CityView Magazine

18 July 2023 Kline's book revolves around a third-grader named Sandy Kay who wants to try out for a school play. empowering because when money doesn't matter and profit doesn't matter anymore, then it's like, 'What are we born to do with our lives? So OK, let's do it.' at's a very satisfying thing." ey got started by selling their produce at local farmers markets. eir specialty and first product on the market was a 100% organic olive oil. ey also sell bourbon- infused balsamic vinegar, blackberry moonshine vinaigrette and raw honey produced from the 40-plus beehives on the Wagram property, according to the website. eir products are sold at about 30 stores across North Carolina and one in Virginia, Nate says. "Growing fruit trees had always been an interest of mine over the years," says Nate. "It kind of gradually grew from a hobby to being the main thing I wanted to do." Amanda says the business has allowed her to combine her passion for holistic health and wellness with bringing "some really good products to the farmers market." Strengthening the community Over the past couple of years, the Crews have become involved in a project that they hope will bear fruit for the community for years to come. WoodmenLife Lodge 60 had been trying to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and find a better use for the pool area on its property at 414 E. Mountain Drive. e pool had been a popular gathering place for lodge families, but it was shut down during the pandemic. When the lodge's board was told that it would cost as much as a quarter of a million dollars to restore the pool to health and safety standards, its leaders began looking for other ways to use the property. "It was just not a good use of resources," says Gary Dudley, who has been WoodmentLife Lodge 60 president since December. "I loved the pool; don't get me wrong. I can't say anything negative about it. We just needed to find something to do with the property." WoodmenLife is a not-for-profit insurance company established in 1890 in Omaha, Nebraska. It's mission statement is: "Using hardworking Americans to secure their financial future while strengthening our communities and country." According to its website, woodmenlife. org, there are 1,300 WoodmenLife lodges with 88,000 members across the nation. David Patterson, recruiting sales manager in Fayetteville, says there are 3,300 members of N.C. Lodge 60. Anyone who purchases a WoodmenLife insurance policy becomes a member of the lodge, Patterson says. Nate and Amanda Crew became members of the local chapter in 2018, buying a life insurance policy from David Patterson. And then, they started talking. "I had to come in and sign a policy, and things came up while I was talking to him. I figured out he had a business background, so I said, 'Hey, I need some advice,' and I ran some ideas by him. "at helped bring all of my scattered ideas into focus. It's now not just all these scattered, random things. It's like this practical thing that we want to do." Amanda joined the Woodmen board in 2020, and Nate, in 2021. About a year ago, they pitched the idea of replacing the pool with a community orchard. Nate is Chapter 60's vice president and Amanda is the treasurer. "What we were already trying to accomplish as a family business, we kind of saw and still see it get to expand to be way more than anyone's own personal property Amanda Crew looks into the sunshine while checking on trees and other plants at the Crew Family Orchard in Wagram.

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