![[Original size] Farm Grant 4 - 1](https://piedmontculinaryguild.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/BluebirdFarmCover800w.jpg "[Original size] Farm Grant 4 - 1")
Southern Spore Works
Crow Fly Farm
Fair Share Farm
Bluebird Farm
Terra Flora
Fair Share Farm
‘All of our sales have been from a tent by the road.’
That was then. Elliot Seldner and Emma Hendel of Fair Share Farm in Pfafftown, NC will use their 2023 PCG Farm Grant to buy a storefront cooler for the updated dairy barn where the farm’s produce is now being offered.
Fair Share Farm’s Grant application shares an evolution.
Especially during covid, Fair Share committed to their neighbors. At the same time the farm’s neighbors supported Fair Share. The relationship between farm and community has made it practical to renew the farm’s old dairy barn into a center for offering the farm’s produce.
‘Since the onset of Covid, our neighborhood has been a terrific support to our farm with sales increasing from the farm stand each season. Renovating the barn to be permanent fixture in the community, not just a seasonal one, will allow us to serve our neighbors better than ever.’
The plan is to make fresh produce available more days and more hours on those days. The storefront cooler is an important part of the plan – in fact the barn had already been wired for the cooler before grant proposals were written. ‘We have already invested the necessary electrical infrastructure.’
Elliot Seldner and Emma Hendel put roots down in Pfafftown, NC in 2014 after having collected wide and varied experience growing food in North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and the US Virgin Islands. The farm is in production year round; summer was a challenge with keeping produce at its freshest. ‘As summer approaches, we are struggling with produce perishability as the warmer weather has been damaging our produce before our community can buy it. It is our intention to use this grant money to invest in a storefront cooler in efforts to supply and preserve more fresh produce within the summer months.’
Emma and Elliot make it easy to eat well from the farm. The barn store is open Friday from 3-6pm and from 9am Saturday to 2pm. In addition, the farm welcomes online orders which can be picked up at the farm on Tuesday afternoon, Davidson Library Thursday afternoon, and in Winston Salem on Saturday mornings at either Cobblestone Farmers Market or Bobby Boy Bakery.
Going forward they would like to do less driving. ‘In 2023 we had our first child, a baby girl. It is our hope and willful intention to drive more sales straight from the farm instead of spending as much time doing deliveries. An investment in our farm store in will be an investment in our place in the community and an investment in our family.’
The PCG community is excited to see the farm and family grow.
Terra Flora Market Garden
‘We knew we wanted to go heavy on winter production here.’
Sean, Maggie and Lawton at Terra Flora Market Garden will use their 2023 PCG Farm Grant to build two more caterpillar tunnels on their farm in Norwood, NC.
‘Through experimentation we have discovered a way to build our own 20’x100′ caterpillar tunnels for less than $3,000. We have a pipe bender that we use to bend the top rail into the bows, and we now have the pattern down for building the greenhouse itself, and skinning it.’
The plan is to add 4000sf of covered growing area in two new tunnels. ‘The $3,000 grant would cover roughly half of this project, with us contributing the other just-under-half.’
Bringing experience gained from running the legendary Four Seasons Farm in Maine, Terra Flora was able to have produce at Matthews Community Farmers Market all winter. ‘We were the only farm that had produce to sell every single weekend during the winter.’
Having year round production is just one of the advantages of using a tunnel system. ‘Through increased tunnel space our farm is able to produce more food for a longer period during the season. We can grow sooner in the spring, and later in the fall. The tunnels also provide protection from the elements as well as pests, which each pose their unique challenges to growing a successful crop.’
Terra Flora is at the Matthews Community Farmers Market and the Uptown Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. Spring, summer and fall CSA memberships are available with pick ups at the farm in Norwood or at the weekly markets in Matthews and Uptown. Through Freshlist, Terra Flora produce is easily available to chefs.
The PCG community has a shared ethos around local food cooked excellently. Terra Flora’s commitment to year round production exemplifies the ethos in practice. ‘If we are able to more successfully grow vegetables for a longer period of time throughout the year, we are that much closer to closing the gap between consumers and their ability to source Good, local food during any season.’
Congratulations, Sean, Maggie and Lawton whose PCG Farm Grant application states, ‘Our goal for this upcoming winter is to be growing enough food that we can bring food to both the Matthews and the Uptown Market, as well as sell more regularly to Freshlist and Thoughtful Baking Co.’ The PCG community is excited to see you grow – we, too, want to see your goal achieved.
Southern Spore Works
‘Come see us,’
says Colton Crallie, owner and farmer at Southern Spore Works. He wants to have plenty of mushrooms for everyone but especially for PCG and Tastemaker members.
Southern Spore Works is using their PCG Farm Grant to grow – to grow the business and especially to grow more mushrooms. The farm grant will be used to develop a third growing facility in addition to the two operating now in Charlotte and Waxhaw
Looking through a misty fog as giant, colorful formations of still alive & growing clusters is a magical experience. To share this experience, the grow facility in Charlotte at the Innovation Barn (insert link & info) has a window through which the fruiting bags can be seen – spin by anytime and look through.
