| Local Foods Highlight of Annual Farm-City Breakfast |
|
 Folks line up at the recent Farm-City 'Local Foods' Breakfast, sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Shelby. From left being served, Sara and Loyd Lewis, Thomas Lewis and Donald Eslick. Right forefront serving are Jack Weller and David Costner.
Since local food doesn't have to be shipped in from hundreds or thousands of miles away, it conserves fuel and reduces damage to the environment. Harvested at peak quality and moved quickly from farm to fork, local food is fresher and packed with nutrients. Plus, it's grown for flavor instead of long shelf life, so local food tastes better.
The Annual Farm-City Breakfast was held on Nov. 20th at the Cleveland County Cooperative Extension Building in Shelby. Over 165 county citizens were served a breakfast made from local ingredients. The breakfast table included: 25 pounds sausage, 25 pounds bacon, 25 pounds country ham, 25 pounds livermush, 300 scratch made biscuits, 10 gallons grits, 30 dozen eggs, 12 pints molasses, 12 pints honey, 2 pounds butter, and 10 gallons apple cider.
The Carolina Farm Credit Excellence In Agriculture 2012 Award was presented to Loyd & Sara Lewis. Loyd has been farming in Cleveland County for over 50 years. Loyd is a firm supporter of the local food movement and has been very instrumental in the founding of the Foothills Farmers' Market. He attributes a great deal of the success of their farm to his wife, Sara. (See page 6 for more on the award.)
Cleveland County 4-H agent, Ashley Lee, presented the winners of the Youth Essay Contest, sponsored by Cleveland County Farm Bureau their cash awards. First place went to Sara Mac Wood with second place going to Amariel Ross. The students wrote on the subject "Why we should eat local foods."
The Breakfast, sponsored, prepared and served by Kiwanis Club of Shelby, included food from at least eight local farms:
• Pork sausage from Backwoods Hog Farm & Market - Brian Elliott, farmer
• Butter & eggs from Guernsey Girl Creamery - Ashley Bridges, farmer
• Grits & Biscuits - Miles Hamrick and Kathryn Hamrick
• Sweet potatoes provided by the Cleveland County Potato Project
• Honey from Lewis Farms - Loyd & Sara Lewis farmers
• Molasses from Elliot Family Farms
• Apples and apple cider from Davis & Sons Orchard - Gary Davis, farmer
• Thick cut bacon and country ham from Wells, Jenkins, Wells Fresh Meats
• Livermush from McMurry Farms & Store - Fitzhugh McMurry, farmer
Get to know your farmer...
Backwoods Hog Farm & Market, 2213 W. Stagecoach Trail, Shelby, NC: Brian Elliott raises "old-timey" heritage breeds of hogs on pasture, yielding the most flavorful pork imaginable. Look for other products coming to his roadside stand soon, including farm-raised beef and vegetables.
Guernsey Girl Creamery, 3370 Bridges Dairy Rd., Shelby, NC: Ashley Bridges makes artisan quality cheese, butter and ice cream from the milk produced by her award-winning Golden Guernsey cows. She continues the family dairying tradition begun by her grandfather more than 60 years ago. She also helps her father, Kevin, with his poultry operation, located on the family farm near her creamery. Ashley's products are also available at Foothills Farmers' Market in Uptown Shelby.
Cleveland County Potato Project: The Cleveland County Potato Project is a local non-profit organization that utilizes volunteers to plant, grow and harvest white and sweet potatoes to feed the hungry in the local community.
Lewis Farms, 5120 Fallston Rd, Fallston, NC: Lewis Farms depends heavily in bees to pollinate their crops. In addition to ensuring a bounty of fruits and vegetables, the honeybees produce a supply of rich, flavorful honey each year. Look for Lewis Farms products at Foothills Farmers' Market, the Lincolnton Farmer's Market and at their roadside stand in Fallston, NC.
Elliott Family Farms, 356 London Rd. Lawndale, NC: Elliott Family Farms is among Cleveland County's finest agrotourism destinations. As a 4th generation farm family, they're interested in keeping the art of molasses making alive for the coming generations to appreciate. Tours can be arranged by appointment at their "Turn of the Century" farm site. Elliott Family Farms' molasses was recently awarded the "Goodness Grows in North Carolina" seal.
Davis & Sons Orchard, 922 Hwy 18 N, Lawndale, NC: The Davis family has pressed farm-raised apples into sweet, fresh cider since the 1960's. Visit the their farm store for apples, jam & jellies, dried pinto beans, peanuts and other fresh fruits in season.
Wells, Jenkins, Wells Fresh Meats, 145 Rollins Rd, Forest City, NC: For 35 years, Wells, Jenkins, Wells Fresh Meats has served the local community with fine service and attention to quality. Working under USDA inspection 5 days a week, they provide custom processing and packaging for NC farmers who direct market, local, natural, pastured and farm raised meats. Their value-added product line includes breakfast sausage, bratwurst and chorizo.
McMurry Farms & Store, Hwy 18, Fallston, NC: Fitzhugh McMurry has been making at least one batch of home-style livermush each week for more than 50 years. His secret... his mother's recipe, local pork and farm-raised limber cob cornmeal. The McMurry Farms store also sells fresh fruits and vegetables, hoop cheese, old-time Christmas candy and other Southern delicacies.
The Annual Farm-City Breakfast was sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Shelby and supported by the NC Cooperative Extension, Carolina Farm Credit, Cleveland County Farm Bureau, Cleveland County Extension & Community Association.
|
|
Printer-friendly format
|
|
|
| Digital Edition |
View This Week's Digital Edition!
|
| Advertisements |
|
| |
|
