made before their eyes!
Kenan has been working with flamework glass for over two decades. He grew up in Michigan and moved to the mountains of Floyd after earning his BS degree in Communications/Film and Video Production. Shortly after the move to Virginia, he married his wife, Tree. She is also a creative artisan who owns and operates The Enchanted Tree, which features her own glasswork, beadwork, woven items, and honey from the couple’s homestead hives.
Over the past two decades, Kenan has been increasingly focused on creating ethereal scenes of energetic beauty that speak to the soul, utilizing vaporized pure gold and silver. His primary aim has been to create large, solid orbs and paperweights. Kenan has sold his work all over the world and has taught and exhibited throughout the USA, Japan, Canada, and France. After spending much of his career working alone in his secluded Indian Valley studio, he is thrilled to have a spacious studio and gallery in the town of Floyd. There, he can showcase his work to the public and teach the art of working with vaporized precious metals.
Caleb pulls his inspiration from nature, music, visionary art, and crystals. His never-ending urge to combine materials into wearable, functionable art led to his craft of mixed media. He strives to make unique and rare pieces.
The old friends decided to collaborate on a new idea. They set out to create a unique environment in which to learn and teach new glass techniques while showcasing the beauty of functional and non-functional, borosilicate (Pyrex) glass art. Blue Ridge Alchemy features not only the art created by Kenan and Caleb, but also other local handmade art and novelties.One of the most exciting features of Blue Ridge Alchemy is the classes. Able to accommodate up to ten students at a time, the classes will range in skill level from beginner to advanced, covering a variety of different techniques. Beyond teaching their own classes, Kenan and Caleb are looking forward to hosting other teaching events for the public, featuring talented, well-known artists from around the country.
Blue Ridge Alchemy will also host collaborative events that will feature Kenan and Caleb working in cooperation with other renowned glass artists to create collaborative bodies of work that will seem to be from out of this world! They hope these events will create more awareness for, and a better knowledge of, the styles and techniques preferred by different artisans.
In 2005, Leslie and her partner, Ron Lawrence, opened a bookstore called Greenberry House, located in the same building that would one day become Poppy’s. Over the next fifteen years, Greenberry House grew, changed and adapted. It started as an antiquarian and used bookstore, but quickly branched out into a hand-spinning fiber and yarn shop.
For those who came to know Leslie through Greenberry House, the tradition lives on at Poppy’s. Poppy’s still features a selection of handspun yarns and spinning fibers. Leslie also works with a number of other spinners in the area who sell their yarns through Poppy’s. The yarns are perfect for knitting and crochet projects and, unlike harshly processed commercial wools, are next-to-the-skin soft. Shoppers may even find a few fleeces for processing along with roving or batts; great for hand spinning or felting.
A cheerful name is fitting for this charming fiber, gift, and yarn shop in the tiny hamlet of Meadows of Dan. Poppy’s still has a vast selection of used and fine collectible books, including fiction, children’s books, religion, and folklore, but specializing in biography and history. The quality book selection is extensive, and Leslie continues to add more titles.
Sandra Hooper of The Alpaca Home Store has created an alpaca wonderland at Poppy’s, with a room full of quality alpaca garments, socks, toys, accessories, felted soaps, hats, gloves, ponchos, and more. Along with the luxury alpaca, Poppy’s offers elegant home décor gifts, quality souvenirs, and amazing handmade items.
Recently patented and trademarked, Hide-A-Cath Apparel will be available in stores starting Spring of 2021. It will also soon be featured on the shopping channel, QVC. But you don’t have to wait. Customers may call 828-788-5079 now to order their Hide-A-Cath shorts in any size! Colors available are khaki, hunter green, black, denim, multicolored, striped, or checked.
Tim Davis, originally from Floyd County, left his Lewisville, North Carolina teaching position in 2013 to move closer to home. There, he met Casey and the two were married. Within a few years, Tim and Casey, along with Felecia, found a historic brick building located 2554 Jeb Stuart Highway, near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The structure was empty and abandoned. It was also in a state of decline and disrepair. In 2016, the trio decided to take over the old building and preserve it. In less than two years, the trio became business partners, and on Good Friday, 2018, the Concord Corner Store opened its doors.
Concord Corner Store proudly features the products of sixty-nine craftspeople, artists, potters, jewelers, woodworkers, basket makers, and quilters from the immediate locality and surrounding areas. It really is a place where the craftsmanship, art, and creativity of the entire region comes together. With their own section at Concord, “Five Lovely Ladies”, a local quilters guild, work on and sell their beautiful quilts while meeting with customers.
Visitors can also find fine pottery made by David Lunt of Stuart, as well as by Mike Gillette and Glenda McAlexander from Meadows of Dan. Rhonda Sowers from Floyd sells her handmade, early Appalachian style baskets while Penny Lane from Floyd sells unique jewelry made from tree fungus. Local ladies, Terry Turner and Lynn Boyd, also sell their jewelry. The Concord Corner Store also displays bird feeders and yard ornaments crafted from exquisite, antique glassware by Allen and Beverly Hairfield of Carrol County.
Rob Redus from Laurel Fork sells Charcuterie Boards; large wooden platters used for elaborate and elegant food displays. He crafts the boards from fine walnut and hickory. Bobby Nance from Henry County makes fine wooden items like cedar chests, toy boxes, birdhouses, and picture frames. Sue Troutman sells her fine dolls and Faye Crank from Meadows of Dan makes scrubbies by the hundreds, which she sells at a reasonable price.
One of the most popular products at Concord Corner Store are the Turkish lamps. The Atthila family business was founded by the mother who, according to her sons, was the artsy one in the family. The family works with craftspeople all around Turkey, encouraging them to retain their traditional practices. Each of the lamps sold at Concord Corner Store is hand-designed in a home or small shop in Turkey. The lamps are created with tiny shards of reclaimed Turkish glass, arranged in the patterns of the ancient Persian rugs.
Casey and Felecia continue to look far and wide for unique, quality, Bohemian-style clothing to offer at Concord Corner Store. Shoppers can find several lines of occasional and specialty clothing for both men and women. There is much more to mention about the products at Concord Corner Store; fine soaps, craft beer, local wine, handmade bears from London, and much more. But it would be difficult because the store is always changing. The staff are always on the lookout for new, interesting, and unique things to offer.
All members of 16 Hands created a short video highlighting their studio and their work, as well as a newly discovered creativity in the making of the videos. The videos allowed each of the makers to offer conversations and connections from previous studio tours. In addition to making videos, each member of 16 Hands either updated existing online stores or created them from scratch! And, of course, they have all been busy creating a bunch of new work!
When the tour was done, the 16 Hands group asked for and received some great feedback from those who attended. The learning curve was steep. As they move forward into Fall, they will be incorporating their ideas for improvements, as well as considering the recommendations of others.
Stigleman loved the Union, and he loved the United States. It was this loyalty which drove him to heal the wounds of war until his death in 1905. He was a brilliant public speaker, calling on the nation to understand the forces and the love of home state which drove Confederate veterans to march to war. He spoke eloquently on several occasions about the patriotism that called northern men to war and mentioned how it was the same siren song to southern men.
The Floyd County Historical Society is excited to announce that the Letters and Papers of Dr. Calohill Stigleman are being prepared for publication. The entire collection, including speeches he delivered late in life, will soon be available in a book, complete with essays explaining the people and events referenced within the letters.