March 2, 2017
Vendor Spotlight | Sow and Harvest Catering Company
It’s time for another round of vendor spotlight with Sow and Harvest Catering! We met this husband and wife catering team at an open house at the Lily Pad! First, they are just the sweetest. Secondly, their table decorations are stunning. And thirdly, their food is AMAZING. We were so excited when we asked if they wanted to write a snippet for our blog, Dustin was up for it! So without any delay, it’s time for you to meet Sow and Harvest Catering Company!
“Sow and Harvest was actually started unintentionally at first. I had worked in a few different restaurants since leaving Culinary School in 2013. In 2014, Alaina and I tied the knot and in an attempt to save money we decided to cater our own wedding. So we did just that. Mostly because of the help of some incredible friends and family, we were able to pull it off without anyone dying; although, there were a few panic attacks involved. However, some how during all that madness a seed was planted in our minds. Over the next year or so several people approached us about catering weddings or events for them. Soon that seed began to turn into the dream of creating our own business and with each event we did, we grew more and more confident that this crazy idea could eventually become a reality. After nearly a year and a half of working a full time job and doing catering on the side we decided that 2017 would be the year that we fully committed to Sow and Harvest. Thanks to the help of awesome parents and in-laws we have been able to do just that.
We knew we wanted to do food that we believed in and we are big fans of the locally sourced, “Farm to Fork” movement that is taking place within our food systems and restaurants all over the nation. I say movement like it’s a brand new concept, but it’s really how people have been doing it for centuries and that’s how I grew up. One set of my grandparents were farmers, and all 3 of their children became farmers of some sort. Even more, my parents are farmers. So I grew up pick’n tobacco, counting eggs, helping our grandma harvest and shuck corn, and snapping green beans. I think there is something to be said for the often forgotten ones that wake up every morning day in and day out and go to work in their fields and farms. Their work is not only service for their families but even more to their communities. We knew we wanted to use our business to support the local farm to fork movement as much as possible. We believe it’s a two fold system. We can visible see and know who we are supporting and we are ultimately ensuring that we always have the freshest products. However, we are still fairly new at this and have so much to learn but my time working in the kitchen at the Eddy Pub in Saxapahaw, NC opened my eyes to several things when it comes sourcing locally and investing into your community. The Eddy is unlike any restaurant I have seen when it comes to supporting local farmers and businesses and pouring into their community, and I really believe they are the forerunners for the farm fresh, clean, and local movement within our state. Lastly, we just believe that the old saying is true. “We are what we eat”, and our food is what our food eats. So we can’t help but think that if people eat more fruit and produce that are not grown in pesticides, and eat more meats that are not filled with hormones and unknown antibiotics that they will sustain a healthier lifestyle. So that is our goal as a business. We want to be able to support our community. We want to be able to use as much fresh and clean foods as possible, and we want to be able to do all of that while maintaining affordable prices.
Several people have asked what it’s like to work with your wife. Well, to be completely honest, at times it’s really challenging. I think working with someone has the same challenges of marriage. If we are not careful we allow the mistakes or really bad days to be highlighted and all the things that the other person does really well are often taken for granted or expected. There were some really bad days in the beginning but as things and time has progressed so have we. We have learned that things are never going to be completely perfect but a little self sacrifice goes a long way. I couldn’t be where I’m at today, in business or in life, without Alaina. She is the anchor in the stormy days, and has been constant in the mundane.
Words of Advice for anyone wanting to start their own business. First and foremost, make sure you have a solid support team around you. For us, it has been our families more specifically, our parents. We most definitely would NOT have the opportunity we have today if it wasn’t for them. Secondly, have help. You can’t do it all by yourself and if you can then you’ll probably become prideful. So ask for help! Third, It sounds cliche, but don’t give up. There are going to be tough days. There are going to be times when things feel impossible. It’s going to take a lot of work and more often than not, things will take more work than expected. Lastly, Enjoy the Process. Don’t be so anxious or excited for the end result that you miss the steps. There’s beauty to be found in the process. Patience is power. We share all these humbly. All of these we have learned from our experiences and mistakes and still need to be reminded of these on certain days.” – Dustin
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