Category Archives: Triangle

The Last Barn Dance (and post?)

Greetings and Happy New Year. Perhaps it’s fitting that one of my final posts here will be about “The Last Barn Dance,” a lovely film in the making. Here’s the synopsis: “Randy Lewis knows that losing his dairy business would … Continue reading

Posted in Alamance County, Books, Media, Tennessee | Tagged | 1 Comment

PepperFest is back, and sweeter than ever

It’s time for another PepperFest — Oct. 5 from 3 to 7! It’s again at Meadow Park south of downtown Chapel Hill, the only place you’ll find top local chefs doing crazy things with Chatham County peppers. Your kids don’t like … Continue reading

Posted in Chatham County | Leave a comment

Learn to can it in Carrboro

Curious about canning? Learn all about it on Aug. 16 at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market. Market-goers will learn how easy it is to preserve the best, fresh produce at International Can-It-Forward Day celebration, presented by Jarden Home Brands, makers of … Continue reading

Posted in Orange County | Leave a comment

Inaugural Triad Farm Tour is June 7 and 8

Here’s some exciting news! Our friends at Carolina Farm Stewardship Association have added a new farm tour to its growing list – this time in the Triad. The first annual Triad Farm Tour is June 7 and 8 from 2 … Continue reading

Posted in Alamance County, Forsyth County, Guilford County, Stokes County, Surry County, Yadkin County | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Cycle to Farm offers the best of both worlds

Velo Girl Rides, organizer of the Cycle to Farm tour of local farms by bicycle, added two more locations to bring cyclists to beautiful local farms to enjoy stunning scenery, eat locally-grown and raised food, and buy products at local … Continue reading

Posted in Buncombe County, Orange County | 2 Comments

Help RAFI help farmers with book project

RAFI (Rural Advancement Foundation International), based in Pittsboro, has an impressive project in the works. Growing Innovation will document 17 years of farmer innovation in North Carolina with an online library and printed book. These will be tools for farmers … Continue reading

Posted in Chatham County, Farmers, Food, Orange County | Leave a comment

Everyone is clucking about local turkeys

I’ve seen plenty of wild turkeys in my day, but I’d never been around farm turkeys much until I wrote “Farm Fresh North Carolina.” When I was researching the book, in 2008, regular folks getting farm-raised turkeys for their Thanksgiving … Continue reading

Posted in Brunswick, Chatham County, Cooking, Durham County, Livestock, Meat, Orange County, South Carolina, Wake County | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pepper Festival returns with more pep than ever

Somehow, regretfully, I end up being out of town every year for one of my favorite events — the Pepper Festival in Chatham County, so please go for me! This year’s fest, on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 3 to 7 … Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Chatham County, Environmental, Family travel, Farmers, Food, Orange County | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Flurry of farm-fresh fall festivities

Wow, there’s so much going on that I feel compelled to do a round-up. Typical fall in the Carolinas! The 8th annual and always entertaining Eastern Triangle Farm Tour is happening Sept. 21-22. Six new farms are included among the 27 … Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Charlotte area, Durham County, Family travel, Farmers' markets, Food, Franklin County, Johnston County, Lincoln County, Mecklenburg County, Road travel, Stokes County, Wake County, Wine | Leave a comment

Peregrine Farm founders spread the wealth

Alex and Betsy Hitt of Peregrine Farm get the star treatment they deserve in yesterday’s News & Observer. Writer Andrea Weigl wrote a great profile about the farmers in Graham. Part of the story is how they’ve mentored so many … Continue reading

Posted in Alamance County, Farmers | Tagged | Leave a comment

Dig deeper with Taste Carolina food-farm events

I got to hang out with some of my favorite food purveyors last night — Farmhand Foods, which distributes local, pasture-raised meats, and April McGreger of Farmer’s Daughter Brand, sweet-and-savory queen of all that is preserved or fermented. And I … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking, Durham County, Environmental, Farmers, Food, Livestock, Orange County, Recipes, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If it’s April, it must be time for beer

Craft beer followers already pour into North Carolina because of its reputation as the South’s premiere beer destination, with more breweries than any state south of Pennsylvania (73 and counting). More and more of those breweries are now locally sourcing … Continue reading

Posted in Buncombe County, Chatham County, Durham County, Guilford County | Tagged | Leave a comment

Farm Fresh Orange County — in print!

I had a great time (but it was work, too!) organizing and writing content for a special 8-page guide to finding farm-fresh food and fun in Orange County. The booklet is first appearing in the March/April issue of Chapel Hill … Continue reading

Posted in Orange County | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cheese and goats and beer!

So many cool Triangle events coming up! Prodigal Farm, one of just two Animal Welfare Approved goat cheese dairies in North Carolina, is hosting some cool events. On Jan. 27, they’ll have a Beginning Cheesemaking Workshop, from 11 a.m. until … Continue reading

Posted in Chatham County, Durham County | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Tribute to a gentle giant in farming

Bill Dow, one of the state’s sustainable-farming pioneers, passed away this week at the age of 67. Bill was a kind and gentle man whose humility served him well, first as a doctor and then as a farmer advocating a … Continue reading

Posted in Chatham County, Farmers, Farmers' markets, Organics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Food fest recap: all yummy all the time

I was treated to some glorious dining and noshing events at TerraVITA in Chapel Hill last weekend. and now it‘s back to watching the waistline. I’ve witnessed this fine food and beverage festival, founded and run by the gracious and … Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Dining, Orange County, Wine | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Fermenting food in a few easy steps

I’m bubbling over with excitement after my workshop on fermenting! OK, maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but it was very interesting to get a primer on the process that I’ve been reading so much about over the past … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking, Durham County, Food | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Sign up soon for NC organic cotton tour

Y’all know how much I love Eric Henry and TS Designs and Cotton of the Carolinas. Read some great articles about the venture here and here, along with Eric’s op-ed piece in the News & Observer. Sign up by Wed., Oct. … Continue reading

Posted in Alamance County | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A hot, sweet time at Pittsboro Pepper Festival

It’s time again for one of the hottest events in the Triangle – the Pittsboro Pepper Festival, on Sunday, Oct. 14, in Chapel Hill. Who’s invited: Everyone interested in local food and sustainable agriculture and having fun and eating in Central … Continue reading

Posted in Chatham County, Orange County | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Vollmer Farm returns with even more fall festivities

Happy fall, y’all! … One of my favorite photos taken for my “Farm Fresh North Carolina” guidebook is this one, of a boy we spotted at Vollmer Farm carrying a load of pumpkins. It might look staged, but it’s not.  And … Continue reading

Posted in Family travel, Food, Johnston County, Road travel, U-pick farms | Tagged , | Leave a comment