Piedmont farm tour brings locavores to the farm

Posted Tuesday, April 22, 2008

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Carrboro, NC - Triangle families and foodies again this weekend showed why the region is renowned for its support of local sustainable farms by turning out in droves for the 13th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour. The tour is the largest event of its kind in the United States, and is co-sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) and Weaver Street Market cooperative grocery in Carrboro, NC.

Featuring 35 farms in Alamance, Chatham, Lee, Orange and Person Counties, this year’s edition of the Piedmont Farm Tour saw approximately 10,000 farm visits, including people from as far afield as Asheville and Florida. “Some of the world’s leading sustainable farmers are growing food for the Piedmont community,” said Roland McReynolds, CFSA Executive Director. “People like Alex and Betsy Hitt of Peregrine Farms, Cathy Jones and Mike Perry of Perry-winkle Farm, Ken Dawson and Libby Outlaw at Maple Spring Gardens, Bill Dow of Ayrshire Farm and many, many others have been working to provide wholesome, nutritious, environmentally-safe food for Triangle families for 25 years. We are fortunate that these incredible growers open their farms for the public to visit.”

Tour visitors got the chance to see how organic practices have helped local farms cope with the continuing drought. Farms like Fickle Creek, Baldwin and Braeburn/Cane Creek gave consumers lessons in how humane animal husbandry practices actually enhance the ability of the soil to withstand drought. Other tour highlights included the Triangle’s first certified organic dairy, Lindale Farm in Silk Hope, NC; the 100% grassfed lamb at Captain J.S. Pope Farm in Cedar Grove, NC; certified organic vegetable producers such as Harland’s Creek Farm, Timberwood Organics and Pine Knot Farm; and UNC mascot Ramses at Hogan’s Magnolia View Farm. “More farms are turning to sustainable agriculture as a way to preserve their economic viability and better steward our natural resources,” said McReynolds.

The tour is both an educational event and a fundraiser for CFSA, a 26-year old a non-profit organization that educates, inspires and organizes farmers and consumers to build a sustainable food system for the Carolinas. Weaver Street Market has been an essential partner in building the Piedmont Farm Tour into a Triangle institution. Consumers can find local sustainable farms anywhere in the Carolinas by searching CFSA’s online database at carolinalocalfood.org.