Some of the farmers joining N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension’s educational program had decades of experience. Others were, well, new to the field, so to speak. All were interested in learning more about organic, sustainable and climate-smart farming.
So, they hopped a bus for the two-day “Farmers’ Road Trip” to see these farming methods in action. More than 30 farmers took the Oct. 14-15 tour, organized by the Cooperative Extension N.C. A&T and N.C. State. They traveled to eight farms in Durham and Franklin counties that featured a bit of everything: flowers, fruits, vegetables, grain, hemp, cattle, pigs, chickens and even some tips on stocking fishing ponds.
“They’re getting an opportunity to see the best and the brightest, most innovative farms in this area,” said William Landis, a specialized extension agent for agricultural business and marketing.
Host farmers and extension agents and specialists also talked about organic certification, farming as a nonprofit, agritourism, food ministry and marketing. One even provided suggestions for how couples can approach dividing up the work, which goes far beyond tilling soil.
The farms visited ranged from Wolfberry Hawthorn Farm in Durham (less than two acres) to the First Fruits Farm in Louisburg (1,000 acres), which was founded by former NFL lineman Jason Brown. The final stop was at Tar River Distillery, where the farmers learned — among other things — about the need for locally produced barley.
“There’s a lot of breweries and distilleries that need barley and we have to go out West to get it,” said Randy Moore, the Louisburg distillery’s owner.
“Anything a small-scale farm can do in a real-life situation we attempted to get a flavor and learn from eight peer farms,” said Biswanath Dari, Ph.D., an assistant professor and natural resource specialist with Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T. Dari is one of five coordinators for the event.
Jireh Family Farms in Durham was among the stops on the tour. Immanuel Jarvis, who runs the 4-acre farm with his wife, Valarie, said farms can succeed even in small spaces.
“A lot of people think you need all these acres, you don’t,” said Jarvis. “You can have your own homestead on half an acre, an acre. Even with an 8-by-10 box, you can create enough food for your entire family, seasonally."
Suresh Wachhe, who started farming in September with his wife, Mamata, found the tour helpful. “We got a lot of hands-on knowledge of how the farming happens in each of the fields,” he said. “The fields chosen by the Extension are extremely beneficial because it chose different kinds farmers.”
“We’re just excited to get a group of small farmers together … to visit farms where they can learn and share information with that farmer and themselves,” said Cyndi Knudson, an extension agent for small farms in northeast North Carolina.
Karen Herrero Backe and John Belisario of Goat Hollow Farm in northeast Franklin County, were particularly interested in regenerative farming. The farm, which includes the nonprofit Castalia STEAM Outdoor Center, includes chickens, fruits, vegetables, herbs and an orchard.
“We’re looking at putting in a regenerative agriculture space where we can showcase lots of different ways you can participate in agroforestry and restoring soil health,” Herrero Backe said.
Belisario said he was particularly interested in the design and engineering of the farms. “This is giving me some great ideas about irrigation … the layout, the angle of the sunlight and how everything kind of comes together,” he said.
There are plans for more tours, said Assistant Professor Hannah Talton, D.P.M., who specializes in plant pathology and integrated pest management.
“We plan to take this tour and do it yearly, just moving across different parts of North Carolina, seeing different farming systems, talking to different farmers and providing new farmers the opportunity to learn from other farmers,” she said.
“This tour is something that is very special to us,” said John Lyttle, a Durham County extension agent.
