Filtering by tag: local food

Two oxen yoked side-by-side led by a person wearing a "MILK'S GOT GAME" shirt

Plan for Fun at the 2026 Chatham County Spring Ag Fest!

Spring Ag FestCelebrating Chatham County Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural ResourcesSaturday, March 28, 202610 a.m.–3 p.m.This is a FREE Event!Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center1192…

graphic of pruned blueberry bushes

February Is a Great Time to Prune Blueberries!

Blueberries are a popular crop for commercial farmers as well as home gardeners in North Carolina. They are fairly easy to grow if provided the right conditions and don't require pesticides to…

Three people in a grassy field talking, sheep grazing in the background

NC AgVentures Chatham County Farm Tour

NC AgVentures is a NC State Extension program that provides grants to North Carolina farmers and community groups for new and innovative agricultural project ideas that will increase farm profits.…

Ginger and turmeric roots on wooden cutting board with two piles of diced pieces

Ginger and Turmeric a High Value Crop for Local Growers

In January 2011 I was at a Southern SAWG Sustainable Agriculture Conference in Chattanooga, TN when I spotted Maine grower Susan Anderson's East Branch Ginger booth at the trade show. Susan was…

Dried apples

Drying Apples Connects Us to Southern History

Whenever I see heirloom apples at our local farmers' markets I can't help but think about Lee Calhoun. Lee lived in Chatham County and developed a passion for old southern apples in the 1970s when he…

Bottle of Fiddlehead Farm Black Garlic Rooster Sauce beside three garlic bulbs on wooden surface

Fiddlehead Farm Wins Another National Good Food Award!

Chatham County's Fiddlehead Farm has won their THIRD national Good Food Award! Earlier this year they won for their Black Garlic Rooster Sauce. In previous years they have won for their Roasted…

Three people walking in a green pasture with black cows grazing in background

Farm Visit Snapshots: Grand Hope Farm

Brandon and Elizabeth Szilvay operate Grand Hope Farm in the western part of Chatham County near Siler City, NC. The farm has been in Brandon's family since the early 1800s, and he is the sixth…

Apples in white baskets, blueberries in plastic clamshells, and cherry tomatoes in green cartons

Farm Visit Snapshots: In Good Heart Farm

I visited In Good Heart Farm outside Pittsboro in mid-May and again in mid-July. Ben Shields and Patricia Parker started their farm in Clayton, NC in 2010 then moved to Chatham County in 2016 to farm…

Two people harvesting and bundling flowers in a grassy field garden

Farm Visit Snapshots: Perry-Winkle Farm to Market!

From Chatham County Agriculture Agent Debbie Roos:In early June I got to spend time with our two Extension interns Kristin Peters and Kayla Ferro. Kristin just finished her M.S. in Forestry at NC…

Person kneeling harvesting red and green lettuce heads into a plastic bin

Farm Visit Snapshots: Granite Springs Farm

From Chatham County Agriculture Agent Debbie Roos: Farm Visit Snapshots are a new feature on my Growing Small Farms website. A big part of my job as an Agriculture Agent is visiting farms to provide…