July 16: 2 PM - 6 PM​
Watauga County Farms

Restrooms Available
Kid Friendly
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Easy Walking
Products for Sale
Refreshments Available

1) Old Suthern Soul *NEW
Charity Moretz
345 Sutherland Road Creston, NC 28615
Contact
Charity1143@gmail.com
​202-578-8233
Our family farm has deep historical roots with compelling storytellers. We highlight the simple living of our ancestors, simple beliefs and folklore that explained the world around them. These down to earth beliefs unveil times past and provide a window into times not that long ago. Farm life has a beautiful way of defining moments of clarity by being grounded by salt of the earth wisdom.
Products available for purchase during tour: Beef, Pork, Flower, Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Handmade knit products
Directions: Leaving downtown Boone toward Tennessee 
Take 421/321 north toward Mountain City
Drive 10 miles
Turn right onto 67 - toward Jefferson
Drive 6 miles
Turn right onto Sutherland Rd
Farm is first driveway on left after the big white church on the hill (Sutherland Methodist)

2) Bethel Valley Farms
Johnnie James
2912 Mountain Dale Rd. Vilas, NC 28692

Sorry, not available for tour.

Contact:
828-387-3637

3) Against the Grain
Holly Whitesides & Andy Bryant
619 Camp Joy Rd. Zionville, NC 28698

Against the Grain is a great place to see many facets of small-scale agriculture in practice. Visitors have the opportunity to visit bio-dynamic vegetable fields, a high tunnel and four caterpillar tunnels full of crops. ATG is also home to pigs, beef cattle, broiler chickens and a herd of meat goats. Take a self-guided tour of the farm, chat with the farmers or sit by the creek and enjoy the shade.

Contact
828-406-4439

4) Horse Helpers 
Amy Hudnall
1199 Odes Wilson Rd. Zionville, NC 28698

Horse Helpers saves sick, abused, and neglected horses, rehabilitates them and adopts them out. To care for the horses in a sustainable way we have to apply farming tools like pasture rotation, composting, and good animal care strategies. When you visit us, we will introduce you to many of the horses and tell you their recovery stories. HHHC maintains a community garden where food is shared with volunteers and raises chickens for eggs and meat. All seeds are non-GMO and heritage varieties as are our chickens. Strict adherence to heritage breeds is a way for us to promote species diversity. Come visit us and see rare chicken breeds and their babies and peruse our gardens.
Products available: eggs, treats for horses, t-shirts, children’s books, note cards, and food products 
Contact
828-297-1833

5) Springhouse Farm
Amy Fiedler
433 Silverstone Rd. Vilas, NC 28692

A diverse 8 acre farm, we specialize in Certified Organic vegetables, small fruit, shiitake mushrooms, and pastured pigs. The tour will include talking about what's growing in the fields, exploring our shiitake production area, discussing our pastured pork production, and checking out our high and low tunnels. We are in our 9th year of production and are happy to answer any questions from new farmers and backyard gardeners. A shade tent will be set up for visitors and our produce stand will be open to purchase vegetables and pork!
Contact

 6) The Lily Patch Farm 
1381 Joe Shoemaker Rd. Vilas, NC 28692

Named for wild Turk's Cap lilies that flourish here, The Lily Patch Farm is Watauga County's oldest organic farm. Guests can tour our seedling production greenhouse, visit the vegetables in the high tunnel, and walk "way down yonder in the Pawpaw patch". Be sure to meet our new weed­ eating crew: Nubian goats! Relax in the shade by the pond in our timber framed pavilion. Be sure to ask about our wedding and event venue rental!

Products can be found at: Mostly on-­farm. 
Products for sale: Plants (mostly heirloom varieties) of flowers, herbs, and vegetables, pollinators plants, and frozen Pawpaw treats
Directions: (from the intersection of Hwy 421 and Hwy 105 Bypass, just north of Boone, Not the Hwy 105 extension) Travel 5 miles from the intersection, on Hwy 421, north towards TN. You will drive through the hamlet of Vilas. After traveling 5 miles on Hwy 421, turn left onto Walls Road. Travel 3/10th mile to the end. Turn right on Joe Shoemaker Rd. Travel about 1/2 mile. Turn left at the crest of the hill onto 1381 Joe Shoemaker Rd- our farm road.

Contact
828-268-4268
thelilypatchfarm@gmail.com

7) Never Ending Farm 
Melinda Brown
366 Farmer Brown Rd. Vilas, NC 28692
Picture
 We finally have our own land!  We now own a lot of pasture and woods with 800 ft. of Crab Orchard Creek and three robust springs from the mountain top.  We will be tilling 2 acres of raw land for vegetables and putting up fences for goats, chickens, and pigs.  We will also be planting blueberry bushes, berries, and apple trees.  

