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By Mandy Haggerson

For the Clemmons Courier

Growing up in Lewisville, and now raising her own children in Clemmons, Brittany Barber’s journey to making her passion her profession hasn’t always been easy. The West Forsyth High School graduate pursued a nursing degree after she left home.

Helping people came naturally to Barber, and her journey to earning her associate degree in nursing also included meeting her future husband, Eric, while in Charlotte. Eric also pursued a medical profession, and the two found they had a lot of other values and interests in common, too.

Like many parents, when they had their boys, Camden and Mason, they took inventory on what their future would look like.

“When we had our kids, life just changed. It gives you a completely new and fresh perspective. I realized that there was a gap in information provided to parents about what was actually clean and what was not,” said Barber.

With her quest for more information, she and Eric formed the company, Nurture by Nature.

“We found ourselves looking for a solution to some common toddler issues that didn’t involve products filled with artificial dyes and preservatives,” said Barber. “While you can’t control everything that happens in life, you can control what you put in your body. I wanted to find better solutions and share them with others.”

Barber primarily focused on elderberry syrup at first. Knowing she wanted to provide more information and resources, Barber struggled with how to do that.

“I didn’t know if that was going to be possible, and I had contemplated just selling our company, Nurture by Nature, but I really didn’t want to. Every time I went to advertise the sale of it, or consider an alternative option, I felt like God kept telling me not to do it. This past October I finally figured out why. I had reached out to the owners of the Bronze Plaza space in Clemmons, and they had the perfect spot for us to showcase clean and local products. The moment I walked in it was an a-ha moment. I just knew that was where we were meant to be,” said Barber.

Attaching her new store, Crafted Kitchen & Market to the parent company of Nurture by Nature, Barber has teamed up with other local like-minded small business owners to offer a variety of products that are clean and safe.

“I realized there are so many other people in our community out there that share the same passion that I do about clean products. We offer meats from Fryes Creek Family Farm, eggs from local farmers that are raising them organically in a pasture without fertilizers and pesticides, tallow products, raw milk, kombucha and many other products that are local, wholesome, natural and good for your overall health,” said Barber.

What excites Barber is the genuine interest her neighbors and community have felt over the eagerness to learn more about clean living.

“We have an artisan commercial kitchen that Nurture by Nature utilizes that is also available for workshops and cooking classes. We really want it to be about education and options that are also fun. We want you to really think about what you’re exposing your kids and yourself to on a daily basis. The space is rentable if someone else has an idea that they believe could share in that mission. We had a canning class last month, and it was such a fun time,” said Barber.

Wanting the community to come together for inspiration, feeling good and learning is exceeding her and Eric’s dreams.

“We both have spent our careers with our understanding of the medical profession. This expansion of what we already know and how we believe we can be of help is exciting. Oftentimes, people will come in for just one thing, and then they learn about something else, and they are excited to try it and expand their knowledge. Natural and clean products on top of what we both learned really does give you a broader view of caring for yourself,” said Barber.

Having Crafted Kitchen & Market located conveniently to their home in Clemmons West and in the community also allows the Barbers to still get plenty of time with their own children.

“We have poured a lot into this venture, but we also try to balance work and home life. Our boys are in that phase of life where we are also very committed to making sure we don’t miss out. Although, we have tried to get them to hone in on what they like most,” said Barber. “If we aren’t at the baseball field, we are at soccer or flag football or we are gearing up for summer swim. We appreciate that they are willing to try new things. Ultimately that is what made us brave enough to do just that as an adult. It’s a skill that we hope will also serve our children to follow their dreams, whatever they may be.”