Local Foods

Rockingham County Grange, along with Rockingham County Cooperative Extension and others are taking a lead in their community. They are part of an up & coming initiative to create a local food market. Rutherford County has been a great model and offered a presentation and tour of their successes for a group from Rockingham County. Jimmy and I were invited to attend this event (thanks to Rockingham County Grange President Mark Davis!) and it was an awesome experience! We met at Foothills Connect, an organization that "supports the development and growth of small businesses and entrepreneurship in Rutherford County". There, we learned a bit about how their FarmersFreshMarket initiative was organized and the motivations for a program such as this. With this program, local farmers are connected via the web to restaurant owners, chefs and other customers so that local foods can find their way onto our tables. It's a type of "virtual" farmer's market! With grants that were awarded to the center, farmers are also given training on sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurship. Tim Will, Executive Director of Foothills Connect, brought his enthusiasm for this program to the group and everyone in the room was outwardly excited to see how their model could shape a program in Rockingham County.

Then, we walked down the street to an area that is being used for growing vegetables. This area is smack-dab in the middle of downtown and it was assumed that the soil wasn't conducive to growing anything. So untrue! They're leaving no open area unused and some folks even ate radishes pulled straight from this soil!

We visited a site near RS-Central High School where an Animal Science class has taken a hands-on approach to learning about agriculture. Their teacher, Brandon Higgins, said that sitting in a classroom learning animal science didn't resonate quite as well as getting outside and working with animals. Students were there for class and we got to see them in action! They were busy watering the hogs, feeding chickens and feeding and milking the goats. They take a sustainable approach to their farm as well... putting goats into the field to clear everything out, then the hogs root up the field and they have a moving chicken house which fertilizes the soil. Many students made an effort to make their passion and love for agriculture known. When asked what their favorite part of this class was their response was "Everything!"


We went to lunch at Cafe at the Mall where the food is brought in from local farmers in an effort to keep the economy growing within Rutherford County. If anyone is taking a trip to Rutherford County, I highly recommend this restaurant! The food was amazing and the staff was so happy to have us there! Jean Pierre Marechal, head chef of the Center City Marriot in Charlotte joined us for lunch and spoke to us about how this program has literally changed his life. What a big statement!

Jean Pierre also joined us for a tour of Always Somethin' Farm, a local farm owned by Richard Davis, that practices sustainable agriculture. They aren't certified organic, but are - by most standards - an organic farm. We learned how his operation works, including his CSA (community supported agriculture) which is a way for consumers to buy a "membership" in return for a bag or basket of seasonal produce each week through the farming season. This early payment allows for the operation to run efficiently. After a tour of the farm, we went back to the Cafe to have desserts and to debrief.

A big thanks goes out to the 5 members of Rockingham County Grange who are leaders in this project, Mark Davis for inviting us to be a part of this learning experience as well as everyone involved with Foothills Connect, Richard Davis, the staff of Cafe at the Mall and all of the farmers who make initiatives like this possible!