JULY 23, 2009 ISSUE
Along the Garden Path
BRWIA High Country Farm Tour Spotlight—Zydeco Moon Farms
With organic gardens and cabins available for rental, Zydeco Moon Organic Farm and Cabins is located at 2220 Big Helton Road in Grassy Creek. Zydeco Moon Farms is certified organic, situated on five acres in Grassy Creek and owned by Joe Martin and Sally Thiel.
This year, High Country Press is publishing a series of interviews with local farmers participating in the 2009 High Country Farm Tour that is organized by the Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA). Following stones laid out on gardens path, footing found from farm to table, Along the Garden Path is a series of interviews with farmers participating the upcoming BRWIA 2009 High Country Farm Tour, planned for Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9.
This year’s tour includes a number of well-known local farmers, including Rocking S Farm, the Springhouse Farm, the ASU Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Teaching and Research Farm, the Brushy Mountain Farm and Orchard, Watauga River Farms, Crosscreek Farm, New River Winery, Tumbling Shoals Farm, Apple Hill Farm, Foxfire Holler Farm & Spin A Yarn, River Ridge Land and Cattle Company, Big Horse Creek Farm, Zydeco Moon Organic Farm and Old Orchard Creek.
Interviews will be posted on the High Country Farm Tour blog, found by clicking to HighCountryFarmTour.blog.com.
This week’s interview is with Sally Thiel from Zydeco Moon Farms.
With organic gardens and cabins available for rental, Zydeco Moon Organic Farm and Cabins is located at 2220 Big Helton Road in Grassy Creek. Zydeco Moon Farms is certified organic, situated on five acres in Grassy Creek and owned by Joe Martin and Sally Thiel. For more information, click to www.zydecomoon.com or call 336-385-2546.
Q: What products and services does your farm produce?
A: [Zydeco Farms] produces sugar snap and snow peas, heirloom tomatoes, squash, lettuce, onions, peppers, broccoli, fingerling potatoes, winter squash and beets. We are certified organic by the USDA and have been for the past four years.
Q: Where do you sell your products?
A: [We sell] at the Watauga Farmer’s Market and off the farm. We also sell to local restaurants through New River Organic Growers and wholesale to Eastern Carolina Organics in Pittsboro.
Q: What drew you to farming?
A: I retired from state government in Louisiana and moved to Grassy Creek. I wanted something different to do and found they were looking for organic farmers. I took a class from Richard Boylan with the local Cooperative Extension on organic certification and farming. The next summer we became certified and started farming on one acre. We have increased the farm to five acres and really love what we do. It is fun to feed people and get immediate feedback about how good your food is.
Q: What challenges do independent growers face?
A: The biggest challenge is obtaining supplies for organic farming. Most supply places carry very few organic products. Through the support of other farmers in New River Organic Growers we are able to solve a lot of problems and get advice and support from other farmers.
Q: What role do you see your farm playing in the future of local food?
A: I think local food is extremely important in our community. My husband (Joe Martin) and I are very active in agricultural organizations such as the farmer’s market and Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture as we think local food is the way to sustain communities. It provides jobs and provides healthy food to the community. Local food and family farms are the only way to insure a safe healthy food system.
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