About Friends Drift Inn Enterprises, LLC
Just What is Friends Drift Inn Anyway?
We are not currently an inn or bed and breakfast.
We are a small family farm business, focusing on sustainable agricultural and production practices. We are scaling up value-added production to include jams, jellies and specialty foods.
Friends Drift Inn is the name of our farm and our food products. The name comes from my grandparent’s diner, the original Friends Drift Inn, which featured farm-fresh produce grown on-site, a fruit orchard and an apiary bee yard. We talk about our history LINK to about us.
We have a retail outlet in Pikeville, KY. Our goal is to scale-up to building our own kitchen facilities, warehouse, and of course create jobs here in Appalachia.
The “new” Friends Drift Inn Enterprises encompasses many facets of our family owned business including agricultural farm production, value-added food production, writing, speaking, and educational programs.
Owned by us, Charlie and Joyce Pinson, Friends Drift Inn was conceived to bring Appalachian foodways, tourism and agriculture to the greater conversations of Appalachian heritage and economy.
The farm has operated as a market farm for over four years under our management. The land has been in the Pinson family for generations. Currently we are transitioning the farm to permaculture, preparing to add berries and fruit to our production plan.
General FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
We hope so. We have helped establish the Pikeville Farmers Market, a million-dollar pavilion in our small mountain town. We helped organize the first Appalachian Food Summit. We are founders of the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Swap, one of the largest in the nation, which celebrates an eight-year anniversary in 2020.
Yes. Click to see Map We have a small showroom in Pikeville, KY less than a block away from Dueling Barrel Distillery. We are located near the University of Pikeville, just off Hambley Boulevard and directly across from the Appalachian News-Express.
Product FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
You bet! We use natural ingredients including fruits, berries, vegetables and tomatoes as our primary ingredients. Our sugar is pure cane sugar, our lemon juice is fresh squeezed, and when we use pectin it is a citrus pectin. We use pure vanilla extract, which is expensive but so worth it!
- We absolutely do not include high fructose corn syrup in our products!
- We do not add chemicals for preserving.
- We do not add food coloring!
Some products include Kentucky bourbon and spirits. A small percentage of those products may contain coloring or preservatives.
Friends Drift Inn strives to create products with fruit as the primary ingredient; not sugar. We want the natural fruit goodness to shine through.
Jam contains fruit that is cooked down, pureed or chopped into chunks. Sugar, spices, flavorings and pectin may be added.
Jelly is made from juice it is nearly clear. The texture is smooth and uniform apart from pepper jelly which has pepper confetti strips suspended in the mix. Jelly contains juices, sugar, and pectin.
Preserves are made from whole fruit. Preserves generally contain the most sugar and are quite thick.
We talk about “What is the Difference Between Jam and Jelly” in an article I wrote.
Marmalade is like a jam, yet is made with citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, or grapefruits. In addition to crushed fruit, marmalade generally has ribbons of peels included imparting a flavor tension between sweet and bitter.
Conserves are fruit spreads that contain nuts.
Fruit butters do not contain dairy products. Butter refers to the spreadable nature of the product. Fruit butters are made by slowly cooking down fruit to reduce moisture and concentrate flavors. Sugar and spices are added to bring complexity to the fruit butter.
In my article What is Apple Butter and How Do You Use It, you will find more info.
We do not use any added preservatives. Sealed jarred products are good for at least one-year from the date of production. Once opened, products must be refrigerated and used within three weeks.
Our product is labeled with a “use by” date in accordance with government guidelines.
We are proud to say most of our fruit jams, jellies, and butters contains more fruit than sugar. We believe you should taste the fruit first!
To assure food safety, vegetable items including pepper jellies may contain a bit more sugar to help maintain the integrity of the product.
Check our nutritional labels and compare them with our competitors. We think we are on the right track!
Jam, jellies, and all our specialty foods are currently produced at CANE (Community Agricultural Nutritional Enterprises) a kitchen incubator space in Whitesburg, KY near Pine Mountain.
The facility, and our own production practices, are regularly inspected by a myriad of government entities and oversight organizations.
Appalachian farmers are just learning to “scale-up” production. We source raw product from Kentucky farmers, Virginia farmers, and from a variety of commercial sources. We also grow a portion of the raw product at Friends Drift Inn farm.
Allergies are no laughing matter. We understand your concern.
We include spirits like bourbon, brandy and moonshine, in some of our products, which contains wheat and grain products.
We list ingredients on our labels which will help guide your choices.
We produce in a shared-use kitchen, along with many other food entrepreneurs. We follow a prescribed process for sanitation and list all ingredients on our labels. The kitchen houses bakers, cosmetic makers, and caterers. We all cooperate to keep our products safe.
Charlie and I are co-founders of the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Swap, one of the largest gatherings of seed savers east of the Mississippi. We are very conscious about preserving genetic diversity.
Our intent is to use as much non-GMO products as possible. We choose to use Pure Cane Sugar to avoid GMO Beet Sugar.
However, we do include Kentucky spirits in some products which contain corn, wheat and rye.
While sealed products should last about 11 months.
Once seal is broken, products should be refrigerated and used with three weeks.
Orders of 4 packs and 6 packs are hand placed in packing materials inside a sturdy gift box. The gift box is then placed inside a standard shipping box.
Quick Shipping FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
No. We are not currently set-up for international sales, including Canada. For specific shipping questions visit our shipping questions page.
You must include a physical address so our friends at the Post Office and delivery services can find you.
Business-To-Business FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Yes. We offer several options. Send us an EMAIL with your information and a preferred time to receive a follow-up phone call.
Yes. Email us for details. Watch for us at upcoming UPCOMING EVENTS Food Shows and Giftware Shows.
Yes. We have several clients we co-pack for including other farms, chef driven products, and specialty food operations.
Email us with your inquiries.
In Kentucky, all labels must be approved by the state. This takes three to six weeks.
Depending on the quantity you need and our production schedule we will consider short-run production on a limited basis. Email us your needs and timeline.
Privacy, Security, and Legal FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
We own a small insurance company and are accustomed to dealing with private information. See our PRIVACY TERMS for more information.
It is a brave new world. We make every effort to protect your information by using secure site protocols and dealing with reputable providers including WooCommerce. We hire professionals to install security measures. We do our best.
Visit our TERMS of Use page for more information.
Recipes on this site are meant to be shared. Please write the recipe in your own words, and link back to Friends Drift Inn.
We retain the rights to all photographs. Do not use photos without prior consent for content on your website or published work.