Previous Small Farmers of the Year participate in a business lunch discussion moderated by Biswanath Dari, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Natural Resources Specialist, N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension, at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion. From left to right, farmers pictured are: Jim Hartman (2024), Jeannette Martin Horn and Joyce Martin Bowden (2023), Millard Locklear (2022), and Mike and Max Jones (2021).


Small Farms Week 2025 Logo

Farmers, Extension agents and others interested in small-scale farming gathered recently at the N.C. A&T University Farm to learn about everything from using technology in farming to growing specialty crops.

About 200 people attended the sessions, held March 25-26, which were part of the 2025 Small Farms Week. In its 39th year, the celebration of small farmers is organized by N.C. A&T  Cooperative Extension. This year’s theme was Next Gen Agriculture.

Two men sit and talk at a conference table. One wears a camouflage cap, while the other is in a suit holding a notepad. People in the background engage in conversations. Various materials and water bottles are on the table.

2024 Co-Small Farmer of the Year Jim Hartman chats with keynote speaker Roland McReynolds, Executive Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

“This week we’ve highlighted how to integrate AI into your operation, new crops, new markets, how to preserve family land, resolve heirs’ issues and tips on getting digital with weather stations, drones, moisture sensors, and real time crop monitoring,” said M. Ray McKinnie, Ph.D., associate dean and administrator of Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T.

“It’s our mission to make these subjects available for you and to help you with their adoption,” he said.

Michelle Ross, whose family has owned a 10-acre farm in South Carolina for more than 100 years, found the session on heirs’ property “very helpful.”

“I’ve been dealing with an attorney here in North Carolina about heirs’ property, forming an LLC, and doing the whole lineage thing so that it can stay in our family, even if we were married (and then divorced),” Ross said.

Another session about urban agriculture included panelist Eliseo Pascual of Pascuales’ Farms in northeast Charlotte.

“On our farm, we have a greenhouse and a fertigation system that is computer operated, which allows us to see during the day how we will irrigate,” said Pascual.

 “We also have a full, hydroponic system in the greenhouse using cocoa oil as a base, but in our high tunnel, we just use water in pipes that we use in our production.”

Amanda Mitchell, director of farm operations at Growing High Point, talked about how that farm engages its customers.

“Our number-one way to get to our consumers is our newsletter – you can sign up and see all of our programs, sign up to volunteer or ask us to come to your event,” Mitchell said. “We’ve gone to many school events, parent-teacher night, and we’ve taken our Growdega, our mobile grocery store, and shown kids, ‘Hey, this is what can come to your area.’ “

In a session on digital platforms, Stanley Kamithi said e-commerce can help small-scale farmers grow their customer base and keep them coming back.

Online ordering also extends selling beyond hours when the farmers’ market or farm store is open, said Kamithi, chief executive officer and founder of Tangaza.IO.

“If you know what you’re selling Wednesday for pick up on Saturday, then you can notify your customers and say, ‘Hey, it’s time to order,’ he said. “If you know a customer who buys the same thing all the time, you can have a ‘Buy Now’ button that allows them to easily buy the same thing.”

Denise McCoullough of Peaceful Seeds of Warnersville Community Farm in Guilford County attended this session and agreed with Kamithi.

“E-commerce is the tool that allows us to track and to be in the field with the big boys,” she said.

In a panel called “Farmers Who Got It Right,” six past Small Farmers of the Year shared their thoughts on what makes a successful enterprise.

A lively networking event with several people interacting in a bright room. Two women are engaged in conversation in the foreground. Tables with informational displays line the walls, and attendees are browsing the exhibits.

Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, Director of CEFS and W.K. Kellogg / Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation Endowed Distinguished Chair in Sustainable Community-Based Food Systems in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at North Carolina State University, left, chats with 2023 Small Farmer of the Year Jeannette Martin Horn at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

2024 Co-Small Farmer of the Year Jim Hartman, of Secret Garden Bees in Cumberland County, stressed the importance of having a business plan first.

“Too many farmers focus on making the product without knowing if that product is going to sell,” he said. “Write down the risks, their effect on your operation, and how to mitigate that. If you figure it out, it’s not a crisis any more.”

2023 Co-Small Farmer of the Year Joyce Martin Bowden praised the program for helping the farm grow.

“A&T helped us a great deal,” she said. “The publicity that comes with being Small Farmers of the Year allowed us to buy equipment and do more on our farm.”

Her sister, Jeannette Martin Horn, noted the challenges that come with farming.

“I enjoy a challenge, and being a farmer is a challenge, every day,” she said. “Being a female farmer is a challenge. Everybody in your family has a talent and a gift, and you’ve got to use them all to be successful.”

Millard Locklear, who, with his wife, Connie, was Small Farmer of the Year in 2022, said that farmers need to know when to push forward – and when to drop the effort.

“Farming is a business, and time is money,” Locklear said. “Do the best you can, get all the knowledge you can, and if (something) isn’t working, drop it; don’t waste any more time.”

Mike Jones of MAE Farm, who won the award in 2021, noted the importance of thanking those who have helped you.

“I am an advocate for working together, embracing our diversity and collaborating,” he said. “I’m grateful to N.C. A&T for helping me reach my goals.”

Gallery

Two women are seated at a table with a blue tablecloth, engaged in conversation. The table has water bottles and documents. Both women are wearing glasses, and people are visible in the background in a conference setting.

