Of the approximately 42,800 farms in North Carolina, only about 125 are designated Bicentennial Farms. Created in 2016 by the NC Department of Agriculture, the program honors the hard work and dedication of the families who have continuously owned their farmland for 200 years or more.
“Over time, farms are split up and divided among family members, and farmland faces significant development pressure every day,” says Andrea Ashby, spokesperson for the department that oversees the Century and Bicentennial Farm programs. To counteract that pressure, innovative farmers transition crops to meet changing market needs or offer tours and community events that feature wagon rides, animal interaction, “U-pick” produce, historic buildings, or antique farm equipment. “Maintaining a farm in the same family for 200 years or more,” Ashby says, “is a testament to the commitment of a family to hold onto their land.”
Jacob, Ben, Robert, Luke, Samuel, and Eli Knox gather on the porch of their family’s 1854 homeplace, where Ben lives today (top). Vestiges of the past remain at Knox Farm, including the old homeplace, a barn originally built in 1916, and a mid-century tractor. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
Since 1758, Knox family members have grown crops and raised dairy cows amid open, rolling pastures and historic buildings. The 30 or so structures composing the Knox Farm Historic District include a chapel, a smokehouse, and a spring house — one of only two known log spring houses in Rowan County. Eighth-generation brothers Ben and Clark Knox and their cousin Robert live on the farm and welcome family from all over the country for reunions and weddings.
Herndon Hills Farm makes it easy for people living in the Durham suburbs to pick fresh, organic blueberries straight from the bushes. “I love being a farmer and growing food to share with the community,” Nancy Herndon says. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
Bordered on three sides by Durham suburbs and within sight of a sprawling shopping mall, Herndon Hills Farm — part of the 244-year-old Herndon Farm — is a haven where certified-organic blueberries, blackberries, and muscadine grapes are ripe for picking each summer. “People love our blueberries for health and our grapes for happiness,” co-owner Nancy Herndon says.
Clockwise from top right: Nancy, Fred, Cherry, Phillip, and Faith Herndon — standing in front of their historic family farmhouse — raise cows and grow muscadines on the same land that Nancy’s father (historic photos) once tended. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
The historic 137-acre property was once said to be the most threatened farm in North Carolina because of pressure from land developers. Knowing that the suburbs would come, Herndon and her father adopted a pick-your-own approach, and now local customers are helping the farm weather the change from rural past to high-tech present.
7110 Massey Chapel Road
(919) 544-3313
herndonhillsfarm.com
Ken Parker, Angela Adams, and their granddaughter Ashleigh carry on the farming tradition once upheld by Parker’s grandmother Carrie Souther (above, with Parker). photograph by Tim Robison
Driven by a passion for unique European wines, Ken Parker and Angela Adams created Souther Williams Vineyard to give new life to old family land. Named for Parker’s grandparents Carrie Souther and JK Williams, the mountain vineyard sits on the Henderson County farm that’s been in his family since 1800. Souther Williams’s first slogan — inspired by Parker’s European-based family name, which is associated with park keepers — was “Guardiens de la Terre,” meaning Caretakers of the Land. While the slogan has changed over time, the sentiment endures.
655 Hoopers Creek Road
(828) 483-6070
southerwilliams.com
Joy Combs and Darrell Cobb (top right) raise heritage breeds. Cobb’s grandfather Floyd Buchanan once used the log packhouse to store cured bright leaf tobacco. (Below) Area residents River, Isa, and Bella have participated in various events at Providence Farm, including homeschool classes, workshops,
and open farm day events. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
After serving in World War I, Floyd Buchanan took farming classes at NC State College. He then converted part of his family farm from subsistence farming to production of tobacco and other commodities. “Floyd loved this land,” says Joy Combs, who today co-owns Providence Farm along with Buchanan’s grandson Darrell Cobb. “I feel a connection to him because he walked every place on this dirt that I walk on daily.” Motivated by the family’s desire to see the farm preserved, Cobb and Combs use sustainable practices to nurture chickens, sheep, pigs, and goats, including heritage breeds. “We have the responsibility and opportunity to steward this land,” Combs says.
2569 Huffine Mill Road
(336) 707-2507
providencefarmnc.com
Bradley and Austin Wadsworth — pictured with their daughters, Willa Grace and Lora Jane, and dog, Maverick — raise Balancer beef cattle, a cross between Angus and Gelbvieh, whose small frame allows more cows to graze per acre. photograph by Jerry Wolford & Scott Muthersbaugh
Bradley Wadsworth describes farming on the land owned by his family since 1812 as “the biggest blessing I could ever have.” As eighth-generation Moore County farmers, he and his wife, Austin, work together raising Balancer beef cattle and live in the 1850 family homestead that served as the post office for the nearby community of Jesup from 1931 to 1934. Bradley’s great-grandfather William J. Wadsworth was the last Jesup postmaster; Bradley’s uncle and family historian RG Wadsworth often shared stories of family members riding on horseback across creeks to deliver the mail.
648 Wadsworth Road
(919) 356-6251
facebook.com/p/Wadsworth-Acres-100088413971247
“Amazing grace” is what John D. Gillis II calls his family’s journey from Scotland to the ninth-generation Gillis Hill Farm, where all of his family members, including 11 grandchildren, work and live. Since 1816, the Gillises have transitioned from farming timber to growing tobacco to raising corn, soybeans, and wheat. “I’m proud that we’re still here,” says John’s son William. John’s father, John Davis Gillis Sr., was awarded the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2017 for his exemplary service and dedication to Cumberland County’s agriculture and community. Farm tours are popular with families from nearby Fort Liberty, who can interact with animals and see restored farm equipment and buildings, including a tobacco barn, gristmill, and sawmill.
2701 Gillis Hill Road
(910) 867-2350
gillishillfarm.com
Ninth-generation farmer Joshua Davis; his wife, Erin; and their daughters, Bayleigh and Delaney, are proud to carry on the family legacy. “We want to build the farm so that it’s a viable option for Delaney and Bayleigh to continue,” Joshua says. photograph by Chris Rogers
In 2021, Joshua and Erin Davis and their daughters, Delaney, 12, and Bayleigh, 4, moved back to Joshua’s nearly 250-year-old family farm in Wayne County. “We wanted to continue the legacy and raise our kids with the passion for agriculture that they were already exhibiting by getting into the garden and showing livestock,” Joshua says. The Davises raise sheep, goats, chickens, and pigs; grow heirloom tomatoes, jubilee watermelons, and at least 20 other crops; and welcome visitors to wander in their five-acre sunflower field. At the Saturday farm stand, the whole family sells seasonal products, including fresh cooked collards and sweet potato biscuits, prepared using inherited family recipes.
2239 Davis Mill Road
(919) 868-0129
davisfamilyfarmsnc.com
This story was published on Jun 20, 2024
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