Honoring the past. Investing in the future.
New Business: The Way Station Mercantile
The Way Station Mercantile, a Liberty Fields Homestead store, is expected to open at the end of July at 240 Middle St., Suite B.
Jen and Louis Giambertone were inspired to open a store in New Bern after they started their own homestead in Pamlico County about 18 months ago.
Their goal is to bring the products they love to others, such as bulk dry goods by the pound, refill staples, handmade goods, locally crafted items and other everyday products that make life feel more intentional, Jen Giambertone said.
The Way Station Mercantile was never just about opening a store,” Jen Giambertone said. “It’s about creating a place where neighbors gather, where stories are shared, where quality goods are valued, and where faith, family, and community still matter.”
Jen Giambertone made the conscious decision to purchase more whole foods for her family about 14 years ago, after she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
“That really changed my mindset about health, and mortality, and trying to do things cleaner, and that’s just snowballed,” she said. “We try to be as sustainable as we can out on our property, but also want to bring sustainability into New Bern for everyone else to have.”
Then, when Jen Giambertone was diagnosed with dysautonomia about a year ago, she had to leave her job as a flight nurse and started selling homemade items like beeswax wraps, linen bread bags and tallow balm at local vendor events. She said this is what really unveiled her desire to open a storefront.
While the Giambertone family has a homestead with mini cows, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks and bees, they understand that the average person can’t start a homestead on their property.
However, the Way Station Mercantile will carry various whole foods, like rice and oats, so anyone can access nutritious foods with less ingredients.
“We’re going to try to offer as clean of food as possible and also take into consideration different food intolerances, with gluten being a huge one,” Jen Giambertone said.
All wheat products will be glyphosate free with non-bioengineered ingredients, and the store will carry organic options as well.
The store will have two grain mills, where customers can mill their own flour. One of the mills will be dedicated to gluten-free products.
“You can come in and get all the ingredients you need to make bread or (other) kitchen staples, like coffee, but we’re not going to have pre-made things,” Jen Giambertone said. “We just want to be able to give people the option to source high quality ingredients and items for their home without paying massive amounts or having to buy it in giant quantities.”
Items in the store are purchased by weight, so customers can fill their own container with what they need, or purchase a container in store to bring home.
All their products will come from the United States, with some coming right out of Craven and Pamlico counties from suppliers like Tidewater Grain and Loaf They Neighbor.
Jen Giambertone said they are excited to carry a few well-known national brands as well, like Roe Casa Organics and Charlie’s Soap.
“With our local stuff that we’re getting, that’s amazing because our supply chain is very, very small,” she said. “Even though the United States is a very large country, sourcing within the U.S. does help bolster the economy, helps promote and provide jobs here in the United States.
“We’re a very large and very diverse country, and we are capable of providing most of the needs for the people in this country.”
The store will only sell products and ingredients that the Giambertone family has tried and enjoyed, but they are open to trying new products that are recommended by customers.
Louis Giambertone describes their products as “apocalypse proof,” because people will always need items like flour, sugar and soap.
Workshops will also be hosted at the store, so people can learn how to mill flour, bake sourdough, make wax wraps and more.
Jen Giambertone finds joy in making her own products, and hopes others will too.
“It’s sometimes nice to step back and be able to reset and do some things that were done the old way, like how our grandmothers would,” she said.
Their children have also come to enjoy making their own food, and their daughter will have her own business at the Way Station Mercantile, called The Creative. The Creative will be a collection of gumball machines, with naturally flavored and colored gum balls.
While Jen Giambertone was able to step away from the helicopter and focus on raising her family for the past two years, her husband continues to work as a paramedic and fireman at the Pine Knoll Shores Fire Station. He also works as a 68 whiskey instructor with the Army National Guard at Fort Bragg.
Louis Giambertone spends his days away from the fire station with his family at the Way Station Mercantile, working hard to get it ready for customers.
“He makes all of these things possible,” Jen Giambertone said. “He takes my dreams and figures out how to make them happen, no idea is too ridiculous to him.”
A village of family, friends and neighbors have also supported their journey, Jen Giambertone said.
Since Jen and Louis Giambertone made the announcement about the Way Station Mercantile, they have been awestruck by the amount of support they have received from the community.
From kind messages online, to people volunteering to help with the storefront, Jen Giambertone said they are overwhelmed by the support.
Many people have also inquired about having their handmade goods in the store, and Jen Giambertone said they are thrilled to involve the community and spotlight the hard work of other area residents.
Although they don’t have the space to hold tons of handmade vendor items, the store will have a display shelf with local items, which will rotate on a monthly basis.
Jen and Louis Giambertone currently plan to open the store to the public on July 25 at 9 a.m. Check out Liberty Fields Homestead on Facebook to follow along and view updates about the Way Station Mercantile.
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About the author
Hi everyone! I’m Caramia Valentin, the communications and public relations specialist for King & Lasso. I’m incredibly excited to bring these newsletters to our King & Lasso supporters. In high school, I found my passion for journalism and have been writing articles ever since. I went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. I have been published in the Carteret County News Times, New Bern Sun Journal, and Lynn University’s iPulse magazine.
Although I’m from Onslow County, the three years I spent as a reporter for the New Bern Sun Journal showed me how special the New Bern community is. I’m thrilled to continue writing about the people and places that make New Bern unique with The King & Lasso Business Edit. I hope that you find this newsletter interesting, uplifting and informative. If there’s anything you’d like to see in The King & Lasso Business Edit, please send your suggestions to my email at caramia@kingandlasso.com for consideration!