Going Local-Kasper Creek Farm

A couple of weeks ago,
several Master Gardeners were invited
to the homestead of a fellow gardener in Huntersville, NC.

This is Kasper Creek Farm.
I had the pleasure of working with Ranelle Kasper
during the plant sale hosted by Lincoln County Extension.
We met one early winter morning to dole out trees, bushes
and other plants that folks had pre-ordered.
It was a wonderful experience and time spent with Ranelle was fascinating.
She was kind enough to offer us a tour of her amazing farm.

Ranelle grew up on a family farm in Virginia,
and was blessed with a fortune of knowledge
that she still uses today when raising her well-known heirloom tomatoes
and other crops.
Her mother, especially, was influential in her current path.
Not only was she an avid gardener,
she also passed on the skills of preserving food,
and properly saving seeds for subsequent plantings.

No doubt her mother would be duly proud of her accomplishments.

Ranelle's booth at the Davidson Farmers' Market

often sells out well before the end of the day.

She must be doing something right!

This new irrigation system allows for consistent watering
and gives her more time to tend to other things.
These tomato plants used to be hand watered,
sometimes more than once a day during the heat of summer.

Ranelle has a passion for raising quality produce,
which she offers up at the local farmers' market.
Along with her tomatoes,
she also sells beans, squash, and a variety of preserves,
fashioned from her very own orchards.

Along with grapevines,
Ranelle also raises blackberries and peaches for preserves,
utilizing her mother's recipes.

On another part of the property,
we were shown the large vegetable garden,
although being so early in the spring,
there is not a lot going on just yet.
There is ample space for the beans, cucumbers, peppers and squash
to share space and spread out.

The garden is at the base of a sloped area,
and The Kaspers have put in substantial efforts
to get the expanse to work for their purposes.

The greenhouse is one of the keys to the farm's success.
Seedlings are started well before the season,
which ensures there will plenty to harvest for market.

The indoor watering system was absolutely brilliant.
The water is pumped through tubing
into the countertops, which have a lip to hold water.
Plants get watered from below, which is best for the health of young seedlings.
Once the irrigation is complete, the water drains back into these tubs.

As if all of this splendor wasn't enough,
Ranelle let us take a gander at her root cellar,
built right into the side of the house.
Rocky leads the way...

During peak season, this gem houses so many tasty delights.
Ranelle and her husband live off the land
as much as possible,
and so fill this room with canned, pickled and preserved
treats of their own making.
Her mother's lessons have stayed with her.

On a designated shelf,
heirloom seeds wait for planting.
Ranelle is an avid seed saver,
and deems it her responsibility to keep these safe.

Spending an afternoon with someone 
who so passionately follows her path,
is truly inspirational.


"The only durable sense of success
is if you've followed your calling."
~Jim Harrison


More Going Local posts:
Grace Tree Farm 
Faith Family Farm 
Davidson Farmers' Market 
Mount Holly Farmers' Market 
Cobblestone Farmers' Market