Cary, NC — If you’re not careful, you’ll miss it – the Gracious Harvest Community Garden across the Waldo Street parking lot from the First United Methodist Church in Downtown Cary. First started in November of 2009, the Garden is now well-established and producing a bounty of food for the community. Read more
Cary, NC – Good news for local agriculture: farmers who do business in Cary are on the rise. Here are three of their stories: a cheese maker, a grower of fresh produce and a farmer of lambs and turkeys. Read more
Story and photos by Hal Goodtree.
Cary, NC – On Monday, I had the pleasure of visiting the Culinary Farm at SAS Campus. This gem-of-a-garden supplies fresh vegetables and fruit for Herons, An and the SAS cafeterias.
I had heard about the farm at SAS a while back. Two years ago, the effort got a full-time Culinary farmer. Her name is Maggie Lawrence and she gave me the full tour on a bright morning.
“This is a culinary farm,” Maggie told me. “Everything we grow is for the table.” The farm supplies fresh-picked, organically grown vegetables and fruits to The Umstead Hotel, Herons and An Restaurant. The farm also supplies produce to the employee cafeterias at SAS and The Umstead.
“This is a late-spring garden,” Maggie told me. She’s growing broccoli, fennel, lots of lettuce, turnips, beets, peas and a whole lot more.
I saw cilantro blossoms and red vein sorrel; comfy, tarragon and chervil; opal basil and red Russian kale.
Maggie showed me red bok choi, Napa cabbage and rainbow chard. She has blueberry and blackberry shrubs just getting started with hopes to produce fruit in a couple of years. She even has a small stand of asparagus for future production.
The culinary farm also includes plants like Salvia and butterfly bush, grown not for the table but to attract pollinators like wild honey bees and butterflies.
Looking toward summer, Maggie plans to grown different varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, sweet potatoes and other hot weather crops. She even grows produce for the Hotel bar, including mint and the aforementioned opal basil. “I’ve been consulting with a mixologist,” she explained.
The plot I saw was one of two on the SAS campus. Maggie and her co-worker Ariel Greenwood plant, pick and cultivate it all themselves.
As a guy who loves gardening, it was heaven. But all too soon, we all had to get back to work. Maybe I’ll get invited to visit again.
Photos by Hal Goodtree and Lindsey Chester.
Cary, NC – Two of Cary’s three farmers’ markets opened their Spring season on Saturday. Here are some pictures. Read more
Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Hal Goodtree.
Cary, NC- On April 7, Downtown Cary will again have its farmer’s market. Read more
By Michele McKinley, Advocates for Health in Action (AHA). Photos courtesy of Cary’s Pocket Community Garden.
Cary, NC – With spring just around the corner, it’s time to hit the dirt. In the garden, that is. Read more
Story by Kaynan Goldberg. Kaynan is CaryCitizen’s 13-year-old columnist on all things frugal, crunchy, healthy and green. She blogs at VeggiesGoCrunch. Photo by Mike.
Cary, NC – Beef has a bad reputation. It’s considered dirty, and fatty, and just plain unhealthy. But not all beef is equal. In fact, it can be one of the best foods for you. It all depends on where it’s from, and how it was raised. Read more
Story from staff reports. Photo by Hal Goodtree.
Cary, NC – The Western Wake Farmer’s Market (WWFM) is holding a special market on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 for your Thanksgiving meal this year. Read more
Story by Kaynan Goldberg. Kaynan is CaryCitizen’s 13-year-old columnist on all things frugal, crunchy, healthy and green. She also blogs at VeggiesGoCrunch. Photo by Hal Goodtree, CaryCitizen’s Chief Cook and Bottlewasher. He also takes pictures over on FotoHal.
Cary, NC – It’s October. I’m so excited for autumn – it’s my favorite season, hands-down.
I like the piles of crunchy leaves, the cozy sweaters I can bring out from my closet, the warm, rich food… hey, I’m a food blogger, right? I’m always thinking about what I can eat, and in fall, there is a cornucopia of choices – and I’m not just talking about Thanksgiving dinner. Read more
Story by Matt Young. Photo by Downing Street.
Morrisville, NC – Morrisville Community Garden on Church Street in Morrisville is going to be hosting its first cook-off, with a seasonal theme.
If your cooking inspiration arrives with the cooler weather this contest may be for you! Read more