Near Birmingham, Alabama, a mother-daughter farmstead looks to new products as a way to revitalize the small, Southern farm.
Written by Trudy Haywood Saunders / Photography by Alexandra Stone
When most women in their early twenties finish college, farming is not usually the career path they have in mind, but to Alexandra Stone of Stone Hollow Farmstead, just outside of Harpersville and less than an hour from Birmingham, Alabama, it made perfect sense. “I naturally gravitated back towards farming and have been deeply rooted in it ever since,” Alexandra says. “I’m an old soul, and as I matured, my appreciation for the generation that came before me only grew. There’s a profound sense of pride knowing that my family’s effort and dedication have enriched the soil we cultivate, and the returns have been manifold.”
Alexandra and her mom, Deborah Stone, her partner in Stone Hollow Farmstead, have always been self-proclaimed “journey people,” and admit that their path through farming hasn’t followed a straight line. The Stone’s agricultural business now spans 80 acres, approximately eight of which are dedicated to seasonal crops like okra, tomatoes, squash, melons, peppers, carrots, and strawberries. These heirloom fruits and vegetables serve as the basis for their award-winning products, such as Champagne Pickled Strawberries, Pickled Spicy Melons, and Tomato Vanilla Jam. In 2023 their Blissful Breakfast Box was selected for Oprah’s Favorite Things List, the third time Stone Hollow Farmstead has received this honor. On OprahDaily.com, the former talk show host said, “God is in the details, and these people understand details: An exquisite breakfast—pancake mix, syrup, infused jellies, and more—arrives in a birch box decorated with dried flowers.”
Deborah, like many Southern farmers, was raised on a 40-acre plot where her family maintained a garden with both flowers and vegetables and raised chickens. They grew their own fresh vegetables to eat straight from the garden and canned the rest to sustain themselves through the winter. After completing her education, she spent over thirty years in the skin care industry before returning to her agricultural roots and establishing the farm in 1999. After witnessing the struggles of local family farms to meet obligations as feed costs exceeded revenue, the Stones looked to alternative means to meet the challenges of maintaining a family farm. With Deborah’s background, skincare products have been a staple of Stone Hollow’s business from the farm’s establishment, with every ingredient grown, harvested, blended, produced, packaged, and shipped directly from the farm. They cultivate hundreds of herb varieties for their skincare and wellness products, distilling them into small-batch hydrosols, oils, and concentrates.
The mother and daughter team have a beautiful working dynamic, sharing a unique bond beyond the traditional parent-child relationship. Alexandra describes working alongside her mother as feeling natural and effortless, largely because their strengths complement each other perfectly. While Deborah excels at seeing the bigger picture, Alexandra has a knack for managing the finer details. In their line of work, both perspectives are essential as they constantly plan months or even years ahead for crops, harvesting, and product production, all while paying attention to aesthetics, storytelling, and marketing. “My mother isn’t just a parent; she’s my closest confidante,” Alexandra says. For her, transitioning from the traditional mother-daughter bond to also becoming business partners has been incredibly rewarding. “Running a business requires immense dedication, perseverance, and resilience, and I genuinely view my mother as a superwoman. I constantly draw inspiration from her.”
Open communication plays a significant role in the pair’s collaboration. They encourage questions, respect each other’s viewpoints, and possess an innate ability to gauge when to challenge an idea or when to step back. Trust lies at the foundation of their relationship, and each knows that they both genuinely want the best for each other, creating a supportive environment ideal for a successful business. Alexandra credits both of her parents for having instilled in her a profound work ethic and a deep appreciation for an individual’s time and talents. Even today, Deborah’s boundless energy is inspiring, often leaving Alexandra and everyone else around them striving to match her pace.
Besides the fruits, vegetables, and florals, their farm also serves as a sanctuary for a diverse array of animals, providing a home for goats, sheep, horses, a few Jersey cows, hens, and pigs, with five Great Pyrenees dogs playing a pivotal role in herd management and protection.
While the Stones’ dedication to the land remains unchanged, their methods differ from traditional farming. Each day on the farm is different — some days, you’ll find them in the lab blending botanical skincare, while on others, they are out in the field alongside the garden team harvesting crops. Organizing and handling logistics for dahlia season is quite an intensive process that they meticulously plan out. Two pre-sales are held throughout the year, and if they happen to have surplus tubers of specific types, they notify their community with a ‘last call’ email before dispatching orders based on growing zones. Their approach to farming is always through the lens of seasonality. They continuously ask: What can we grow? What can we harvest? What do our customers need? Is it a season for gifting? Or perhaps a season abundant with gatherings and feasts? These questions sculpt the farm’s annual offerings.
The Stone Hollow Farmstead CSA, a community-supported agriculture or crop sharing system allows producers and consumers to share some of the risks associated with farming, runs for eight weeks, and members can enroll four times a year. There is also a unique one-week holiday offering. Stone Hollow began the CSA in 2014, allowing them to directly connect their healthy, organic produce to friends and clients. Every week produce and food items from the farm are gathered and prepared for consumers to pick up at their retail store FarmStand at Pepper Place in Birmingham, a hub for gifting. They offer an assortment of pre-curated gift boxes spanning from culinary to self-care, as well as florals. Their one-size-fits-most family box is designed to feed two to four people comfortably. The first ten weeks include many beautiful spring vegetables and salad greens. Other items in the CSA boxes include organically or locally grown veggies, beautifully preserved food in jars, fresh fruits, eggs, and bread — all from their farm and other local farmer friends.
