beachbites Farm To Feet socks are not your aver-age stocking stuffers. The tags read, “Made in the USA.” “There’s a tangible aspect to our product that allows buyers to know where these socks are coming from,” Farm To Feet president and Wilmington resident Kelly Nester says. They’re Nester’s legacy — a culmination of 17 years’ experience in his family’s owned and operated hosiery business in Mount Airy, North Carolina. His company concept introduces the hands that touch the socks, from the shearing of the sheep to the printing of the packaging. “We believe textiles are important to our country, and we need to be transparent with our process,” he says. Merino wool is supplied by U.S. ranchers from the American Sheep Industry and is treated in Jamestown, South Carolina, and then spun into yarn in Raeford, North Carolina. The material travels to Mount Airy to be knit into socks at Nester Hosiery. Even packaging and marketing materials are printed in Concord and Greensboro, North Carolina, respectively. Farm To Feet’s satellite office is located in Wrightsville Beach. The wool sock gauges range from extreme outdoor hiking to everyday usage. They are knit with a toeless closure that allows for no hemlines or ridgelines. This innovation allows for a stronger, longer-lasting sock ready for any climate. “I use our low top socks when running the Wrightsville Beach Loop in the summer,” Nester says. “There’s a common misconception about wool: that it’s too hot. Wool actually manages moisture and keeps your feet cool and dry.” Nester’s company employs hundreds of regional workers, and uses the most advanced textile equipment in the world. The company takes pride in its workers, highlighting their per-sonal 15 WBM stories on the back of each sock package. “We want the stories of our workers to be synonymous with our brand,” Nester says. “It’s our employees that create a great, unique product.” Farm To Feet brand merino wool socks are named after American cities with active communities, like Boulder and Wrightsville. Tree decorations and driftwood garland courtesy of Dragonflies. www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com
December 2104
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