“Last Saturday we had the biggest Saturday we’ve had since 1984,” reported Frank Suddreth, the manager of the Charlotte Regional Farmers’ Market. That Saturday the market had 121 different sellers and 4,000 vehicles. That same week the market had a record 20,000 vehicles.
The popularity of the area farmers’ markets, though, has resulted in an unexpected problem: more people arriving earlier than the designated opening time to select the pick of the crop. Suddreth noted, “We set the opening time at 8am, but people come at 7:20am to 7:30am.” A local chef who regularly shops in the early hours of Saturday morning said the Matthews Community Farmers’ Market has considered chaining off the area until opening time. One vendor at the North Mecklenburg Farmers’ Market was amazed when shoppers arrived at 6am for a 7am market.
What has created this increase in farmers’ market popularity? Many of the shoppers I asked said they shopped for freshness and variety. In addition to these factors, two complementary trends have been gaining national momentum: the development of a healthy, sustainable local agriculture and food consumers establishing a relationship with their food grower.
In the Charlotte area, consumers have four ways to buy from local farmers. First, through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) some area farmers are paid a set amount by consumers before the beginning of the growing season. Then throughout the season, the farmer delivers whatever he produces to the consumer. “U-Pick” farms offer a different experience. The third mode is the farm stand where a single family sells produce directly from their fields. The fourth method is to buy through Farmers’ Markets. Markets are located from Waxhax to Huntersville and many of these markets have restrictions and require participating farmers to be located within a certain radius.
The largest area market is the Charlotte Regional Farmers’ Market which charges their North Carolina vendors $7 and out of state vendors $10. Although many of these vendors grow their own produce, some of these vendors buy produce to resell, which is why you can often see out of local season produce for sale.
One local farmer and a Saturday vendor at the Charlotte Regional Farmers’ Market is Denise (Nise) Smart who, with her family, operates Nise’s Herbs on an 18-acre tract of land located in Stanfield.
Smart’s farm is not certified, but she has grown her produce organically since the farm was established seven years ago. “It’s getting expensive to become certified,” Smart said. “The state charges $750, or so, per year and you have to have an inspector come onto your property to inspect how you do things and then they charge you the mileage for that trip.”
Denise started the herb farm as a way to stay home with her four children. “When I started I had many restaurant doors shut in my face,” she said. Today lettuce is one of her main crops as well as baby squash. “Some people think my squash is expensive ($6 a pound), but it takes about three hours to pick. I wear long socks on my arms to protect them from the squash plants and then gloves over my hands and then pick in 90 degree weather.” She also grows beans, eggplants (“they just started to come in”), Swiss chard, beets, baby peppers, herbs, and flowers.
Nise’s now also has many restaurant accounts. Many chefs request that she grow specific items, too. For information about what Smart will have at the market, check out their website: nisesherbs.com or call 704-485-3857.
Next to Nise at the CRFM is Donnie Cline, who owns the 20-acre New Beginning Farm in Vale. The farm originally belonged to Cline’s grandfather. Cline went back to farming after his second and third children (Sarah and Noah) were born as a way to make a living and look after them at the same time.
Although his farm is certified organic, he has decided that after this year he may “hold off a year or two” to be recertified although he will still grow produce organically.
Clines sells his produce in markets and directly to many of the better area restaurants. He has fields of asparagus, beans, carrots, radishes, kale collards, arugula, lettuce, and beets. He noted, “You have to have volume and keep planting and replanting. Farming is a wonderful life. Once they (consumers) find you’re growing a good product and keeping it fresh, they’ll buy again.” He laughed and added, “It’s a living, maybe not a good living, but it’s a good life. I just keep plugging along.”
Call 704-462-2505 for more info on New Beginning Farm.
Another area farmer is Dean Mullis of Laughing Owl Farm, located in Richfield, in Stanley County. His wife Jenifer sells their produce at the Matthews Community Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning. They’ve been farming since 1989. Dean Mullis grew up on a family farm where his dad grew corn, wheat, soybeans and cattle. He said, “I went to college so I would never have to work on a farm again, but after a few years of a desk job I returned to farming.”
Mullis grows “organically,” but said that with the increased fees this October he will drop the designation and certification although he won’t change his farming methods. “Just because we don’t use chemicals we shouldn’t have to pay a fine. To be certified you also have to keep records, which they estimate can take a half hour a day. I can think of a lot more ways to be productive than that. It took a long time to educate people that we were organic and after October, I can be fined $10,000 for using the term organic without being certified.”
Mullis specializes in garlic and grows 27 rows, at 140 feet long, of both soft and hard neck garlic. At the market the Mullis’ sell large and small braids of garlic and smaller individual bunches. They also sell Red Potomac, Yukon Gold, Kennebec, and White potatoes, golden beets, and have recently expanded into micro greens.
Have the farmers’ markets changed since he has been in the business? “Markets go in phrases,” Mullis said. “When people are ready for cucumbers they go to the market. But seven or eight years ago people came to the market right through September and October. Now I think there are too many other activities and attendance goes down in September.”
Visit the Laughing Owl Farm stand at the Matthews Community Farmers’ Market or call 704-463-1555 for more information.Tasty Tidbits Taste of the Nation raised nearly $90,000 at the event held last April. This amount equals $900,000 worth of food for children and adults who might otherwise have gone hungry.
Owner Sergio Gomez has opened his second Salsa’s Mexican Restaurant located at 1640 Sardis Road North.
New in Cornelius is the Rusty Rudder, 20210 Henderson Road, in the space formerly occupied by South Shore Grille. Owners Brian Johnston and Eric Paul, who had been the General Manager of Tony’s Oyster Bar, opened in May. The patio seats 80, the dining room 84, with an additional 30 seats in the bar. On the menu are nachos, wings, cheese fries, salads, burgers, hot dogs, fried seafood, grilled ribeye, and chicken Alfredo. Live entertainment on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; and 25 boat slips for customers. Hours are Monday through Sunday 11am until 2am. 704-892-9195.
Do you have a restaurant tip, compliment, complaint? Do you know of a restaurant which has opened, closed, or should be reviewed? Does your restaurant or shop have news, menu changes, new additions to staff or building, upcoming cuisine or wine events? You can fax this information, at least 12 days in advance of event date, to Tasty Tidbits: 704-944-3605, or leave voice mail: 704-522-8334, ext. 136.
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2002.