When it comes to flowers and gift boxes, their retail store is a hub for gifting, offering an assortment of pre-curated gift boxes spanning from culinary to self-care. They are extremely proud that their gift boxes have made it to Oprah’s list of favorite things for three consecutive years, the recognition a reward for their years of dedication and efforts to provide the highest quality farm products.
In addition to the seasonal vegetable crops for gift baskets, the Stones have concentrated their efforts on florals such as dahlias, sunflowers, tulips, iris, poppies, and black-eyed Susans, and a variety of fillers that are integral to their signature bouquets and arrangements, available at their retail store, FarmStand by Stone Hollow, located at the Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham, Alabama. “My grandparents and great-grandparents were passionate flower growers,” Alexandra says. “Deborah was lucky enough to grow up witnessing their expertise firsthand and has always had a deep appreciation for their craft.”
While dahlias are not known as a typical Southern flower, the Stones fell in love with them after attending a Floret workshop in Washington state. When they returned home, they applied what they learned about the tubers, experimenting and adapting to the Alabama climate until they were able to produce a successful dahlia harvest. After several seasons of experimentation and learning, they were able to achieve what they considered a successful dahlia crop. Now, as they enter the eighth year of Stone Hollow Farmstead Dahlias, their love for them is as vibrant as when they first started. Dahlias are now a cornerstone of their farm business, and the Stones host hands-on Dahlia Intensive Workshops where they share the process of growing the flowers from soil to the vase. While the farm isn’t open to the public on a daily basis, they genuinely enjoy sharing the farm, their experiences, and the knowledge they’ve accumulated over time with those who express interest.
The Stones take a lot of pride in their flowers and try to make each experience a special one for their customers, equipping them with the knowledge they need for successfully growing dahlias. Every year, when they host the dahlia intensives at Stone Hollow, they welcome diverse groups, from newcomers to seasoned growers. Through these workshops, they have had the privilege to meet Dahlia enthusiasts from across the nation who visit Stone Hollow. As the dahlias have become a significant part of the farm business, the Stones have adapted their operations accordingly and anticipate additional dahlia-centered programs and products in the years to come.
Skincare has also been a long-standing passion of the Stones, tracing its roots even before the farm’s establishment. Deborah pioneered one of the nation’s earliest day spas, championing aromatherapy and natural ingredients over synthetic alternatives. The farm’s first infrastructural addition was their organic herb boxes. They have been crafting small-batch skincare for decades. Every ingredient is grown, harvested, blended, produced, packaged, and shipped by our dedicated hands.
Their floral offerings are particularly special to the Stones since they’re homegrown, allowing them to narrate their journey from seed to bouquet. “We provide flower subscriptions and bespoke floral services, catering to varied needs from standalone arrangements for events to comprehensive wedding floral solutions. We also have theme-based subscriptions, like the dahlia-specific subscription or the surprise bundle, offering the crème de la crème of our gardens! While our fresh florals and CSA offerings cater mainly to our local community, our gift boxes, skincare, and canned goods are available for nationwide shipping.”
Alexandra and Deborah’s vision for Stone Hollow Farmstead is one of growth and community, although it’s undeniable that farming as a livelihood poses significant challenges. They recall witnessing many dairymen close their family farms because the cost of feed surpassed the revenue from milk sales and have taken steps to diversify and look to new outlets to reach new customers and minimize risk. “Traditional farmsteads, along with their structures, are invaluable heritage assets, “Alexandra says. Even as new farm products differ from those of the past, the dedication to wholesome, natural crops remains the same. Despite the obstacles, Stone anticipates a resurgence of these sustainable, self-sufficient practices in the coming years as more and more people veer away from processed foods and chemically treated food products.
“By repurposing these farmsteads, we can adapt them to today’s market demands while preserving and sharing their rich histories and stories from the past,” Alexandra says. The Stones believe that they are fortunate to have an outstanding team that shares the same passion for their work as they do —a diverse mix of farmers, gardeners, family members, interns, volunteers, and employees — many of whom have been with them for over eight years. This includes everyone from the kitchen staff to their retail and wholesale professionals.
The Stones are focused on expanding their dahlia business, catering both to cut flowers and tubers which they proudly ship across the nation. Last year marked their first venture into hybridizing, and they are excited about the prospects of developing and introducing a unique line of SHF dahlias in the upcoming years. Their commitment to their local community remains unwavering, and they will persistently offer their cherished local CSA, which they consider a vital part of their success.
Beyond the tangible beauty of Stone Hollow, there’s a deeper, spiritual connection to the land for the Stones. “Working here has provided me with a unique perspective on the cyclical nature of life, something that’s easy to overlook in a traditional day-to-day sense,” Alexandra says. “My passion and zest for life are immensely influenced by this land and the profound lessons it bestows upon us with each changing season.”
