Even if the story of Thanksgiving may have been distorted over the years, harvest festivals are as old as humanity itself, and in the name, we see the very essence of every harvest festival— giving thanks. Giving thanks for family, friends, community, food and health. After the summer ends, it’s been an ancient tradition to collect the fruits of the harvest and celebrate with those around us, as we prepare for the upcoming winter.

We at the Saxapahaw General Store have so much to give thanks for this year. We’ve got amazing employees who work hard and who care about their job and the people who visit the store. We exist in a beautiful little village that’s unlike anywhere in the world, full of smart, capable, creative and big-hearted people. We work with local farmers who care so much about the food they produce. So often in rural communities, farms are disconnected from their neighbors, but in Saxapahaw, our farmers create for this place, and whether it’s milk, eggs, meat or produce, it’s created with love. We truly could not ask for anything more.

Thanksgiving Day is this Thursday, and the store will be closing at 6 pm on Wednesday to give our SGS family time to prepare for their own givings of thanks.

There is a lot to prepare for when it comes to Thanksgiving, and we want to invite you to consider supporting the many local farmers who bring so much to the community of Saxapahaw.

If you need turkey, we’ve got turkeys that are raised without hormones or antibiotics and fed an all-natural diet. We’ve got duck from Amaroo Hills Farm in Liberty, NC. If you want some of the guesswork taken out of making your own turkey, our catering service can provide house-brined and house-smoked turkey in a mix of white and dark meat.

For sides, we’ve got a wide selection of tasty Thanksgiving dishes to choose from, all made from the best veggies we can find. We’ve got our fan-favorite garlic mashed potatoes and sweet mashed potatoes, green beans, collards (because while collards are delicious, they can be a pain to cook), stuffing (made with Ninth Street Bakery bread from Durham), cornbread and our delicious house-made biscuits. We’ve also got our queen of baked goods, Emily King, ready to make you the best pies, cheesecakes, and cakes you’ve ever brought to a party.

And for everything else, we’ve got milk from Ran-Lew Dairy in Snow Camp, eggs from all over Saxapahaw and Alamance County, high-quality flour from Bob’s Red Mill and locally grown pumpkins, gourds and apples. Meat from MacHaven Farm in Snow Camp, all kinds of meat and produce from the network of small NC farms through Firsthand Foods and Eastern Carolina Organics. Braeburn Farm for beef, Eat Dirt Farm, Cane Creek Farm, Haw River Mushrooms, T-5 Farms, Reverence Farm, Benevolence Farm, Chapel Hill Creamery, Two Chicks Farm, Boywood Farm, Peaceful River Farm, Redhed Eggs, N the Styx– just the tip of the iceberg. Click here to see a much more complete list of the many, many local farmers that we work with. If you want to celebrate with locally made wine and hard cider, we’ve got a huge selection of that as well, from wine and cider makers representing all parts of North Carolina.

Love where you live, and when you’re giving thanks this year, give thanks to this amazing community of Saxapahaw. Give thanks to the hard work that our farmers put in day in and day out to bring you the natural harvest of the Earth. Locally made milk and eggs that don’t have to travel thousands of miles to get to their final destination is better for you, and better for your local economy. Ethically raised meat, organic flour, and organic fruits and vegetables taste amazing and are also healthier for your body and for the environment. You have a choice wherever you buy your food, and we hope that you choose to give thanks amongst family and friends with products produced by family and friends. “Eat local” isn’t just a trendy phrase, it’s a statement of support for great tasting, healthy food that helps to sustain a community.

Thank you, we love you, and we wish all of you an incredible Thanksgiving this year.