Little Farm, a family-owned farm operation in Western North Carolina, has expanded its agricultural and outdoor hospitality offerings following the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene, which caused significant damage across the region in September 2024.
The business, owned by partners Mary Saunders Bulan and Kiera Bulan, originally operated as a homestead venture on a one-acre section of farmland in Swannanoa, near Black Mountain. According to Saunders Bulan, the operation has maintained its core focus on flower production while adding new offerings and increasing the scale of its activities in the months since the storm.
Speaking on June 16, Saunders Bulan said Little Farm continues to sell flowers through its farm stand on Montreat Road in Black Mountain and has expanded to offer seedlings for home gardeners. The most substantial changes, however, have occurred at the Swannanoa property.
Prior to Tropical Storm Helene, Little Farm leased a one-acre portion of a larger property. In March 2025, the owners purchased the entire 6.3-acre site from the previous landowner. Saunders Bulan said the property sustained flooding and tree damage during the storm, and the former owner was unable to continue waiting for financial recovery assistance.
In the aftermath of the storm, the farm’s operators focused on restoring production.
“It was just a really devasting scene and we really didn’t know what to do except to keep planting,” Saunders Bulan told Black Mountain News. “We started planting food again pretty soon after the hurricane, after we learned that the soil at the farm was not contaminated, which was a major worry for us.”
The farm operated for approximately a year without power, irrigation, or other infrastructure improvements.
“We wanted to do something and keep creating something beautiful,” Saunders Bulan said. “Amazingly, we had a vey productive season with no irrigation and just kind of the luck of rainfall and the incredible fertile ground that the farm sits on.”
Alongside its flower production, Little Farm has increased vegetable cultivation and established partnerships with nonprofit organizations including Bounty & Soul and Equal Plates to donate food grown on the property.
The farm has also diversified its revenue streams through outdoor hospitality. Little Farm recently opened campsites through Hipcamp, an online camping reservation platform. The property currently offers three tent-only campsites with rates starting at $20 per night and one RV-compatible site starting at $31 per night.
Saunders Bulan said the camping component is intended to help transform the property into a destination while supporting the farm’s long-term sustainability goals.
“It’s been a learning experience, but it’s just a magical place,” Saunders Bulan said. “We’re excited to be able to continue to steward it, to share it with the community.”
The addition of camping reflects a broader trend among small farms and rural landowners seeking supplemental income sources through agritourism and outdoor recreation. For campground, RV park, and glamping operators, Little Farm’s approach illustrates how relatively modest camping infrastructure can be integrated into existing agricultural operations to create new revenue opportunities while increasing public engagement with the property.
Saunders Bulan said the camping initiative aligns with the farm’s larger vision.
“We’re trying to develop it into something that’s both profitable and able to sustain itself and for us to be able to pay for the land and any other infrastructure we’re going to do, which is very minimal, our plans for development out there,” Saunders Bulan said.
The farm will host a public event on July 4 at its Swannanoa property, located at 95 Hidden River Drive. The event is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. and will feature live music and a taco truck. According to Saunders Bulan, the gathering is intended to introduce more people to the farm and strengthen community connections.
Saunders Bulan said the owners hope community involvement will remain central to the farm’s future development.
“In the life that we live, it’s really easy to be distracted by things that don’t matter,” Saunders Bulan said. “I think that when we’re on the land together, we understand what really matters.”