Three local family-run farms receive grants to help with expansion – Salisbury Post

SALISBURY – Three local farms plan to expand with the help of three Next Step grants distributed by the Bread Riot, a local nonprofit that aims to support small farms and provide access to locally grown food.

The farms that awarded the grants, which board member Brian Pfaff said totaled about $13,000, were Downing Farms, Jones Family Acres and Farmer’s Daughter Organics.

The Next Step grant is awarded annually to Rowan County farms hoping to expand their operations.

The awards were presented on Saturday at the Salisbury Rowan Farmers’ Market, where all three family farms sell their produce.

Tim Downing is part of the duo that runs Downing Farm with his wife Jill Downing. The two started their farm, based on Kluttz Road, as a small-scale operation while working as teachers. However, when they both retired, Downing said the two began expanding their farm and worked to feed more of the community.

Downing said they plan to use the grant funding to expand their greenhouse acreage.

“Brood Riot also supplies fresh products throughout the school year, especially in the winter months. So a lot of fresh produce goes to school lunch programs and to low-income senior centers. And Bread Riot is looking for those types of products that are generally grown in the greenhouse for the winter months. So for us it was a real win-win situation,” said Downing.

Jerrad Jones of Jones Family Acres, located on Golden Lane, said they received the Next Step grant to add an electric fence to assist with rotational grazing, which involves rotating livestock around a series of divided pastures.

“We’re doing a lot of rotational grazing at the moment, but it’s quite an intensive effort as we’ve set it up now using temporary lines, moving portable energizers, batteries, ground rods and all that kind of stuff. So by making that easier, we will be able to rotate them more often and intensify rotational grazing, which will help the bioecosystems, grass growth, fertilization, fly control and things like that,” Jones said.

Jones Family Acres moved to Rowan County in April 2021, when Jones, his wife Sara and their three children moved from Wisconsin to the warmer weather. Since then the family has focused on raising Highland and Hereford cattle, Berkshire and Heritage pigs and poultry, using sustainable methods.

Brittany Chester of Farmer’s Daughter Organics said she applied for the grant because the farm was having problems with insect control on their produce.

“We have a lot of problems with insects and we noticed that there are small cat tunnels that you can put insect mesh over. It was a really cool opportunity to be able to cover a lot of beds at once, so we applied for a grant for that,” said Chester.

For the Chester family, farming in Rowan County is in their DNA. Chester said she and her husband Jason started with her father in 2014, when he was running an organic business.

“So we started growing organically certified products, but then unfortunately he lost the dairy factory. We thought he was going to lose the property we were using so we had to move everything and that was quite a big setback. So we took a big break, had two kids, and when one was little, Jason said, ‘Hey, I want to get back into it,’” Chester said.

All three farms are among many local farms that have collaborated with Bread Riot on programs or fundraising in the past.

“Originally, the farmers market was just getting started and Bread Riot was getting started at the same time. Bread Riot, I would say half of our mission would also be supporting the farmers, which is why we pay them full price for their stuff. We don’t ask for anything for nothing. We try to support them and help them grow so that we can do more with them,” said Pfaff.

Bread Riot is working closely with the school system, with President Dottie Hoy saying the school system is identifying five or six locations where Bread Riot can go to distribute products to families in need. The organization also started a mobile market at Habitat for Humanity Restore in recent years.

“We will buy food here on Saturday at farmers’ prices and then go down and redistribute it at the prices of those who need it. It’s basically taking what you need and giving what you can. It is a very respectful process and we do it with great pleasure,” said Pfaff.

In June and July of this year, Bread Riot will set up a new mobile market at Moore’s Chapel AME Zion Church in the West End neighborhood, Hoy said.

Bread Riot will be holding their big annual fundraiser at New Sarum Brewing on September 7th. Pfaff said the event will feature local music, local food, a 50-50 raffle and free children’s activities.