About 1818 Farms

Mission Statement
Life the way it used to be….. Preserving history and honoring tradition by working a sustainable farm, producing handmade products, and educating the public on the value of self-sufficiency, craftsmanship, and a strong sense of community.

 

Located on three acres in the northwest corner of the historic village of Mooresville, AL (pop. 58), 1818 Farms was started by Natasha McCrary and is named for the year Mooresville was incorporated, one year before Alabama became a state. The happy animal residents on our little farm include Babydoll Southdown sheep, a Nubian goat, cats, hens, mini pigs, and Great Pyrenees guardian dogs. In an adjacent field, over 14,000 flowers show off their best colors and blooms, having been lovingly and carefully tended to, bringing beauty today and providing seeds for future seasons.

Events of all types are hosted in the garden, under the pavilions and in the adjacent Garden House. The Bloom Stroll and Bouquet Workshops are a beautiful way to enjoy 1818 Farms while learning more about locally grown flower varieties. The Garden House is also home to a series of classes including seed starting, raising backyard chickens, wreath making, and flower preparation and arranging. Additionally, the landscape of our historic farm makes a beautiful backdrop for special event photo shoots.

1818 Farms’ bath and beauty products have grown from our commitment to the farm and the need for simple products that really work. Featured on the labels are some of the more popular farm animals, from Farrah Fawcett's Bath Tea and Clover's Lip Smack to Sweet Pea and her scented Shea Creme. These products are all handmade, hand-packaged and include therapeutic grade ingredients. You can find our products in stores throughout the United States and on our online site. Despite our growth over the years, we continue to use original small batch recipes to make simple and effective bath and body favorites, providing the consistent quality you have come to expect from 1818 Farms.

Our Seed to Vase initiative continues to strengthen the education component of our mission as we share information on ways to identify, grow, harvest, and arrange seasonally grown flowers. Through our Seed to Vase initiative, we are sharing our gardening knowledge, as well as the beautiful flowers growing on our farm. We use heirloom and saved flower seeds whenever possible and have found many varieties that thrive in our area. We also love to share this knowledge and experience with others when we are out and about with the 1818 Farms Flower Truck. 

In 2019, Natasha McCrary's hard work was recognized with 1818 Farms winning Amazon's United States Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year. In 2022, Natasha was named to the 2022 Class of Women who Shape the State by al.com's This is Alabama. Also in 2022, 1818 Farms celebrated their 10 Year Anniversary and joined the Bloom TV Network. In 2023, 1818 Farms was selected as one of the prestigious Good Housekeeping’s 2023 Beauty Award winners, winning “Best Body Butter” for their coveted Shea Creme. The creme was applauded for its lightweight, “whipped” texture and moisturizing properties.

To learn more about our story, here is a StyleBlueprint article:  1818 Farms: From a Flock of Sheep to a Booming Bath & Beauty Biz. Here are two al.com articles that tell our story as well: A Visit to the Little Alabama Farm that Could ; How 1818 Farms became one of Alabama’s buzziest bussinesses 

 

 

 

 

Natasha McCrary explains how 1818 Farms came about:

“The idea for this family project originated with my eight year old child, who fell in love with the Babydoll Southdown Sheep that he met at a petting farm we visited in October 2011. Owning a Babydoll was all he could talk about, so, thinking this would be fun and educational for our family to do together, I began researching where to buy a few lambs to raise as a family project on our land here in Mooresville. And then, as Gamble, my 8 year-old entrepreneur, began to plan what he was going to do with his sheep: sell the wool, sell the manure to garden shops, charge for photographs, and even stage a Nativity scene at the church if he could find a baby, I began to dream my own plans for a small profitable farm where we could teach our children to appreciate the land and animals and to be good conservationists. We also wanted to teach them the importance of being self-sustaining."

Once I committed to raising sheep and chickens, I had to research and plan carefully to ensure a successful farm project. Many thanks to the people who helped me complete the following tasks in December 2011 through March 2012 before we could welcome our animals:

 

• • • Find a good match with reputable and experienced Babydoll sheep breeders. We bought two lambs from Flying Newf Farms in Braden, TN, and two from Bluegrass Babydolls near Lexington, KY after they were weaned.
   
  • • Search for a guardian animal. The choices were a donkey, a llama, or a Great Pyrenees dog. I found a trained dog in California through workingLGDs Yahoo Group.
   
  • • Find transportation for the dog. Tab at Paws N Claws Pet Transport in Somerville, AL
   
  • • Talk to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge about boundaries and have a survey done.
   
  • • Talk to Farm Service Agency about land management and cross fencing.
   
  • • Talk to Limestone County Extension Office about rotational grazing.
   
  • • Clear the encroaching Wildlife Refuge vegetation. Brad Newman of Newman Backhoe in Hillsboro, AL.
   
  • • Build cross fencing for grazing rotation – Gene Hamman of Quality Farm Fencing in Danville, AL built an excellent wire field fence, electrified and with creosote posts in concrete.
   
  • • Choose paint and stain colors for barn and garden house/classroom – Sammy Stone at Gobble-Fite Lumber Co.
   
  • • Repair and paint existing barn and run water for the restroom - Stuart South of The Landscape Company and his men were tirelessly involved in every aspect of this project. In addition to repairing the barn and running water to it, they remodeled the hen house, built window boxes, prepared the lavender fields, dug irrigation ditches, planted sod, built a compost bin, and built the raised garden bed. I’m sure there will be many more opportunities to make improvements. I will be eternally grateful for his time and effort and great ideas!
   
  • • Design the garden house/classroom to fit architecturally with the existing barn. Clyde Schmedeke of Carriage House Garages, Inc.
   
  • • Stain and paint the barn, hen house, and garden house - Tommy Walker of Walker Painting.
   
  • • Build tables out of reclaimed wood for garden house/classroom - Alyson Cartner.
   
  • • Receive advice and help with animals from Pam and Marguerite at Pam’s Pet Grooming and Boarding.
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    • And, last but not least, thanks to my supportive dad, Ralph Cunningham of Florence, AL, who knows everything and can do anything!