support local: spring edition

With spring quickly approaching, I wanted to reach out to some local agricultural producers to get y’all the inside scoop. I talked with representatives from Backwood Family Farms, and Bloom Farms to gather information for some springtime experiences! 

Backwood Family Farms is a small, family-owned market. Patty and Dale Hinson sell locally grown products in many different forms. They are popular for their beef sold, but they also have locally made goat milk soap, cornbread mix, and even canned items. Dale and Patty have been raising beef cattle for about 40 years. They grew up knowing that everything they ate came from something their families grew themselves. They have built upon their past experience in the beef market and now use only registered cattle and buy closely based off of EPD’s. They have harvested their own hay for many years and when the property became available, they knew that they didn't want a housing development coming along. They also raise Berkshire pigs and sell their pork. In the fall they grow pumpkins, but in the spring they have U-Pick strawberries. They are also beginning to grow blackberries, apples, peaches, persimmons, and muscadine. Seasonal vegetables are also available, and all goods they don’t grow themselves still come from local producers. The motivation for Backwood Family Farms is a passion and background in agriculture. Lot of neighbors and new to the area customers purchase regularly. 

Bloom Farms is a strawberry production farm. Springtime is when the Taylor family grows all of their bedding plants and small groundcovers. This started out as a hobby, and then they were able to buy a small field beside their home in which they now grow strawberries. People in the community “started supporting us like no other, and we would not be able to operate without them.” From purchasing their products, spreading word of Bloom Farms, or helping keep the fields up, the community members have contributed tremendously. Challenges like covering the strawberries during cold periods is when multiple family members and friends step in to help. “Small gestures” like these are what allow Bloom Farms to be so successful, and they are so grateful for the continued support. They are super excited for their U-Pick strawberry field to reopen, as they have been planted since October. During the patchy warm weather in the past few weeks, there has been huge growth and lots of new flowers on the strawberry plants. This allows Bloom Farms to prepare for a promising season. “The berries are expected to be ready in a couple of weeks from now, and we cannot wait to open to the public and see all of the smiling faces!”

@backwoodsfamilyfarm (on Facebook and Instagram)

@Bloom Farms (on Facebook)