Products can be found at: Direct Connect
Directions: From the courthouse in Boone, travel down 421 (towards TN). Travel approximately 5.5 miles and turn right onto 321. Make a right onto Old 421 (appox. 1 mile) after the Cove Creek Store. Take the first left onto George's Gap Rd. After 1/2 a mile make a left onto Farmer Brown Rd. Never Ending Farm Will be on top of the drive on the RIGHT.
Contact
828-773-5893

8) Spirit Ride Therapeutic Center *NEW
​Patty Adams
7156 NC HWY 194 South, Banner Elk, NC 28604

The old saying, "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man." is brought to life at Spirit Ride Therapeutic Riding Center. Learn how this unique alternative therapy for children with special needs is changing lives! Kids will enjoy the 'Eye Spy Trail' and Pony Rides, while everyone will have fun meeting the chickens, goats, cows and, of course...the therapists themselves: Buddy, Jax and Whoopdeedo!
We will be offering guided tours to illustrate how the different animals (goats, chickens, cats, dogs, cows and ponies) play a role in a child's cognitive, neurological, physical and social development. For the children, an 'Eye Spy Trail' will be offered as well.

Services available for purchase during tour: Pony Rides for the young and young at heart will be available during tour hours (weight restrictions apply for horse's safety). Rides are $10 each. Helmets provided.
Directions: From Boone: Starting at Wendy’s Restaurant in Boone at the intersection of Blowing Rock Road and NC 105-S head toward Valle Crucis on NC 105-S. (4.8 mi) Turn right onto Broadstone Road at the Ham Shop. (2.9 mi) Turn left onto NC-194 S across from Valle Crucis Elementary School (3.3 mi) Spirit Ride Therapeutic Riding Center is just past the Liberty Methodist Church
Contact
904.704.2244
SpiritRideNC@gmail.com

9) Apple Hill Farm
Lee Rankin
400 Apple Hill Rd. Banner Elk, NC 28604

Visit our unique mountaintop alpaca farm and store and connect to what matters – yourself, your family, and a real farm experience. Get close and personal with the alpacas, donkeys, goats and other animals that work and play at Apple Hill Farm. Every animal has a specific job, and many have a story as well! Apple Hill Farm is also home to the largest selection of alpaca products in the High Country of North Carolina. 
Contact
828-963-1662

10) F.I.G. Farm / Daffodil Spring Farm *NEW 
Dave Walker
Dutch Creek Rd. Valle Crucis, NC 28604

Daffodil Spring Farm is a small, regenerative farm that is dedicated to land stewardship and growing healthy food for our community. Daffodil Spring Farm raises pastured pigs that build our soil and lead to healthy, good food. The duroc/hampshire-cross pigs are regularly rotated where they can graze, root, and wallow.

​The FIG Farm is designed to provide beginning farmers with a relatively low-risk entry avenue for new producers by providing land, production and marketing infrastructure to help farmers establish lasting farm enterprises in the High Country.
​Contact
www.daffodilspringfarm.com/​
instagram.com/daffodilspringfarm

​

11) Waxwing Farm
Kathleen Petermann and Francis Mangogna
410 Justus Road. Banner Elk, NC, 28604

​Sorry, not available for tour
Contact
828-963-5317

12) Swinging Bridge Farm *NEW
Chuck & Eleanor Lieberman
​711 Old Glade Rd. Deep Gap N.C. 28618

The Swinging bridge farm has produced Fraser Fir Christmas trees for 36 years. My wife and I also do U pick blueberries (400 bushes)and of course we have a 48 ft swinging bridge. Additionally,we have a Rennaissance Orangery where we grow orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit trees. The orangery has solar, hydro and geothermal features. Our farm tour will include all of the above plus a short nature walk along our stream under a rhododendron bower.
Products available for Purchase: We will have for sale, oranges trees, blueberry bushes and baby Christmas trees, all in pots. My book, Annals of the NC Jewish Christmas Tree Growers Assn. will be on sale. There should be Blueberries for U Pick and we will have bottles of cold water available. For those who bring a cooler and fishing pole, there will be fresh trout.
Contact
828 964-2030

13) Full Moon Farm *NEW
​Kara Dodson and Jacob Crigler
141 Rhymer Branch Road Deep Gap, NC 28618
Contact
fullmoonfarmnc.weebly.com
434.509.7573
Full Moon Farm lives in the Elk Creek Valley of Triplett, just outside of Boone. Our goals are simple - grow delicious, healthy food, create a sustainable farming lifestyle and encourage generational and cultural exchange through nature + farming. We hope you visit - expect a walk through of our 3/4 acre produce garden, a working demonstration of our sawmill and a chance to see the horses pull some logs + cultivate the gardens.
Products available for purchase during tour: kale, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, edible flower, lettuce, radishes, turnips, beets, carrots, and more
Directions: Head from Boone, NC towards Wilkesboro on 421 North. Take a right onto Old 421 South, it's the stoplight intersection near the Food Lion. Take a right onto Elk Creek Road, a hard-to-see sharp turn before Parkway Elementary School (the right turn will immediately pass underneath a stone bridge for the Blue Ridge Parkway). Roll down the curvy, steep Elk Creek Road until it flattens out - you'll pass the Triplett "waste station" / dump on your right. Pass Mount Ephriam Baptist Church on your left. Begin looking for Elk Lane Road which is a left turn. Turn onto Elk Lane - if you cross a bridge you've passed it! Then take a left onto Rhymer Branch Road and you've made it! We're the farm with three horses, a red-roofed barn and a camper. Oh, and a field full of food!
>Watauga Garden Tours
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Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA) is dedicated to strengthening the High Country's local food system by supporting women and their families with resources, education, and skills related to sustainable food and agriculture.