LOOKING AT A VIBRANT LOCAL ECONOMY
Sponsored Content
Fannin Co. Development Authority
This is not your father’s beef jerky. Actually, in many cases, it’s not beef at all.
Until recently, the closest connection you might find between “artisan” and “beef jerky” would be in a dictionary. But it is a new day for a product that has been traditionally associated with truckers and outdoorsmen grabbing a snack in a convenience store. And if 21st Century consumers are eager to sample the latest craft beer, craft coffee and craft bread, why not craft jerky?
Christy Kay, who founded Blue Ridge Jerky in 2014, has been an early advocate and passionate proponent of specialty jerky.
“I was tired of working in Atlanta and wanted to move back home,” she said. “But there weren’t a lot of career opportunities. So, I was looking for a business to start.”
Rather than duplicating what was available in other shops, Kay was determined to find a unique product niche. She reasoned, with its proximity to the Appalachian Trail, downtown Blue Ridge would be a good location to open a store that sold jerky. Though the hikers never showed up in any meaningful numbers, other customers did.
“I wanted to offer options that were higher quality and healthier with cleaner ingredients,” Kay said. “I was looking everywhere to source the mom-and-pop, small-batch jerky producers, with unique products.”
Kay’s efforts have paid off. Her shelves are stocked with a wide variety of jerky products which includes: vegan (mushroom) jerky, liquor-infused, buffalo, kangaroo, camel, venison, BBQ mesquite, as well as the more traditional jerky items.
“It was a struggle staying open during COVID and we lost a lot of vendors,” Kay said. “But family and friends supported us, and we survived.”
Kay, who currently serves on the Blue Ridge City Council, has deep roots in the area. She graduated from Fannin County High, where she ran track and cross country. After graduating from Kennesaw State, she spent her early professional career working in the metro Atlanta area, where any thoughts of jerky might have involved commuter driving habits, not dehydrated strips of meat.
She yearned to return to the slow-paced, natural beauty and charm of Fannin County. Christy and Jake Higginbotham, a local realtor, were married in 2023. In addition to Blue Ridge Jerky, the couple owns kAlon Clothing, also downtown.
“We have so many creative small business owners here,” she said. “It is not like what you see in most other towns. We look out for each other and support each other. This is why I wanted to get back here.”