Retail store hosts feasts for charity

www.farmhouse-17.com or www.the-moveable-feast.com

The handmade, rustic farm table just inside the historic Norcross house is piled high with small treasures. Handcrafted bracelets, buckles and other baubles made of semi-precious stones, pearls and metals, and candles in sweet tea and farmhouse scents, are artfully placed at the table’s edge.

For now, it is a display space for the many goods available for purchase at Farmhouse 17, a 7-month-old retail store specializing in antique, reclaimed and repurposed items. But soon, the table (also for sale) will be transformed into an actual dinner table — one of three in the 1,500-square-foot space — where guests will sit for a family style farm-to-table meal.

Known as the “Moveable Feast,” the supper gatherings feature a local chef who prepares a four- to five-course meal using food from a select Georgia farm during an evening of socializing, dining and shopping. A portion of the proceeds from the ticket sales (about $75 depending on the event) and purchases made in-store and online for up to one week, go to a designated charity.

Brooks, who moved to the metro area three years ago, said the philanthropic feasts were always part of the plan for Farmhouse 17.

Ever the entrepreneur — her first “business” was selling homegrown green beans to Piggly Wiggly in her native Mississippi — Brooks and her daughter, Holly Isserstedt, a full-time teacher, wanted to open a new business together. “We talked about the things we cared about and what we wanted to do,” said Brooks. Much of those talks focused on organic, repurposed and recycled goods.

Brooks had owned several businesses in Arizona, including a restaurant. On opening day, she had reserved the first meals for the homeless. Brooks, along with the police and fire chiefs and other Phoenix city officials, served customers and asked for their feedback. Each day at closing, Brooks would take a van filled with leftovers to distribute to the hungry.

It made sense that any subsequent venture would also incorporate food and charity. “We wanted to create a warm, welcoming place,” said Brooks. “We have customers who come in and say, ‘I want to live here.’”

A trip to Farmhouse 17 does offer a homey feel. On a recent day, a tasty treat of white-chocolate-covered rice puffs greets guests at the front counter along with Noel, Brooks’ white poodle. Brooks and her daughter take great care in selecting the items for sale.

A designer for 14 years, Brooks makes most of the jewelry that is sold in the store. Other merchandise is acquired from antique shops and other sources. “I love the pieces that tell a story,” said Brooks. A card catalog from a library in Macon was re-purposed to create a chest of drawers. An antique refrigerator from R.H. Macy still has the nicks earned during its wagon transport from New York to Virginia.

There are also newer items such as chemical-free laundry detergents, natural skin products and accessories by Traci Claussen, a designer who uses found items from Hurricane Katrina to create bags. Brooks also sells food items including jars of preserves, pickled veggies and tamales from the Mississippi Delta. Prices in the store range from about $10 up to $7,500 (for the farm table and chairs).

When it is feast time, the chefs set up their chafing dishes on tables in the small kitchen. Brooks and her daughter plan the décor, set the tables and do the serving. The table in the main room, one in a secondary room and a smaller table on the covered porch offer seating for up to 20 guests. When the tables are cleared (and sometimes before), the shopping begins.

The Moveable Feasts have evolved in recent months into a direct fundraiser for local charities. Already, a half-dozen nonprofits, including Men Stopping Violence and Homestretch, are planning to host their own feasts at the store to benefit their organizations. “It is really catching on,” Brooks said. “It is definitely an experience.”