Glenn Roberts
Columbia, SC
Handmade Mill Goods from Organic Heirloom GrainsIn 1998 Glenn Roberts, a Charleston-based historic restoration consultant and thirty-year veteran of restaurant and hotel concept design, bought 4 native granite mills and 40 chest freezers. Anson Mills, located in Columbia, South Carolina is the closest grain mill to us in the Charlotte area.
He intended to grow, harvest and mill near-extinct varieties of heirloom corn, rice, and wheat organically, and... |
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Art Duckworth
Stanley, NC
Beef, Pork, Eggs, Honey, Jams
Apple Orchard Farms has been at its present location since 1971; the first plantings were apple trees, thus the name. Art has a passion for producing foods that are raised without added chemicals or other non-natural substances that may be harmful to our bodies. He farms full time, with occasional assistance from friends and family, because he believes in a healthier lifestyle, the land, and the all natural foods that come from... |
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Andy & Megan Bame
Rowan County, NC
Beef, Pork, Poultry, Eggs, Produce
Andy and Megan Bame have been building their diverse small farm for the past 4 years, but have been growing plants in the horticulture industry for the past 15 years. Initially, they began farming to grow and produce their own food. Since they enjoyed it and found themselves with more than they needed, they began to look for markets that suited their small scale. They do not farm full-time, and provide their own... |
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Farm Manager: Brent Barbee
Concord, NC
Produce
Barbee Farm is a 5th generation farm. The Barbees have been involved with many areas of farming from dairy and pork production to small grain.
Brent started produce production as a part-time summer job at age of 10. (He is currently 22.) He was always active in the FFA through high school and upon graduation continued the pursuit of an agricultural career by attending North Carolina State University - Ag-Institute. It was during... |
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Mike and Dawn Smith
Denver, NC
Beef
Mike has been farming in some form or another his whole life. He started out helping both his grandparents when he was old enough to do chores on their farms. When he went to college, he tried tobacco farming while in WNC. After moving back here, one of his brother's purchased his maternal grandparent's farm following their passing. Mike decided to start working towards revitalizing his paternal grandfather's farm as his health was failing and he was... |
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Pat and Mike Roberts
Sherrills Ford, NC
Ostrich, Personal Products
Pat and Mike have been farming for 15 years and have also operated a drywall business as well. When they told their friends they were going to buy a pair of ostriches and start an ostrich farm, they told them they were “birdbrains!” The name just seemed to work!
Mike and Pat want kids to understand where their food comes from. The older they get, the more concerned they become about what they eat and where it... |
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Brad Hinckley, Eric Williamson Concord, NC Produce |
Jane Henderson, Garland Carmichael, and Lomax beginning farmers
Cabarrus County, NC
Organic Produce, Herbs, Edible Flowers, Bouquets
Commonwealth Farms is a collaborative effort managed by Jane G. Henderson, who has farmed organically in the greater Charlotte area for the past 8 years. The enterprise now consists primarily of plots in two Cabarrus County locations: 2/3 acre at Jane’s small farm and 1/3 acre at her mother, Garland Carmichael's home. Having participated at the... |
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John Herron
Landis, NC
Mushrooms, Herbs
http://www.cottonmillmushroomfarms.com/
In the lower floor of what was once a cotton mill (the old Linn Mill), John Herron grows oyster mushrooms. A big proponent of sustainable methods, John uses scrap cotton (from another mill) as the growing medium for his mushroom spores. In his climate-controlled environment, these spores grow into harvest-ready mushrooms in three weeks. Their mushrooms have found their way into... |
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Jason and Emily Fortenberry
Lincolnton, NC
Produce, Eggs, Soap
Fortenberry Produce & Soap is in its Fourth growing season although we’ve been backyard hobby gardeners our whole lives. Jason & Emily work full time as well as on the farm. Their family supplies the majority of the labor. Alan Chapman helps me part time, and at the market on Saturdays. Jason & Emily Fortenberry Live in Lincolnton, NC in a community called (Pumpkin Center). We live on my wife’s Grandparents old farm land... |
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Marvin & Debbie Bost
Mt Pleasant, NC
Goat, Lamb, Pork, Poultry, Eggs
Farming has been part of the Bost's lives for as long as they can remember. Debbie's father is a veterinarian and always had sheep, goats and horses at her house. Marvin’s father and grandfather farmed hay and beef cattle so he grew up around the farm.
Originally, Marvin and his father had 4 acres of land in the town of Mt. Pleasant with a barn, chickens, ponies and cows. When the town eliminated farm animals... |
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Gil and Amy Foster
Iron Station, NC
Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Produce
Gilcrest Natural Farm is in its third growing season although Amy and Gil been backyard gardeners their whole lives. When asked Why do you farm?, Amy responded, "The short answer is joy. The long answer would involve long discussions about food quality, sustainability, job satisfaction and education of the next generation."
Amy farms full time, Gil works off-farm as well as on the farm. Their family supplies the... |
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Ginnie, Lee & Steve TateClimax, NCHandmade Farmstead Cheeses
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture granted Goat Lady Dairy their goat dairy license in 1996, one of only a handful in the state. They say it was only natural for them to take the name "Goat Lady Dairy." Ginnie raised goats as a hobby for many years and was affectionately known by her friends and customers as "the Goat Lady." Their name also signifies to them that their goats are ladies with gentility, grace and... |
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Natalie Veres and Cassie Parsons
Denver, NC
Pork, Chicken, Duck, Eggs, Mushrooms
Grateful Growers started 4 years ago. Natalie and Cassie came to farming because they were tired of food they were afraid to eat and wanted to have more control over how their food was produced. They were alarmed and discouraged at the prevalence of industrial-scale and vertically-integrated agribusiness. Grateful Growers was named after Cassie and Natalie walked around the place, feeling blessed to... |
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Chris, Jayne, David, and Terry BowmanJulian, NCMilk, Butter, Ice Cream
Homeland Creamery is owned and operated by Chris and Jayne and David and Terry Bowman. They are the sixth generation of farmers on the same homestead that have operated this dairy since the 1930's . Their herd has grown from a half dozen to over 200 cows. They milk the cows with automatic and computerized milking machines in their milk parlor.
The cows are never given artificial growth hormones... |
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Kelly FosterConcord, NCSheep, Goats, Poultry, Organic Produce, Grains, Bread
"Maple Lane Homestead is a small family farm located just north of Charlotte in Concord, NC. We began our homestead in 1992 with just a few chickens and some horses. In 1994, I began to wonder if the food we were consuming was contributing to the erratic behavior of our youngest son. So began my quest -- We now have a very large organic garden and raise all of our own meat. We purchase what we cannot grow or... |
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Eric and Melissa Brown
NE Iredell County
Honey
Eric began beekeeping as an employee of another beekeeper in 1998. Melissa grew up on a family farm, and worked on a non-profit, organic, demonstration farm in 1999 and 2000.
They began farming together, multiplying out their colonies to a small commercial scale, and selling at the farmers' market in 2004 after they got married and bought our first two-thirds of an acre. They purchased their current 43-acre farm late in 2007.
To name their... |
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