Oysters in pink, blue and yellow are prominent. Lions mane are there, too. Is there anything more exotic and delicious? Chestnuts and giant king trumpets also emerge from the mist. To these specialties a new and especially sought mushroom is now added – the peopino.
Since its founding last year, most of the crop has been sold through farmers markets. Recently more of his mushrooms are being sold directly to restaurants. Colton can be found each week at the farmers markets listed below and, for PCG and Tastemakers members, he says to contact him directly for convenient pickup.
Colton’s goal, with the help of the grant, is to double weekly production from around 250 pounds to over 500. The increased volume will open new markets and will also allow for more variety. ‘More variety means more flavors, more color and more culinary options for our customers,’ says Colton in the grant application.
Good luck Colton. We are pulling for you and are excited to see both your beautiful mushrooms and your business thrive.
Wednesday – Camp North End 4pm – 8pm
Saturday -Uptown Farmers Market 8am – 12:30pm
Saturday -Charlotte Regional Farmers Market 8am – 2pm
Saturday -Cotswold Farmers Market 8am – noon
Crow Fly Farm
‘On the most basic level, silvopasture is the integration of animals into a mixed forest grassland.’
Luna and her husband Jake Puckett produce all natural, pasture & forest raised livestock on Crow Fly Farm near Marion, NC. They are also leaders in regenerative farm practice and education. Their 2023 PCG Farm Grant will be used to continue developing the farm using the principles of ‘sylvopasture.’ Specifically, they will be planting mixed varieties of trees around pastureland and in forests which are used for running hogs.
The US Forest Service: ‘Silvopasture is the deliberate integration of trees and grazing livestock operations on the same land. These systems are intensively managed for both forest products and forage, providing both short- and long-term income sources.’
Jake and Luna wrote in their grant application, ‘With the funding from this project, we will be able to purchase the trees, shrubs, and berry bushes that we will plant in our pastures and unused boarder areas.’
This project will diversify offerings to our food community through the stacking of enterprises. Crow Fly will be able to expand production beyond just meat to fruits, nuts, and berries. PCG is particularly excited by the unique, small harvest fruit and nuts that will arrive in markets and on plates as the diversified tree plantings mature. The trees will provide shade for livestock and will increase minerals and variety in the diet of livestock – a tree’s roots draw minerals from deep in the earth which enter the food chain and nourish soil and bodies.
Crow Fly welcomes visitors and the farm intends to become a resource for sylvopasture demonstration and education. Developing the farm along the principles of sylvopasture ‘will improve animal welfare, diversify our farm offerings, and reduce feed costs for our animals. It is our hope that every stratum of the natural world, both wild and domestic, benefits from our presence.’
Jake and Luna estimate that about 95% of Crow Fly’s meat is sold within forty miles of the farm, truly exemplifying PCG’s belief in ‘local.’ Crow Fly sells whole animal shares as well as fractional shares of whole animals which are available for pickup and delivery. Meat is also currently available at the Asheville City Market on Saturday mornings.
The farm invites your participation in ASAP’s Farm Tour which will be Sept 23 & 24 this year (2023).
‘We will be able to simultaneously produce both meat and fruits/nuts in the same system. This is a win win and both enterprises will benefit from the presence of the other.’ Reading this quote from Jake strikes a chord with the mission of PCG – each member benefits from the presence of all our diversified community; the PCG community is important to each member and each member is important to the community – this is how the PCG community is chalking up successes and building prosperity.
Jake and Luna, thank you for the fine production work your farm is turning out and also for being leaders in promoting healthy farms and a healthy community.
Bluebird Farm
‘Each of these tools will allow smaller, less experienced crews to grow more food more efficiently. This will significantly impact the quantity we can grow, and our price point.’
Marie Williamson and husband William Lyons of Bluebird Farm in Morganton, NC grow vegetables and raise livestock. Their 2023 PCG Farm Grant will be used to purchase specialized tools. The PCG news crew (self) is looking especially forward to visiting the farm to photograph the tilther, wheel hoe and harvester in action. Look for these photos and a video later in the fall.
The specialized tools will increase efficiency and also increase labor flexibility. ‘We have been hit hard by labor shortages. Record levels of employment combined with expectations of increased work flexibility have made the high skill, hard work but low pay jobs in production agriculture harder to fill,’ writes William in the farm’s application. The new tools make it easier for less skilled, newer workers to tend vegetable beds and to more efficiently harvest greens.
‘We sell directly to customers at farmers markets like the Charlotte Regional Farmers’ Market and through our Community Supported Agriculture program. Over the last 5 seasons we have grown and developed our relationship with Freshlist in Charlotte. This has greatly expanded our reach to chefs and community programs like The Bulb. While we do work directly with chefs and breweries, our relationship with Freshlist allows us to focus on growing food and stewarding the land while they focus on reaching chefs and institutions more effectively.’
Bluebird Farm’s beef, pork, and eggs are also available through a farm membership with pickups at the farm in Morganton, in Hickory, and at the Saturday CLT Regional Farmers’ Market.
Well done on many years of service to the community. PCG looks forward to enjoying many more years of your success. Bluebird Farm exemplifies the ethos from which PCG was born and that our PCG community lives today.