Enlarge Getting up close with an ostrich at BirdBrain Ostrich Ranch in Sherrills Ford.

Posted: September 22nd, 2009 Katrina Dietz

Know Your Farms held its first Annual Farm Tour on Sept. 19, giving local residents the opportunity to do just that.

Nine farms stretching from Stanley to Concord, Mount Ulla to Huntersville, flung the barns doors open for the day to offer tours and a peek at what’s growing in Charlotte’s backyard.

The experience at each farm directly reflected the crops and/or livestock and the individual farmers’ personalities. Bradford Farm’s parking lot was lined with stands selling pumpkins, baked goods, and lunch. A small petting zoo with llamas, goats and rabbits sat to the side of the barn, whose doors were opened to display the organic farming displays and products available and blacksmith Jack Hurley hard at work.

Farm explorers boarded the hay wagon tour in front of the store, which offers goods grown and made on the farm as well as crops and products from other Carolinas farms. Owner Grier Bradford, who paused to send a quick text message on his Blackberry before setting off on our tour, discussed the farms history, the small apple orchard currently being developed, the stand of American Walnut trees planted for his grandchildren. Riders also learned about more scientific efforts such as the use of farm waste to extract liquid nitrogen for use in fertilizing their organic crops, before returning to the store for a bit of shopping.

BirdBrain Ostrich Ranch in Sherrills Ford offered self-directed tours of their ostrich pens housing birds ranging in size from a Chihuahua at a few weeks to full gown by one year. Owners, Pat & Mike Roberts, were on hand to discuss the history of the ostrich industry in the US, their chemical free methods for raising their flock, and the many products derived from this other red meat that contains 40% less fat than beef. The ranch’s shop carries a wide variety of those products including dog bones, hand-made soap, and meat.

Just a short drive up NC 801 from 150 in Mt. Ulla, Rick & Dorcus Parker’s Mary L Farm was the first dairy in North Carolina to be certified organic. The couple ushered groups through the milking room describing the milking process from cow to grocery store shelf and the evolution of their process and equipment over the years. Their current milking process includes computerized equipment that scans id tags around each cows neck to track individual milk production, decline in which can be an early indicator of sickness. Groups were then ushered back outside to enjoy boxes of chocolate milk while the Parker’s young daughters talked to the children in the group about the various dogs, cats and peacocks in the yard and Blackberry the sheep, who will be shown at this year’s Rowan County Fair. Visitors were then treated to a hayride through the pastures to see the cows and learn about the grazing habits. This fourth generation farm is currently part of the Organic Valley Family of Farms.

The tour only included a fraction of the farms affiliated with Know Your Farms, and even those could all be reached in one afternoon, but with prehistoric looking birds, fresh farm goods, a tech savvy, gentlemen farmer/scientist, and teenagers ready to plow a field while discussing humane farming practices, the tour packed in more sights, sounds and smells, than a Saturday walk through Uptown.

Know Your Farms, LLC is a Davidson start-up company that links consumers with local farmers. Their programs include: a CSA, community-supported agriculture, program, which provides members a share of local farm crops; a local food club, offering members the option to order products from local farms and have them delivered once a week; and Meal-in-a-Box, providing all the ingredients and recipes to make a seasonal, local, home-cooked meal for four.

Participating Farms on 2009 Tour

Apple Orchard Farm - Stanley

Grateful Growers - Maiden

BirdBrain Ostrich Ranch - Sherrills Ford

Mary L Farm - Mount Ulla

Bame Farms - Salisbury

Wild Turkey Farms - Chine Grove

Landis Gourmet Mushrooms - Landis

Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm: Cabarrus County Cooperative Extension - Concord

Bradford Farm - Huntersville

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