Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Mooney.
Hi Kathleen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Most of my life I’ve had friends say “You’re gonna do WHAT?” In the middle of college in Arizona I joined a group similar to Peace Corp, trained up and went to Ecuador as a volunteer paramedic. WILD but changed my entire perspective on life itself! When I got back I finished my degree at UT Austin and ended up being a Spanish interpreter at Methodist Hospital/Houston while moonlighting at a wine bar in Montrose. Finally made it back to Austin, worked at some health clinics and then landed a job as the sales person for Esther’s Follies where I stayed for 10 glorious & dysfunctional hilarious years. Somewhere in there I married and we bought an old home in Travis Heights, named it the 1888 Miller Crockett House Bed & Breakfast and opened in Nov ’97. Another glorious & wildly busy 10 years-400 weddings and events and tons of guests-all while So. Congress was really taking off-we were, as they say, “stumbling distance to the Continental Club”. The marriage didn’t make it but I sold the B&B eventually and it is now living on as the Hotel St. Cecilia! Divorced & little bit later I adopted a 2 day old gorgeous little boy!! Game changer? Not really…At 8 mos. I took him to New Zealand for 2 months and then at age 3 we went to Guatemala where I taught English for 6 months. Back home in Austin months later my son Max and I were watching “Charlotte’s Web” for probably the 30th time when he turned to me and said “Mom, why don’t we just move out into the country, start a farm and call it EIEIO’S?? And can we please get a pig named Wilbur too? I popped off the couch saying I don’t know about pigs but GREAT idea Max!! I was 51 and he was 4. Funny how little kids’ ideas can COMPLETELY change the trajectory of your life-I believe their thoughts are closer to God’s thoughts since they haven’t been here for that long-so pure & why not! I found our land right away-10 acres smack dab in the middle of Wimberley on a creek w/very rich soil, We have been here for 17 years now and it’s been a wild ride but worth every minute. We’ve been wiped out in 2 floods but have had lots of kick House Concerts & yoga classes. Had racoons kill all our chickens yet have had multiple friends & neighbors donating new hens…and bunnies and goats! Right away I joined the WWOOF org(world wide opportunities on organic farms) and proceeded to host over 85 international volunteers our 1st 3 yrs at EIEIO. They came from France, So Korea, Canada and more to stay here for several weeks. My job was to teach them everything I knew and feed them 3 squares a day. We’d host up to 8 at a time-like a youth hostel really but these wanna be farmers sure knew how to entertain my 4 yr old son while i cooked every night so WIN/WIN! I had a CSA program w/22 families coming to pick up their baskets of veggies every week and did 2 farmers markets/wk. as well. None of that paid all the bills so I also had a 3rd job cleaning Airbnbs on the other side of Wimbo! Along the way locals helped me build a little cabin to rent out and after the 1st flood I had enough insurance $$ left over to build a 2nd cabin. VOILA-EIEIO’S now had 2 rental cabins to help pay the bills! You must get creative with multiple revenue sources to keep things rolling right?! In 2011 Central TX had a severe draught-107* for 90 daze straight and even with our irrigation system crops were failing…and so was I! One day I’d had enough-walked out onto the field, sat down between 2 half dead eggplants and well, I started fussing w/God! What am I supposed to do here? Everything is dying including ME! I literally heard a booming voice declare “Well, you still have a few chickens left-why not make something with their eggs?!” That day I whipped up my first batch of EIEIO’S 5 ingredient, all organic Garlic Aioli and customers loved it! I was still selling bundles of cilantro and bags of pecans(we have a lot of pecan trees) but decided to turn them into a “Texas Pesto” and EIEIO’S Cilantro Pecan Pesto was born. I sold them at markets(Mueller & Wimbo) and then got them both into Wheatsville COOP, Natural grocers & other stores. After our 2nd big flood I had to pull out of stores & rebuild the farm again but I’m going to enter the Best of HEB contest this year and we shall see! When COVID hit I noticed a lot of folks were posting that with HEB shelves empty they needed to learn how to grow their own veggies and raise some chickens so I started a YOUTUBE series-“Tuesday Tips from the Farm” sharing all my best tips on organic farming and chicken raising. The videos gathered quite an audience and, as people told me, gave them good gardening instructions, a much needed chuckle during the lockdown and a glimmer of hope! You can also find all 25 videos at the bottom of my website. Random insert here- we had a movie filmed here @ EIEIO’S last year and would love to do more!! The next several years I added 3 more condiments-Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta, Fig & Olive Tapenade and a Ginger Cranberry Chutney so along with farm fresh eggs I sell 5 delicious EIEIO condiments, gorgeous zinnia bouquets and seasonal vegetables. You can find us at the Dripping Springs Farmers Market Wednesdays 3-6pm Ranch Park, San Marcos Farmers Market Saturdays 9-1 Downtown & Pedernales Farmers Market Sundays 10-2pm Spicewood. You can also order online(www.eieiotx.com) and we’ll ship to you. Over the years I’ve volunteered in Wimberley as often as I can. I enjoy it and, like they say, what goes around comes around. We’ve been the recipients of so much love, sweat, generosity & good times it just makes sense and builds community! Max is 21 now & w/his PELL grant is almost done w/an associates degree while working at Wimberley Gardens! So so proud! I’m bringing back Yoga classes & House Concerts to EIEIO’S this year and offering portions of the field to students that want to garden. Also, be on the lookout for more wacky instructional videos! Meanwhile, I want to learn to speak French-always thought i was too much of a tomboy to pull off sexy French but as I “mature”(ha) I just might be able to pull it off. I’m also in the process of getting my mother’s book, “No Pause for Menopause” published and then I’ll be writing one of my own so stay tuned!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Multiple draughts, so broke we ate spinach for dinner many times, floods, dealing with racoons & other predators, being a single parent, drumming up the energy to do freezing cold or steaming hot markets and well… just the energy and faith to keep going!! The very first night here at EIEIO’S 17 yrs ago I had a dream. It was me & God just having a little chat. He said that THIS…EIEIO’S… was my gift for never losing faith but that, more importantly, this was where He wanted Max and that He’d let me know when it was time to move on. I haven’t gotten the memo yet so here I stay: creating, manifesting, smiling and learning from any obstacles or challenges that still wanna come my way!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
There wasn’t a category for Crazy so I chose Artist/Creative because as a farmer I have had to push the limits of Creative to new levels let me tell you!! Over the years I’ve learned how to create, pivot, add to, eliminate, entertain, persevere, bring out every ounce of tenacity I had and most importantly SMILE(honey vs vinegar) and trust my gut! I’m known for my condiments-WAS known as the “hardest working woman in Wimberley” but that has gracefully changed to oh everyone knows Kathleen-she does so much for the community while I’m sitting here thinking I don’t do enough! I am most proud of my son and what sets me apart is I never say never, I’m always curious and I hope to stay teachable for the rest of my days!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Austin is the TOPS man! From having Frank Zappa fix me some dental floss nachos at the Armadillo in the 70’s to enjoying Buena Vista Social Club at the Paramount last year. There is ALWAYS something fun to do(or eat) in Austin! I get into town at least 3-4 times/mo these days. I do have to leave earlier seems like each time though with traffic so that’s the only thing I’m not that keen on.
Pricing:
- $15 per condiment & we ship
- $8 dz eggs
- $50/mo garden plot
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eieiotx.com
- Instagram: eieiowimberley
- Facebook: Kathleen Mooney @ EIEIO
- Youtube: Kathleen Mooney @ EIEIO
