Green Eats

Alex & Betsy Hitt of Peregrine Farm profiled on UNCTV

Follow the link for a video that provides great insight into the sort of farmers, businesses, and consumers that have made the Triangle a national leader in the local and sustainable food movement.

Learn more about the people and places featured in this video:

• Peregrine Farm, Alex & Betsy Hitt
• Castlemaine Farm, Joann & Brian Gallagher
• Magnolia Grill, Ben & Karen Barker
• Carrboro Farmers’ Market, Carrboro, NC

Located in central North Carolina (20 miles south of Burlington), Castlemaine Farm is the pride and joy of husband-wife team Brian and Joann Gallagher. They have a two acre market garden but are perhaps best known for their pasture-raised chicken operation. I visited Castlemaine today as part of my Sustainable Livestock Production class at Central Carolina Community College’s Sustainable Agriculture Program, and it was great to finally see a pastured poultry operation up close!

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For those of you who use Twitter – good news! The South Estes Farmers Market in Chapel Hill, the Carrboro Farmers Market in Carrboro, and the Eno River Farmers Market in Hillsborough have Twitter accounts! Add them to get updates on market offerings and events:

@sefarmersmarket – South Estes Farmers Market

@enoriverfm – Eno River Farmers Market

@carrboromarket – Carrboro Farmers Market

Today, once again, I learned the value of arriving early to the farmers’ market. Instead of waking up at 7, going to the thrift shop and my local food co-op, and being at the market when it opened at 10, I decided to sleep in and didn’t make it out of the house until 11. By the time I got down there both Fickle Creek and Ever Laughter were out of eggs, there was no spinach in sight, and worst of all, The Farm Fairy had sold out of bialys!!!

Luckily I was able to console myself with some carrots from Roberson Creek Farm, chicken livers from Fickle Creek, bratwurst from Ever Laughter (its delicious!!!), and finally some eggs and breakfast sausages from Coon Rock. As treat (or more to console myself) I bought two small bundts (lemon & chocolate) from the South Estes Farmers’ Market’s newest vendor, Big Bundts.

So remember – get to your local market early!

Contrarian Farm is run by former CCCC Sustainable Agriculture students Brittany Kordick and Dan Shields. I first met Dan during the South Estes Farmers’ Market “Meet your Farmer” event last winter at University Mall. I think I was one of the few people that day who actually wanted to sit through the Powerpoint about how they process rabbits. I started attending the market nearly every week and come summer I made my first venture out to the farm to witness the actual processing of the rabbits. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s focus back on the farm.

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Well folks at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market were asked that very question, and they’ve put together a list! Take a second and find out if your favorite restaurant is supporting local agriculture.

(I see some of my favorites there – Lantern, Watts Grocery, Glasshalfull, Neal’s Deli….)

Last week Rob Bowers of Whitted Bowers Farm in Cedar Grove, NC came to speak to our class about permaculture and biodynamics. Rob and his wife, Cheri Whitted, moved to North Carolina from California with the intention of starting a biodynamic fruit farm and have succeeded in becoming the only Certified Biodynamic farm in North Carolina and one of only two in the entire Southeast.

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Remember that post about my dinner the other night? The one with the local kielbasa? Well, this past summer Sam & Will (of Ever Laughter Farm) hosted a great big farm party. There was food, music, a big bonfire, and many of the guests camped overnight in the fields. After a few too many drinks our friends took the tent and my boyfriend and I ended up falling asleep atop a giant trampoline. We awoke a few short hours later to the sounds of pigs snorting and banging their feed trough and found out that we had been sleeping right next to the pig pen! It wasn’t the most pleasant way to wake up, but I think in the end we came out the winners, as those very pigs who woke us up that morning were part of our delicious local dinner a couple nights ago. Karma!

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  Grilled kielbasa – Ever Laughter Farm, Hillsborough, NC

• Broccoli rabe – Contrarian Farm, Pittsboro, NC
• Couscous

Eat at Joe's has a post up about the new community support seafood initiative out of Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. I heard about this other day and it sounds like a great idea! Check out the post for info on how to sign up!