We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laura Collins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Laura, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

The name of my business is Mini Acres Farm. When you think of a farm, you think of hundreds of acres. However, it is surprising how much you can grow on less. We have a total of 10 acres, so we consider it a miniature farm. Our animals also fall into that category. We have miniature donkeys, pygmy goats and Mini Rex rabbits. All of these things came into play when naming the farm Mini Acres Farm. It just fit!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Growing up in a small town in western North Carolina, a majority of my family grew up on the same road. We all tended a very large garden that we all worked and reaped the benefits from. I remember as a little girl stringing and breaking beans, shucking corn, canning vegetables, digging up potatoes and picking squash. This love of growing food and eating what I grew stayed with me, even after moving to the city of Raleigh. Blueberries have always been one of my favorite foods. I selfishly thought to myself “I never want to be without blueberries.” I also looked around and saw where there were not that many blueberry pick-your-owns in our county. So in 2015 we planted our first 500 bushes. We opened to the public in 2017. Because of demand, we planted 150 more bushes in 2020. We currently offer six different varieties of blueberries for picking. Every year we have new customers, but I strive to get to know my blueberry families. It is important to me to know that people come to Mini Acres Farm because they trust in the product they are receiving and they enjoy the experience of being out here.

While working the blueberries, people would often say things like “I would love to have a party out here”, or “it’s so peaceful out here, you should have weddings”. Finally, in 2022 I decided to give the people what they wanted. We opened that year for events including parties, weddings and corporate events. We have a covered pavilion, an indoor space in the event of rain, onsite restrooms, a firepit area, a bridal suite, a groom’s room, an outdoor wedding ceremony spot, and a granary that has been upfitted for bartending and appetizers.

We are unique in that we are a working farm with event space less than 10 miles from downtown Raleigh. In order to find something similar to Mini Acres Farm, you would need to travel almost an hour outside of the city. You can get the peaceful, country feel while only being minutes from the conveniences of the city. Our farm is very relaxing, and we love to share that same feeling with people in the community. I am proud that people getting married start a new chapter of their lives here at our farm. I am proud that people enjoy bringing their families out here and I get to be a part of that.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Before starting my own business, I worked in retail and the restaurant business. One thing that was always preached was “the customer is always right.” I carried this over into the business I started. I had to quickly shift my thinking on this. Now don’t get me wrong, I believe in exceptional customer service. If someone is not happy with my product, I do everything I can do to make it right. But after hearing the following while out in my blueberries: the blueberries are too small/big, the blueberries are too high/low on the bush, the blueberries are too tart/sweet, I realized I could not please everyone. I’ve learned to set boundaries to protect myself from undo stress and resentment. For events, I have a very clear contract that lays out exactly what I am to provide and what I am and am not responsible for, and I stick to these contracts. While I truly appreciate my customers because I know I would not be in business without them, I also have to take care of myself because there could not be a business without me either!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Networking and collaborating has been the most effective strategy for growing my clientele. It started with joining a local grassroots networking association. It is very active in promoting other businesses and looking for collaborations amongst the group. I met a local bakery owner that comes and picks blueberries for her July menu that showcases blueberry desserts. I have worked with vendor markets to have them come set up markets during our non-event days that bring out potential customers. We have had dog adoption events here at the farm to bring out potential customers. I have provided a space for photographers to come out and take family pictures, senior pictures, and engagement pictures. Once they are here they realize we are also an event venue and can then recommend us to potential wedding clientele. We have a luxury picnic company that comes and sets up here and uses our farm as a backdrop for their picnics. We offer our space to a local therapist to do art therapy. We also have yoga instructors come in and teach their yoga classes at our space and include blueberry picking in their class cost. Typically people who come out for these events will also come back to pick blueberries. I feel it is very important to support, work with, and cross promote other small businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://miniacresfarm.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miniacresfarmnc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miniacresfarmnc