Going Local-Burton Family Farms

 

Saturday was absolutely dreary,

but the bright spot in my day

was when sister came for a visit.

I gave her a tour of the homestead to get her up to speed

on all of the recent changes.

Then we headed into town to do a bit of browsing.

 

 

I'm not much of a shopper,

but anytime I get to spend with her is precious.

We paid a visit to Burton Farms General Store,

which is a family-owned business that carries lots of things to love.

If you'd like to learn more, here's their website.

 

There are quite a variety of foods to choose from,

everything from apples to zucchini and more.

The shelves are lined with locally made jams, preserves, and pickled items

as well as bulk beans, local honey and gifts galore.

 

Whenever possible, Burton's supports local farmers.

The strawberries were one of the most popular items when we were there.

 

There is someone giving out free samples,

which is always a hit with shoppers.

 

Along with all the delicious goodies of which to partake,

there might be something your garden is missing.

Potted plants, flats of seedlings and yard art

are some of the items featured at the shop.

 

Even on the dreariest of days,

it is a fun place to amble through.

Give yourself plenty of time to peruse the offerings

and you may find your spirits just a bit cheerier.

 Although we haven't been venturing far over the last year,

it felt good to be able to get out there and enjoy some bff time.

We still have a ways to go, 

but we are getting closer to having more getaways.

Any time spent with sister is time well spent.

 

 

 

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

Farmers' Market Opening Day

This past Saturday was the opening day

of the farmers' markets here in Lincoln County.

The market in Lincolnton is small, but growing,

and hosts an array of local goodies for shoppers.

Many folks eschew the grocery store in favor of fresh,

locally grown produce.

Starter plants and flowers in lovely displays were also available.

A few beauties were picked up at this table for some of my beds at home.

Members of the Rose Society donated plants from their personal gardens

to raise money for their organization.

Most plants were $3, quite the bargain!

At this booth, organic personal care preparations could be had.

A multitude of lip balms, lotions, shampoos and beard products was offered.

All items at the farmers' market must be grown or made

within a 50-mile radius of the downtown location.

Can't get more local than that!

One of my favorite vendors, 

Black Sheep Farmstead,

always furnishes a wonderful collection of soaps.

A couple of things may have made it into my bag.

The Master Gardeners set up a booth once a month

to answer gardening questions, share gardening experiences,

and provide an interactive activity for visitors.

My friend Jannah and I,

who both graduated from the Master Gardener class last spring,

were giving away seeds so that folks could get their gardens started.

The seeds were generously donated to the Extension Center,

and we are giving them away every chance we get.

Just look at all the potential in that basket!

We also created a seed sowing station

for kids to understand the value in recycling 

and using what they already have at home.

The basket of paper towel and toilet paper rolls

was readied for them.

We simply made mini pots by slitting and folding the bottoms.

This is a great way to repurpose an otherwise throwaway item.

The whole kit-n-kaboodle can be planted in the ground.

A little soil and their choice of seed was all it took.

It was so encouraging to see these wee ones excited about planting.

The first market of the season went off without a hitch.
We had plenty of visitors and the vendors had many repeat customers.
Feeling blessed to be a part of such a wonderful community activity.

Do you frequent the farmers' market where you live?

Going Local-Faith Family Farm

A couple of weeks ago,
the Master Gardeners were invited to a local farm tour.

heavenly harvest

Faith Family Farm is the labor of love
of a local family in Dallas, NC.
Andrea and Joel are two hard-working young folks
who aspire to create a self-sufficient lifestyle for themselves,
while encouraging others interested in sustainability.

Joel grew up in the farming arena,
helping his family run an apple orchard.
Although he took many different paths in his young adulthood,
he knew that farming was his destiny.
As he told us on the day of our visit,
"I'm a dentist by hobby, and a farmer by passion."

Every nook of his 30+ acre property exemplifies
his determination to work with the land
and provide for his family.
On the acreage, berries, nut trees, and a substantial orchard
hosting apple, cherry, peach, plum and a number of other fruit trees
are grown "beyond organically", in Joel's words.

Using methods from the film, "Back to Eden",
these farmers believe in using the wisdom of the land
to guide their growing.
Utilizing sheet mulching with cardboard,
no-till bed tending and permaculture practices 
are all a part of this farm's foundation.

A profusion of produce is grown here,
 including beans, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
and numerous other crops, all grown without the use of pesticides.

Joel is not shy with experimentation.
He considers everything he does in the garden
a learning process.
He is constantly tweaking his techniques
and researching better methods to be even more successful.

Some crops are grown in rows,
some in raised beds,
and just about everything in between.
There is no shortage of creativity here for growing food.

Joel considers the fundamental focus of the farm
to be educational.
He relishes the opportunity to share what he's learned
to ensure that others can find success.

One of the secrets to his fruitful orchard is a matter of outsmarting pests.
He has planted no two similar trees next to each other,
so as to make things as difficult as possible for insects.
If they prefer apples, they will have to travel to find them,
because in the next spot might be a plum or pear tree.

using twigs to space branches

Faith Family Farm hosts meat chickens as well as layers.
The birds are free roaming, 
and able to forage for insects throughout their designated area.
His birds are fed twice daily, using a ginormous game feeder
that is  programmed with a timer.
So many labor and time-saving approaches help them
to use their work hours efficiently.

Joel explained that the wood pile is placed inside the chicken coop,
so that the birds can take care of any pests that might be lurking.
Sheer genius, right?

This gorgeous raised bed kitchen garden
is near the house,
which makes it ideal for fresh-picked goodies 
for mealtimes.
The rock border looks stunning
and provides protection from erosion.
As with most projects here,
materials are gathered from the property.

  The generous use of compost, manure, and mulch
enable Andrea and Joel to grow all the veg they love.
They are working on plans for a CSA,
so that they can share their bounty with others.

Joel shared this almost-black tomato with a few of us.
It surprised me with its sweet flavor, and not a hint of acid!

Along with the many methods they are using,
Andrea and Joel shared with us 
that they have started a hugelkultur bed.
They loaded logs, compost and mulch in a pile
to decompose on its own and will plant in it at a later time.
I recently used this practice in one of my raised beds.

What a fascinating place to visit
and hear about the different ways farming takes shape,
all in one location!
So grateful to Faith Family Farm
for their willingness to keep the good stuff moving! 


 More in the Going Local Series:
Single Brothers' Garden
Cobblestone Farmers' Market
Red Wolf Farm
Mount Holly Farmers' Market 
Black Mountain Chocolates