Small farmers make up about 80 percent of farmers in this area and provide the community with delicious produce and pasture-raised meats that consumers can find at local farmers’ markets. But small-scale farmers are not necessarily trying to compete with, or become, large-scale farmers, according to William Landis with Franklin County Extension Service.  He told John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk that small farmers who can find a niche product or a niche market can position themselves to be successful.

Landis is the small farms agent for Franklin and Warren counties. Part of his job is to help small farmers with resources to become as efficient and productive as possible. These days, with so much information available via the internet, it may be challenging for producers to make choices about how and what to grow on their farms.

“Come to us,” Landis said of cooperative extension services. “Bounce what you’ve heard off your local extension agent. We’re here to help you out,” he said. Many small farmers around here, he said, have full-time jobs off the farm and do their farm work when they get off work.

March 21-27 is Small Farms Week in North Carolina, thanks to the Cooperative Extension program at N.C. A&T State University. And a Franklin County farmer is in the running for Small Farmer of the Year.

Mike and Suzanne Jones run MAE Farm and they market their pasture-raised meats at the State Farmers Market. Jones has been a farmer since the early 2000’s, long before Landis became an extension agent. “It’s good to see that he’s finally getting recognized,” he said.

The winner will be announced on Mar. 24 during the virtual Small Farms conference.

Small Farms Week TownTalk Podcast

Selection criteria include how small farmers are engaged in the community, as well as innovative practices that are used on the farm, Landis said. Jones is involved with the local Farm Bureau and uses innovative pasture management practices like silvopasture – letting animals graze in forested areas – and rotational grazing of multiple species.

Landis said a small farm is one that has less than $250,000 a year in income. Advances in technology, from tractors with built-in GPS systems to the use of drones, have been helpful additions for producers. Other types of technology – like phone apps – are also being used to help boost the agritourism industry, Landis said. One such app is called Visit NC Farms. Producers load information about their farm and it’s accessible via the app. Agritourism is a growing trend and has helped small farmers weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Other online tools like MeatSuite can help consumers find locally sourced meats in their area, he added.

Franklin County, he said, is situated in a perfect spot to respond to the huge Raleigh-Durham market. “Within 30 minutes, you can be in Raleigh and deliver your product,” he said. The Raleigh-Durham market is one of the largest markets in the U.S., he said. Responding to the needs and wants of a market that size is what can put a small farmer on the road to success.

Right now, the Franklin County Farmers Market is located near the Carly C’s on Bickett Boulevard in Louisburg. It currently operates under a shelter on Fridays from 9 to noon, but Landis said there is some movement afoot to create a closed-in market.