Meet Janea. Nestled on a piece of farmland just minutes from downtown Concord, Janea lives and works on the land where she grew up – a place rich with family history, stories and now, new beginnings. Her company, Good Greene Gardens, is a tribute to that legacy. The name blends her maiden name, Goodman, with her mother’s maiden name, Greene.
“It’s a reflection of everyone who came before me that led me to this moment,” she said.
With her children grown and the hustle of life winding down some, Janea finally had space to pursue something she’d always dreamed of – launching her own business.
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” she said. “And I’ve gardened for years. My father and his grandmother started the farm I live on and I inherited from my mother a rich farming history through our large Greene family in Union County. My mom was one of eleven siblings, so farming was a necessary way of life. I wanted to connect what I was doing with my family’s farming history.”
After recently graduating from NC Farm School in Randolph County, she narrowed her focus to creating a line of natural skincare. Her journey began with products she developed for herself – balms and butters to help manage her psoriasis when traditional treatments stopped working. “I haven’t looked back since,” she said. “I’m my own walking testimonial.”
She now creates tallow balms, lip products, scrubs and is studying to earn a certification in natural skincare formulation. Her ingredients are either grown organically on her property or sourced locally – tallow from a nearby cattle farm and beeswax from local beekeepers. Lavender, calendula, sage, mint and plantain grow just steps from her kitchen, and she’s cultivating even more herbs and flowers to infuse into future products. “I’m very particular about sourcing,” she said. “But it makes all the difference.”
Janea joined the Retail Lab at the Cabarrus Center in fall of 2024, after taking online classes through the Rowan-Cabarrus Small Business Center for several years. “I wanted to understand how to launch a business and what I needed to do to get started here in Cabarrus County,” she said. “Retail Lab gave me the confidence to really put myself out there.”
Retail Lab is a six-week business boot camp designed to support local product-based entrepreneurs. Participants receive training in branding, finances and sales, with the opportunity to pitch for a small business grant. Janea says the support of the cohort and instructors was transformational. “The classes were intimate and the support was amazing,” she said. “Even though I’d learned some of this before in Farm School, it hit differently this time. I took something away from every single class.”
She also credits the Small Business Center Director, Meg, and the Flywheel Foundation Program Manager, Grant, who collaboratively lead the Retail Lab, for championing her work. “They send things my way all the time,” she said. “I’m their ‘farm girl’ now.”
One of those connections led her to a small farm conference at NC A&T, where she applied, attended and came home full of new ideas and inspiration.
Janea excitedly shared that she has officially been accepted as a full-time vendor at the Piedmont Farmers Market (Winecoff Road and Rotary Square locations), where she’s building a loyal following and gathering valuable customer feedback. “Selling in person has been the best market research,” she said. “I’ve even had couples come back because the husband tried what his wife bought and wants more for himself.”
As she grows, she’s working toward a future retail shop inside her farmhouse. For now, she’s setting up a website and expanding her offerings to include custom orders for weddings, corporate events and other special occasions.
“Every time I take another step to put myself out there, I’ve had nothing but great experiences,” she said. Her advice to other small business owners is simple: “Take advantage of what’s available. I tell everyone I meet about the Retail Lab.”
To learn more about her business and products, reach out to Janea at goodgreenegardens@gmail.com.
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