When Jan Williams was growing up, her mother made peach ice cream every Sunday when the fruits were in season. Now, this third-generation peach farmer offers homemade peach ice cream and other flavors — including 10 named for each of her grandchildren — at Ben’s Ice Cream at Kalawi Farm. At her produce stand next door, she sells 43 varieties of peaches, plus preserves and other produce. Williams, who was a teacher for 10 years before making the farm her full-time job, says that the business is in her blood. “It just gives me a thrill,” she says. “I love farming and growing peaches.”
Read more about North Carolina peaches — and other homegrown fruits — here.
In a land that has remained mostly unchanged for thousands of years, Cherokee culture continues to evolve. With renewed energy, citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are shaping their own narrative.
Locals in this Catawba County community have built a lively downtown using the resources and small-town pride instilled by former generations.
From family apple orchards to vast fields of corn and sorghum cane to wild persimmon trees scattered across our hillsides: In the North Carolina mountains, delicious gifts abound.
Anglers come from all around to fish the cold, clear waters of the Great Smoky Mountains, where trout is the prize.
