Our Evolution
Our name, Beta Verde, comes from a pun on the beta version and is nimble enough to ebb, flow and embrace the scope of our evolving project portfolio. Over the years, we’ve shared space with creators of all types, collaborated with local and international organizations, and opened our doors for culinary, artistic, familial and entrepreneurial ventures, activities and retreats. We’re determined to remain responsive to and discover creative solutions for the real needs and challenges that surface in our communities. Not surprising, the answers often begin and end with people and food at the table. We hope our evolution demonstrates a bit more of who we are because we have yet to find a way to define it succinctly!
It all started in 2008 when Salem, fresh out of college with an anthropology degree and a huge passion for sustainably produced food, and Margaret, mother of the graduate who at the time was running a landscape architecture company in Chicago and messing around in the film world, created a garden with 150 varieties of fruits and vegetables. The seasonal harvest was the testing ground for our four course culinary adventures - community suppers open to all - inspired by the fresh flavors of the produce and a zillion recipes by chefs we admire. We didn’t really know what we were doing or where it would lead us, we just knew that we were in the midst of earthly magic and truly extraordinary people. Following our nose, or more specifically the opportunities and creative connections at every turn, was definitely a journey worth pursuing.
Beta Verde’s award winning jams and pickles grew out of seasonal culinary explorations - using an abundance of sustainably produced, fresh fruits and vegetables - and our products found their way into restaurants and retail shops, in cocktails and at farmers markets. Little did we know that our very humble ‘lab’ (a Department of Agriculture certified kitchen) was a sought after resource in the food community that would later become an incubator and launchpad for many new food ventures in Winston-Salem.
Our hands-on sustainable food production experience in the Piedmont led us to founding the Cobblestone Farmers Market at Old Salem in 2012. The local food marketplace, in and around Winston-Salem, expanded significantly through this 3 hour producer only market. Nationally recognized, Cobblestone quickly grew from 15 vendors to 45 fully sustainable small farms and independent food businesses on any given weekend. Talented vendors (65% under 40 years of age) and a loyal customer base are essential to Cobblestone’s mission to significantly increase the regional agricultural economy and access to sustainably produced food for all. Now year round with sales currently exceeding $1M annually, Cobblestone continues to be the joyful foundational core of our inspiration and advocacy!
In 2015, the BV Kitchen took off and so did we! Talented folks, full of culinary curiosity, came to incubate and accelerate their food businesses out of the kitchen, leaving nothing but contagious good juju behind. To date, regional rockstars such as Village Juice Co., UpDog Kombucha, Louie & Honey’s Kitchen, Y’all Sauce, Bingo Bango Beverage and many more have shared and forever permeated the space.
Simultaneously, in 2015, Maryland became a second home. We spread our wings beyond North Carolina to partner with Baltimore-based Cross Street Partners on place based, community centric real estate projects - not your average developments! Serving initially as a consultant for the food and design components (ranging from shared use kitchens to market concepts to agricultural ventures) of these larger projects, Beta Verde remains an effective tool for connecting local partners with related visions and dropping barriers to viable economic opportunities.
In the 15 years of Beta Verde’s evolution, our desire to create spaces for beginnings and experimentation continues, always in tandem with the talents of our team and project partners, near and far.