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Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., Provost and Executive vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, left, and Shirley Hymon-Parker Ph.D., Interim Dean & Research Director, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, N.C. A&T, chat at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

Entrance of a red farm building with a tall, yellow silo labeled University Farm and university logo. A bench and trash cans are in the foreground, and blue sky with a visible contrail is overhead.

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The entrance to the Research and Extension Farm Pavilion at the N.C. A&T State University Farm.

A young woman speaks into a microphone at a podium labeled North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, while a man beside her smiles and claps. Both appear engaged and happy.

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Biswanath Dari, Ph.D., right, laughs as Kendall Rae Johnson, the youngest certified farmer in the USA, speaks to the crowd at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

A group of six people stands smiling in front of a colorful mural. They are casually dressed and appear diverse in age and style. The mural depicts various animals and geographical shapes, adding a vibrant backdrop to the scene.

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Family and associates pose with Kendall Rae Johnson, center, the youngest certified farmer in the USA, at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

A person wearing a knitted hat, glasses, and a denim jacket sits attentively in a classroom, holding a pen and looking forward. Another person is seated beside them, with a focus on the presentation. Bottles and notebooks are on the table.

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Nia Kiara Cole listens to a presentation during the Small Farms Week Educational Forum at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

Three panelists are seated on stage in front of a screen. The middle panelist is speaking, gesturing with one hand. They sit on either side of a small table with water bottles. The background features a banner and a PowerPoint presentation.

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Left to right, Kurt Smith, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Forestry, and Extension Specialist, NC State University, Andrew Branan, Ph.D., Assistant Extension Professor of Agriculture and Resource Economics, NC State, and Pamela Harrigan-Young, JD CPA, Estate Planning Attorney, the Law Office of Pamela Harrigan-Young, discuss ways to manage property and heirs at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

Two people sit at a table during a conference. Both wear conference badges. The man has gray hair and glasses, and the woman is smiling, wearing glasses and a badge labeled Speaker. Other attendees and a camera on a tripod are visible in the background.

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Steven Lommel SL, Associate Dean and Director, NC Agricultural Research Service, left, and Shirley Hymon-Parker, Ph.D., Interim Dean & Research Director, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, N.C. A&T, listen to keynote speaker Roland McReynolds at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

Three women engaged in conversation indoors. One in a red cap and green hoodie gestures while speaking. Another, in a blue shirt, sits and smiles. The third, with long hair, stands and listens attentively. A blue wall and poster are in the background.

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Ursula Kendall, left, mother of Kendall Rae Johnson, the youngest certified farmer in the USA, chats with Misty Blue-Terry, 4-H Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) specialist at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, right, at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

Two women seated at a table during an event. One, wearing a pink jacket, holds a pamphlet about Small Farmers. The other, in a dark purple jacket, is smiling. Bottles of water and name tags are visible. Attendees are in the background.

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Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., Provost and Executive vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, left, and Renee Campbell, Executive Assistant, at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

A diverse group of people seated at a table with blue tablecloth, engaged in a presentation. Three individuals in the foreground, including a man in a cap and two in business attire, listen attentively. Bottles and snacks are on the table.

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2024 Co-Small Farmer of the Year Jim Hartman, left, Gregory Goins, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, N.C. A&T, center, and Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., Provost and Executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, N.C. A&T, listen to keynote speaker Roland McReynolds at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

Two men stand in front of a Small Farms Week banner. One man is wearing a green shirt and glasses, the other is in a blue suit and tie. The banner includes an image of a smiling person in a garden.

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2022 Small Farmer of the Year Millard Locklear, left, poses with a photo of his wife, Connie, and keynote speaker Roland McReynolds at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

Two men are having a conversation in a conference room. One is holding a coat and a notebook, while the other gestures with one hand. They are dressed in business attire and wearing conference badges.

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Gregory Goins, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, N.C. A&T, right, chats with Larry Hartsfield at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

A man in a suit speaks at a podium with a computer, in front of a Small Farms Week banner. Behind him, a blurred background shows a wooden wall and a door. Two water bottles are on the podium.

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M. Ray McKinnie, Ph.D., Associate Dean & Extension Administrator, N.C. A&T, delivers opening remarks at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

A man in a blue suit and striped tie speaks at a podium. Behind him, a banner reads Small Farms Week and shows two people farming. A logo for NC Cooperative Extension is visible at the bottom of the banner.

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Keynote speaker Roland McReynolds, Executive Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, speaks about sustaining the next generation of farmers at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

A man in a suit speaks at a podium with the North Carolina A&T logo. A Small Farms Week banner is displayed behind him. Audience members sit facing him. A screen is partially visible to the left.

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Keynote speaker Roland McReynolds, Executive Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, speaks about sustaining the next generation of farmers at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

People gather around a table at an event. A woman in a blue shirt is distributing items from the table, which is lined with pens, brochures, and snacks. Other attendees, including two women, are engaged in the event activities.

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Shayla Doyal, left, finds name tags for attendees at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.

A man in a suit speaks at a podium in a conference room. Attendees sit at tables with blue tablecloths, listening attentively. The room has neutral walls, and doors are visible in the background.

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Keynote speaker Roland McReynolds, Executive Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, speaks about sustaining the next generation of farmers at the Small Farms Week Educational Forum, held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion.