When our family first put seed in the ground on these 40 acres in Oxford, North Carolina back in 1987, we made a decision that shaped everything that followed: we would grow food the way it was meant to be grown — without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. That commitment has never wavered in nearly four decades.
People ask us all the time at the Carrboro Farmers' Market: "Is this organic?" The honest answer is that we are chemical-free, which in practice means more than a certification label. We know every inch of this land in Granville County. We know which rows drain slowly after a heavy rain, which corners the deer favor in late October, and which weeks the aphids arrive on the hot peppers. We manage all of it by hand, by observation, and by working with the land rather than against it.
What "chemical-free" actually means on our farm
We do not apply synthetic inputs of any kind — no Roundup, no synthetic nitrogen, no fungicide sprays. Pest pressure is managed through crop rotation, companion planting, and physical removal. Soil health is maintained with compost and cover crops. It is slower, more labor-intensive work, but the result is produce that tastes the way it is supposed to taste.
The difference shows up most clearly in our fruits. Our sour cherries, blueberries, and figs are not bred for shelf life or long-distance shipping. They are bred for flavor, grown in Granville County soil, and harvested at peak ripeness — usually within 24 to 48 hours of reaching your table at the Saturday market.
Why it matters to you
When you buy from us at the Carrboro Farmers' Market, you are not buying produce that was picked green and gassed to ripen in a warehouse. You are buying food that was on the plant or tree the day before, grown without chemicals on land our family has tended for nearly 40 years. That is a promise we have kept since 1987, and one we intend to keep for the next 40.
Find us every Saturday from 7 AM to 12 PM at the Carrboro Farmers' Market. Quantities are limited — we are a small boutique farm, and we grow what we can grow well.