Bella Vista Business Association Directory

14 | 2023 Bella vista Business association directory Parmelee Homestead Creations: an "urban farm" On a corner lot on the east side of Bella Vista, Parmelee Homestead Creations has been steadily growing. Becky Parmelee calls her business an "urban farm." She has 14 raised garden beds in her backyard and will soon add six more, along with some fruit trees. Much of what she grows goes directly into the jams, jellies and salsas that she sells. Although she has a large salsa garden, last year her tomatoes couldn't keep up with her needs. Luckily, she spends every weekend at the farmers market, so she was able to source fresh, local vegetables. Parmelee Homestead Creations came about during the pandemic. At first, it was just intended to help her young family get by aer a layoff, but the business kept growing. And today, it's still growing and changing. Last year, Parmelee added a dedicated kitchen to her home, so she no longer has to use her personal kitchen for the business. e dedicated kitchen also gives her a location to teach canning and preserving classes. "My heart is in the teaching," Parmelee said. "I love helping people be more self-sufficient." Parmelee grew up on a farm and still uses her grandmother's strawberry jam recipe. When she started her business, she assumed most people know about growing and preserving their own food, but then she realized not everyone grew up on a farm. In April, she plans to start gardening workshops on Tuesday nights. Everyone is welcome to stop by, see her garden, and learn about gardening with her hands-on approach. ere is no fee for the workshops, but participants will be expected to get their hands dirty helping her. e first workshop will be held April 18, and will focus on building and filling raised beds. Because of Bella Vista's poor topsoil, raised beds are practical, she explained. "Dirt is a commodity in Northwest Arkansas. It washes away and you're le with rocks," she said. Newcomers from outside Northwest Arkansas, who are experienced gardeners, still have a lot to learn about growing things in Bella Vista, she said. Parmelee's introductory cooking courses, one on freezer jam and one on pickling and fermenting, are oen held at other venues. She teaches her advanced classes on water bath canning and pressure canning in her kitchen. e advanced classes are very small – four students or less – and she talks a lot about safety. Students get to take home some of the products they help can. Parmelee helps the BVBA with marketing. She produces their newsletter, which gets the word out about member's businesses. She describes BVBA as an "all-volunteer chamber of commerce" that will help Bella Vista grow. "ere are many home- based businesses in Bella Vista. A lot of us – moms and pops getting things done," she said. "Just because we don't have a Main Street, doesn't mean we're not here." Parmelee enjoys the meetings, and she is grateful for the chance to network. "e more people you meet, the more customers," she explained. She offers gi certificates for her products and classes that make good corporate gis. According to her 10-year plan, Parmelee's next step may be less about the dirt in Bella Vista and more about hydroponics. A well-designed hydroponic system involves using fish to fertilize growing plants and, in turn, the plants clean the water that the fish swim in. e fish could later be sold to local restaurants, aer they have finished providing fertilizer. With the scarcity of topsoil in Bella Vista, Parmelee believes hydroponics may be the answer. By Lynn Atkins Special to Bella Vista Business Association Directory

• Cover