Meet Terry and Debbie Perry, the farmers at Perry’s Berry’s, a blueberry farm in Morganton, NC. Learn all about what blueberries do, what their health benefits are, and what the Perry family loves about farming. Perry’s Berry’s is an organic farm, they do not use pesticides on their crops. Their blueberries have a fruit sugar scale measurement of 13% on the brix scale, two times the normal fruit sugar of a normal blueberry. Plan a trip to Perry’s Berry’s, try a blueberry, and taste the sweetness of their fruit for yourself!
Farmers
Meet Your Farmer: Two Trees Farm
Join eight year old junior farmer Lyra for a tour of her family’s farm in Haywood County, NC. Two Trees Farm (home of the Sustainabillies, aka Lyra and her parents Sara and Dustin) is a sustainable homestead focused on supporting a healthy, diverse ecosystem while also growing food.
From picking blueberries and tasting garden-grown lettuce, to polliwogging for tadpoles and digging for worms, Lyra shares with other kids what it’s like to live on a small farm in the Appalachian Mountains.
Meet Your Farmer: TK Family Farm
Ever wondered how apples are grown in Western North Carolina? Join Natalie, Rylie, and JJ–the junior farmers at TK Family Farm in Rutherfordton, NC–for a kid’s perspective on growing apples and living on a farm. Hear about how farmers like the Klimstra family help to take care of their land, along with how apples are planted, grown, and processed for sale. JJ also shares his favorite things to do on the farm, plus tips for buying apples at the family’s self-serve farm stand!
Meet Your Farmer: Sleight Family Farm
Join junior farmer Finley Sleight for a tour of his family’s farm in Western North Carolina. Ever wonder what radishes taste like? Fin will tell you, plus give you tips on what to make with them! Fin also explains how farming requires experimentation and perseverance, and shows off some of the crops his family grows for local farmers markets, including one of his favorite veggies, dino kale.
Meet Your Farmer: Kituwah Farm
Kituwah is the Mother Town–or original home–of the Cherokee people. The Cherokee have a long agricultural history, with community at its core. In this Meet Your Farmer video, join three members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians–Ty Boyd, David Anderson, and Mike Crowe–to learn about the history of this sacred place. See how Ty, David, Mike and others continue to farm their ancestral land communally, growing crops like potatoes, curly mustard greens, collards, pumpkins, sweet corn, and blueberries.
Educator Spotlight: Bearwallow Valley Farms
Nicole Coston is a Registered Dietitian and farmer at Bearwallow Valley Farms in Hendersonville, NC, which she owns and operates with her husband, Brent, a fourth-generation farmer. The Costons run an innovative CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model, and also participate in community-building activities, like hosting farm field trips for schoolchildren and internships for college students.
Meet Your Farmer: Deal Family Farms
Cabbage is the key ingredient in many Southern Appalachian dishes, like coleslaw. In our latest Meet Your Farmer video, see how cabbage is grown at Deal Family Farms, a multi-generational farm located in Franklin, NC. Meet some members of the Deal family, including farmer Joe and his teenage son, Braxton. Find out what vegetables cabbage is related to, learn about photosynthesis, and see the difference between an immature cabbage head and one that’s fully grown and ready to harvest.
Meet Your Farmer: Spinning Spider Creamery
Meet Chris and Cullen Owen, farmers at Spinning Spider Creamery, an artisan goat dairy in Marshall, NC. Learn about why the Owen’s chose to become farmers, find out what they love most about farming, and learn about the cheese making process. Learn more about Spinning Spider Creamery. Find Growing Minds educational resources that compliment this video below.
Meet Your Farmer: Ivy Creek Family Farm
Meet Anna Littman, one of the farmers at Ivy Creek Family Farm, a diversified vegetable farm in Barnardsville, NC. Learn about why Anna chose to become a farmer, find out what she loves most about farming, and see what veggies are cultivated on her farm.
A Farmer’s Life for Me
One, two, three it’s a farmer’s life for me! Spend a day out in the fields and find out what farmers do! You’ll also find endnotes with fascinating facts about animals and crops. Go to www.barefootbooks.com/farmerslife to access your audio singalong of music by The Flannery Brothers and video animation online. This book is also available in a