BARCO, NC - Niche crops—such as ginger, cut flowers, microgreens, and small-scale livestock production—can provide small farmers with new sources of income without taking up a lot of space or requiring expensive equipment.

However, small farmers need research-based information on farming techniques, state and federal regulations, marketing, and farm and food safety to succeed as niche growers. That’s why Cyndi Knudson, N.C. A&T’s Area Specialized Small Farms Extension Associate for Northeastern North Carolina, partnered with area niche growers and colleagues in Extension and the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences to present the state’s first Niche Agriculture Conference for Northeastern North Carolina.

Held in November at the Currituck County Extension Center, the conference featured a full day of speakers and exhibits on topics related to niche livestock and horticulture production. The event targeted small, beginning and limited-resource farmers in northeastern North Carolina, and was attended by a diverse group of minority, veteran, part-time farmers, and beginning farmers returning to family owned land.

Nelson James' pastured pigs are growing fast.

Northeast North Carolina is filled with farms, both large and small. The large number of small farmers in the area include lifelong farmers looking to shift from tobacco or other more traditional crops to specialty niche crops that can be sold profitably on a small scale. Also in this region are a large number of military veterans retiring from service at a relatively young age and looking for a fulfilling career and lifestyle as a small farmer. There are also many minority farmers in Northeast North Carolina.

“Niche agriculture is the production of plants and livestock that fill a unique void where demand exceeds the available supply, making these products more valuable and thus ideal for profitable production on a small scale. Niche agricultural products can be a profitable choice for small farmers with limited space,” Knudson said. “They also can fit into the schedules of part-time farmers. With traditional row crops, you need larger fields, and a larger investment to be profitable.”

The day included two tracks, one focused on livestock production and one on horticulture products. Livestock topics included alternative swine rearing systems, small scale poultry processing and egg regulations, small ruminant reproduction (sheep and goats), understanding the new Veterinary Feed Directive and the NC Choices program, a program of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems that works to advance the local, niche and pasture-based meat supply chain in North Carolina.

The horticulture track featured presentations from small farmers who have been successful with niche crops, including Emily Nekl, owner and operator of Fuggles Flowers in Camden, and Brett Harrison of Harrison Farms Microgreens in Nags Head. The horticulture track also included Sanjun Gu, Ph.D., Extension at A&T horticulture specialist and coordinator of Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) at N.C. A&T. Gu shared the basics of high tunnel farming to extend growing seasons and maximize production and talked about research on growing baby ginger and evaluating its suitability as a niche crop in North Carolina.

Knudson said collaboration with other county Extension agents and specialists also helped make the event a success, including a presentation on small farm food safety by Chip Simmons, Ph.D., area Extension agent for fresh produce safety with Extension at NC State, and a talk by Dahlia O’Brien, Ph.D., small ruminant specialist with Virginia State Cooperative Extension.

Ron Simmons, owner and operator of Master Blend Family Farms in Kenansville, shared his story during a lunchtime keynote address. Simmons’ farm specializes in pasture raised pork, which he sells to high end eateries, restaurants and sports stadiums. Simmons, who was N.C. A&T’s 2018 Small Farmer of the Year, is also known as one of the 2022 Pinehurst BBQ Invitational Pitmasters, and a 2021 Kingsford Preserve the Pit Fellow.

Knudson said feedback from conference participants was very positive, with many saying they would incorporate new production practices and ideas on their farm. They also appreciated learning about ever changing regulations and how to market their crops through social media and other channels.

Conference attendees visited with numerous exhibitors throughout the conference including: NCDA Niche and Emerging Markets, NCDA Marketing – Food Service and Restaurants, AgCarolina Farm Credit, North Carolina Farm Bureau, NRCS – USDA, FSA – USDA, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, NC AgroMedicine Institute, Bees and Agriculture – Bee Excellent Association, Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T,

Sponsors of the Northeast North Carolina Niche Agriculture Conference were: the Small Farm Resource and Innovation Center, AgCarolina Farm Credit, Rural Advancement Foundation International: RAFI, NC Cooperative Extension Niche Meats Working Group, North Carolina Farm Bureau – Specialty Crops, and Currituck County Farm Bureau.

“This was our first year of this annual conference. We are already planning the 2023 program for the Friday before Thanksgiving,” she said.