Farm Visit Road Trip - North Carolina Style

By Larissa McKenna, Humane Farming Program Director

Visiting farms is one of the best parts of my job. Getting to know the farmers who work the land and care for the animals helps me to better understand what’s going on in the field, which in turn helps us to improve our services. Plus, truth be told, it’s just plain fun.

That’s why I was thrilled to make the trek to North Carolina in early May to visit eight farms over the course of three days. It was an unseasonably warm, whirlwind of a trip but well worth it. Keep reading for an abbreviated travel diary of all the cool places I went

Day One

Farmer Quincy Smiling

My first stop was The Smiling Farm near Winston Salem. Farmer Quincy Smiling received a Fund-a-Farmer Grant this year to purchase high tensile wire fencing and T posts to rotationally graze beef cattle and install piping to supply water to the animals on pasture. Part of the project is already installed and in use! I enjoyed talking with Quincy and learning all about his big plans for the land.

Hue and Suzanne

I then headed east to Reverence Farms. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Suzanne Nelson Karreman and Hue Karreman. They raise pastured pigs, lambs, chickens, and grass-fed/grass-finished beef cattle and dairy cows. Suzanne says, “We heal the land and ourselves with a daily devotion to wholeness in all that we do.” Hue is a veterinarian and previously served on FACT’s Board of Directors. He also presented a webinar for us earlier this spring on Botanicals and Tips for Natural Livestock Management (if you haven’t watched it yet, check out the recording – highly recommended!).

Next, I met up with FACT’s Humane Farming Program Associate Samantha Gasson, who also owns Bull City Farm in Rougemont, NC, about half an hour north of Durham. Sam and her family raise cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs, and sheep and sell at the South Durham Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning, year round. Needless to say, Sam and I quite enjoyed catching up and spending some quality time together.

Day Two

Paige shows me her farm

Sam and I set off in the morning for a big day of farm visits in the greater-Durham area. First, we stopped at Grass Grazed Farm and met with Paige Jackson. Paige and her family raise grass-fed beef, pastured pigs and poultry, and a smattering of other animals. A marketing guru by trade, Paige presented an excellent webinar this past March called Beef Up Your Farm’s Brand and Online Presence. It was wonderful to finally meet her and see her farm in action.

Sandra, Sam, and me at Elodie Farms

After leaving Grass Grazed, we made our way on to Elodie Farms and met up with Sandra Vergara and Ted Domville. Elodie Farms is home to a herd of mixed-breed dairy goats, old and young, that browse happily on 17+ acres of pasture amidst hundred-year-old trees, old tobacco barns and a natural lake. They make fresh goat cheeses, crackers, goat milk caramel and goat cheese mousse – yum!

On we trekked to Edens Meats and then to Dawnbreaker Farms. Chas Edens and Ben Grimes (owner of Dawnbreaker Farms) both participated on a recent FACT webinar called Operating a Meat CSA because, well, they both run and sell their products through this channel. Ben has also served as a mentor in our Humane Farming Mentorship Program for several years and has contributed to the program’s success.

Day Three

Judy and Larry at Uwharrie Farm

My final stop was Uwharrie Farm near Asheboro and adjacent to beautiful Uhwharrie National Forest. Judy and Larry McPherson currently raise pigs and goats on pasture and in wooded areas. They received a Fund-a-Farmer Grant from FACT in 2018 to install three frost proof water sources for their pastured animals. The project is still in use and comes in very handy as the farmers don’t have to lug heavy containers and the animals always have access to fresh, clean water, even in more remote areas.

In addition to all of these fabulous farms, I met with Sarah and Lee with NC Choices and Brittany of The Livestock Conservancy. FACT has enjoyed partnering with both of these phenomenal organizations over the years to support humane livestock and poultry production. 

Thank you to everyone who took time out their busy schedules to welcome me. I learned so much and it was truly an honor to be with such a great bunch of folks.

Cover Photo: Goat selfie at Elodie Farms