In 2006 we started selling our all natural, gourmet, fresh fruit pies, scones and hand painted silk ties at our Saturday morning farmer's market in Charlottesville, VA. My daughter, Chelsea, then 13, wanted to do our local Farmer's Market. My husband, Scott, food and beverage director at Keswick Hall, and I, Lynette, wearer of many hats, came up with Family Ties and Pies & more. We have been so su
ccessful that our business is growing and we are riding the locavore wave. We believe in "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" to keep our community/family strong and support our local economy. Give us a try! I believe involving children in a creative, fun activity is the best way to keep kids interested and attentive in learning. In hind sight, we just tried this, Scott really thought it would last one or two weeks. It was a perfect thing for our family. As a result, my daughter is excellent at selling and my son is excellent at the financial end of our business. They both have learned their way around a kitchen, which is an essential & necessary part of every day life. They have learned what a business entails, from PR, to advertising, to producing a quality product, marketing, finances and selling. Needless to say even though we may be old dogs, my husband & I continue to learn new business tricks. We are expanding to selling in a wholesale market to different stores around our area. I not only believe that this small business could be a template for others that want to start a small business but a GREAT learning tool for our struggling school system here in the USA. What better way to learn through experiential learning, hands on entrepreneurial teaching? It deals with building relationships with colleagues, business mentors, teachers, and our community. Give him a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Scott & Lynette met in a Ballet Company in Kassel, Germany. They came back to the USA, lived & danced in NYC for several years. They also owned & ran The Dancing Silk Company where they hand painted silk and made wearable art from the silk. With the birth of Chelsea, they resettled in Charlottesville and opened Dancing Silk Gifts in 1999. They've always found their passion in the creative arts of some kind. Family Ties & Pies and more, is one more of their joyous & creative entrepreneurial endeavors.
