Along the Garden Path

BRWIA High Country Farm Tour Spotlight—Charles Church’s Watauga River Farms

Story by Kehren Barbour and Ashley Penland

Charles Church, owner of Watauga River Farms, holds large heads of broccoli from his farm.

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. 

Tickets are available in the form of wristbands at a number of convenient locations. Wristbands cost $25 and allow a carload of visitors to visit any of the 16 participating farms. All proceeds from the tour go to Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture. Individual farms can be visited at a cost of $10 per farm.

For more information about the High Country Farm Tour and BRWIA, click to www.brwia.org.

For grower interviews and photos of the farms featured on the tour visit, click to www.highcountryfarmtour.blog.com.

This week’s interview is with Charles Church from Watauga River Farms, which is located at 2953 Highway 194 in Valle Crucis.

1. What products and services do your farm produce?
“Natural, chemical free pork of varying cuts: ham roast, pork chops, bacon, fat back, backbone and ribs, and lots of sausage, hot and mild. Whole hogs are available upon request. Certified organic by the USDA, we have broccoli, cabbage, Kohlrabi, collards, winter and summer squash, Swiss chard, potatoes, beans, onion, garlic, eggplant, melons, herbs, beets, lettuce mix, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, sweet corn and Sorghum syrup.”

Charles plants continually—every three to four weeks—admitting to harvesting a final broccoli crop on Christmas Eve during a previous season.

Charles has teamed with ASU’s Department of Technology in order to investigate various passive solar heating methods within three Watauga River Farm greenhouses. Based upon experimental outcomes from the three greenhouses and Charles’ integrative thinking, Charles plans to build a larger greenhouse that would utilize the earth’s constant 55 degree temperature by building the back wall into the earth and incorporating an insulated covered roof as well as solar heated water barrels. Charles aims to educate other interested farmers in natural solar heating systems as these prove sustainable and profitable for year round production.

2. Where do you sell your products?
Charles takes part in convenient, local markets by providing his goods for sale at the Valle Crucis Farmers’ Market (Fridays) and the Watauga Farmers’ Market (Saturdays and Wednesdays). Charles also participates in a local cooperative CSA as well as provides goods through New River Organic Growers and wholesale to Eastern Carolina Organics.

3. How long have you been farming?
Charles considers himself a lifetime farmer beginning from the time he was able to drag a bucket across a field. Charles earliest farming endeavors included tending a portion of tobacco fields awarded to him by his father, which he earned $20 profit on during the early 1950s. Other early farming memories include tending to cattle, gathering potatoes and processing cabbage into kraut. Charles has been farming organically since 2000 when he was encouraged to make the switch to an array of organically produced crops through the Golden Leaf Grant.

4. What challenges do independent growers face?
Independent growers face challenges related to how pay is received much later than produce is harvested and sold. The most immediate pay is collected through farmers’ market sales as well as an upfront portion of the CSA sales. As a result of the pay delay associated with the organizations that distribute Charles’ goods, public awareness on the farming process is essential. Farm tours, community and school gardens and seminars held by local growers’ organizations may provide avenues of public education in light of the farming process.

Charles said when undertaking the business of farming, a business plan, production schedule and marketing avenues are essential.

For those interested in the entrepreneurial idea of farming, Charles mentioned renting land, which would provide a sustainable task to land which may be empty without a current responsibility. Many landowners are eager to have their land farmed. Equipment is often shared if one becomes a member of a local grower’s association.

While no pesticides or chemicals are utilized within Charles’ organic farm production process, natural agents and fertilizers made from chicken and fish are usually one-third more expensive than others.

5. What role do you see your farm playing in the future of local food?
Charles plans to continue to supply the region with healthful foods, while educating other growers on the benefits of growing year round through passive solar heated greenhouse systems. Charles often invites school groups as well as other interested groups to engage in the process of farming by touring his farm.

For more information on Watauga River Farms, call 828-297-3775 or 828-265-7279.

Local Wristband Vendors

-Ashe County Farmers’ Market, Backstreet in West Jefferson, Saturdays and Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
-Watauga County Farmers’ Market, Horn in the West in Boone, Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
-Bare Essentials Natural Market, 273 Boone Heights Drive, Boone, 828-262-5592
-Earth Fare, 178 West King Street, Boone, 828-263-8138
-Original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, Highway 194, Valle Crucis, 828-963-6511
-Mast General Store in Downtown Boone, 630 West King Street, Boone, 828-262-0000
-Spin A Yarn, 207 Backstreet, West Jefferson, 336-846-7746

High Country Farm Tour Participating Farms

More than a dozen farms located all over the High County region, including farms in Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes and Grayson counties, are featured in the 2009 High Country Farm Tour.

Watauga County
-Apple Hill Farm, Apple Hill Road, Matney, 828-963-1662
-ASU Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Teaching and Research Farm, Dutch Creek Road, Valle Crucis, 828-262-7268
-Springhouse Farm, 433 Silverstone Road, Vilas, 828-297-2676
-Watauga River Farms, 2953 Highway 194, Valle Crucis, 828-297-3775/828-265-7279

Ashe County
-Big Horse Creek Farm, Old Apple Road, Lansing, 336-384-1134
-New River Winery, 163 Piney Creek Road Building B, Lansing, 336-384-1213
-Old Orchard Creek Farm, 410 Swansie Shepherd Road, Lansing, 336-384-2774
-Spin A Yarn, 207 Backstreet, West Jefferson, 336-846-7746
-Zydeco Moon Farm, 2220 Big Helton Road, Grassy Creek, 336-384-2546

Alleghany County
-Blue Ridge Farmers’ Market, 10436 Highway 21 South, Roaring Gap, 336-363-2583
-Crosscreek Farm, 2416 Nile Road, Sparta, 336-420-8064/336-363-2583
-Rocking S Farm, 567 Garvey Road, Piney Creek, 336-359-8324

Wilkes County
-Brushy Mountain Farm and Orchard, 7673 Highway 16 South, Moravian Falls, 336-838-8851
-Four Winds Berry Farm, 7493 Highway16 South, Moravian Falls
-Tumbling Shoals Farm, 841 Sand Ridge Road, Miller’s Creek, 336-452-2920

Grayson County
-River Ridge Land and Cattle Company, 3352 Battlefield Drive, Independence, Va., 276-768-9955

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