POUND, VA – OCTOBER 21, 2024 – Freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, candies and herbal teas are the focus of Shortt Family Farms, LLC’s new business in Pound, VA, according to owner, Jennifer Shortt, who noted since the business – Delights by the Pound — first opened in June, the biggest product demand has been in the herbal tea line, especially for custom make-your-own blends.
Shortt Family Farms, LLC is a recent recipient of a $10,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant. Seed capital grants are funded from regional funds received by VCEDA which are paid by the natural gas industry.
“Shortt Family Farms, LLC, manufactures items unique to our region as they freeze dry a variety of fruits, vegetable and tea ingredients,” said Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel. “The business projects three full-time and six part-time employees within five years.”
“Our mission is to cultivate and deliver locally sourced freeze-dried delights while fostering community education on food preservation and sustainability,” Shortt said. “We aim to be a beacon in Pound providing sustenance, knowledge and a unique destination for hikers, campers, hunters and locals alike. Our commitment to quality, community and environment sets us apart, ensuring that our customers enjoy delicious and healthy snacks and contribute to the vitality of Pound.”
Freeze-dried vegetables offered include broccoli, peas, corn, carrots, bell peppers, green beans, spinach, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, beets, cabbage, kale, okra and garlic.
Freeze-dried fruits offered include strawberries, blueberries, mango, pineapple, apples, raspberries, bananas, peaches, grapes, cherries, Kiwi, cranberries, oranges, blackberries, apricots, watermelon, pears and papaya.
“Our herbal teas have pretty much taken over,” Shortt said. “We’ve set up make your own tea blends and have offered tea making classes to teach people the uses of various herbs in making their own blends.”
Some 70 tea blends are sold in store with some of their best sellers being Pine Mountain Mint, Bold Camp Berry Breeze and Southfork Strawberry – all named after Wise County places.
The shop also sells ice cream with freeze-dried topping treats and uses local milk from Nash Creamery, a past VCEDA Seed Capital grant recipient; and local coffee from Hillbeanies out of Wise, VA. Fruits and vegetables are purchased from local farmers.
Shortt noted the teas have been a staple for the business while a freeze dryer is out of commission and being repaired. In the past, the biggest seller of their freeze dried fruits and vegetables has been pineapple.
“The VCEDA seed capital grant has meant a lot to us,” Shortt said. “When you start a small business, it’s all on you to make it work and it means a lot to have some support to fall back on. It makes the stress of operating a small business a lot easier to manage.”
Shortt said she has learned early on that one of the keys to success for her small business lies in the ability to grow, change and adapt.
“We’ve grown from where we started,” she said.
Once the freeze dryer has been repaired, Shortt said plans are to make the business freeze dryers available to local farmers to allow them to freeze dry their produce instead of throwing away excess as waste. Workshops to teach others how to freeze dry foods will also be offered.
Shortt worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) in developing her application to VCEDA and received a letter of support from the Wise County Industrial Development Authority.
“Shortt Family Farms chose to bring their business to Pound, offering the community additional opportunities and exceptional products,” said Becki O’Quinn-Purdie, SBDC director at MECC. “Mountain Empire’s Small Business Development Center has enjoyed seeing this business come to life while supporting the VCEDA Seed Capital Fund application process. The owners’ dream of starting a business and providing customers with products from their family farm and other local sources creates a positive and enjoyable destination for the community and travelers to eat, shop and socialize. MECC SBDC is delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Shortt Family Farms in achieving their goals.”
“The Wise County IDA was proud to provide a letter of support for Shortt Family Farm’s application and we are excited to see yet another business establish in the town of Pound,” said Brian Falin, Wise County IDA executive director. “The business will provide unique offerings to residents and visitors alike. By procuring produce and products locally, the business will foster economic growth within the community and offer a unique service for local farmers as well.”
Shortt Family Farms’ Delights by the Pound is located at 11223 Indian Creek Road in Pound and may be reached by calling 276-409-5058. The company has a Facebook page and plans to develop a website to sell freeze-dried products online.
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
About the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Seed Capital Matching Grant Fund: VCEDA region for-profit businesses, within qualifying business categories, one year and under with less than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $10,000 from the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund. Applicants work with the Small Business Development Centers at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community colleges to prepare the applications to VCEDA that include detailed business and financial plans. Businesses must be located in or plan to operate in the VCEDA region in southwestern Virginia that includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton.
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PHOTO CAPTION: Jennifer Shortt, second from right, opened Shortt Family Farms’ Delights by the Pound earlier this year, featuring freeze-dried foods and herbal teas, in addition to ice cream and more. She is pictured here, from left (front) with her daughter, Morgan Shortt; her husband, Lucas Shortt; and her mother, Anna Newsome; and back, Dakota Kilgore; son, Emmanuel Hopkins; son, Patton Shortt; and Sophia Stallard.