Food & Drink

The Letter Farmer Hopes to Renew Passion for Handwritten Letters

Seattle’s newest mobile business reinvents the art of letter writing

By Kasee Bailey August 15, 2016

letterthing

With a nod to the food-truck craze, Rachel Brandzel Weil launched her pop-up mobile paper, stationery and letter-writing business, The Letter Farmer, from a bright red truck in July. Weil, former owner of Real Card Company and a veteran of the local letterpress and stationery business, knows that everyone loves receiving handcrafted notes on beautiful paper, even though few people write them these days. Weil hopes her paper-filled vehicle will help people rediscover and appreciate the fine art of correspondence and renew their passion for handwritten letters.

“Letter writing is a communication form that requires mindfulness and presence,” Branzdel Weil says. “I think there’s really something that happens when you put pen to paper.”

Weil has outfitted her cherry-red vehicle with curated paper sets and letterpress cards, writing instruments and vintage postage (prices range from $5 to $25), hoping everyone—from millennials who marvel at the novelty to old-schoolers who miss the experience—will engage in this mode of communication that’s all but become a lost art. She sets up matching red bistro tables and chairs outside the van for letter writing stations for customers to settle in to reflect and compose a handwritten message. 

For inspiration, Weil offers written prompts, such as “Send an apology you’ve been putting off” or “There are so many reasons why I love you…”

Through September 21, the truck will be parked once a week during lunch at Westlake and Occidental Parks and is also often stationed at Peddler Brewing Company in Ballard (check the calendar on Weil’s website for locations).

Brandzel Weil intends to expand her paper passion to include corporate events, visits to assisted-living facilities (with young people acting as scribes for the residents) and schools, and partnerships with local shops and venues. Look for gratitude-themed thank you note writing sessions leading up to Thanksgiving.

“I’ve always been a serial paper entrepreneur,” she says, “but this is really the fire in my belly.”

To send your own snail mail, follow The Letter Farmer truck calendar on Instagram (@theletterfarmer) or Facebook, or on its website (theletterfarmer.com).

Follow Us

15 Valentine’s Day Gifts

15 Valentine’s Day Gifts

Fleece slippers, chocolate figs, and The Book of Love

Who doesn’t want to celebrate love and make someone (anyone!) feel special? So, whether you’re all in or not so much, if you’re looking for gift ideas, here are a few to consider...

The Best Gifts for Travel Lovers 

The Best Gifts for Travel Lovers 

Tinsel, eggnog, mistletoe, and luggage

Travel lovers are the easiest people to buy for. Wrap a gift in old maps and they’ll spend hours deciphering the roadways and important coordinates. Put something inside the wrapping that will satiate their wanderlust, or encourage it, and you might be their next invitee to Paris.

Black Black Friday launches in Seattle

Black Black Friday launches in Seattle

The event is designed to boost Black-owned businesses

An initiative launched in Seattle encourages residents to spend money at Black-owned businesses, starting on Black Friday. Called Black Black Friday, the movement was organized by Laura Clise, founder and CEO of the Intentionalist, an online directory of thousands of small businesses owned by women, people of color, veterans, LBGTQ+, families, and differently abled people,…

Costco Goes for the Gold

Costco Goes for the Gold

Have a sudden need for gold bars? Better act fast.

The warehouse retailer known for everything from its popular food court to organic maple syrup and bulk, well, everything, is now in the business of selling gold. That’s right. Costco is peddling one-ounce gold bars online. But you have to be a member to buy them. And they’re not cheap. Shoppers have two options: One…