Small-Scale Farmers Get Tips on Growing and Promoting Specialty Produce

Peter Smith and his son, Peter Smith, Jr., stopped by the N.C. A&T University Farm on their way back to their Dorchester, S.C., farm recently, hoping to learn more about growing specialty crops on their property.

“I wanted to learn how to grow certain vegetables that weren’t available in our area – some of the specialty crops like the bitter melons and the (daikon) radish she was telling us about,” Peter Smith Jr. said.

The Smiths joined other small-scale farmers at a recent seminar on specialty fruits and vegetable,s and a virtual reality demonstration, hosted by Chyi Lyi “Kathleen” Liang, Ph.D., Kellogg Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Agriculture in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

Liang, who also is co-director at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, a joint N.C. A&T and NC State University research and demonstration venture in Goldsboro, N.C., shared tips about the importance of getting a farm’s soil tested, incorporating cover crops and using plastic to help control soil temperature during the event.

She incorporated a cooking demonstration into her presentation, creating a savory pancake using daikon radishes, also known as “the poor man’s ginseng.”

“Diakon radish … is a very good winter crop,” Liang said. “It grows in harsh weather and it doesn’t need special care.” A single diakon radish can weigh up to 10 pounds, Liang said, noting that it can sell for up to $5 a pound if it’s certified organic.

North Carolina’s ethnically diverse population – Asian, European, Hispanic, even retirees from the northern states, Liang noted with a smile – means that there are many who are used to cooking with “exotic” produce.

She encouraged attendees to get out and talk with these different groups, even if it’s a bit intimidating to speak with someone from a different background. “No matter what, we all have to eat,” Liang said. “Food is a common language.”

Peter Smith Jr., whose son, Peter Smith III, is an N.C. A&T Dowdy Scholar studying political science with hopes of becoming an agricultural lawyer, was pleased by the presentation.

“Most places in our little rural area, our little feed and seed company, didn’t have all the different kinds of seeds mentioned today,” Peter Smith Jr. said. “She gave us that (purchasing) resource, which is going to open even more doors.”

Amy Gregory, who works for the nonprofit Farmer Foodshare in Durham, said she hopes to share what she learned with the small-scale farmers she works with.

But Gregory, who farms a plot at Urban Community AgriNomics (UCAN), was also attending for personal reasons.

“My escape plan from the corporate world is farming and homesteading,” she said.

Marcus Williams, a Guilford County Extension Agent, said that he hopes to relay what he learned to his clients.

“I’m looking to get more tips on how to help the farmers in Guilford County, whether it be small, medium or large, stay profitable and sustainable in this changing climate,” Williams said.

Tasha Garner grows produce, herbs and flowers in her container garden in Mebane. She attended the event to discover innovative ways to grow.

“I’ve been growing for a few years now … and this year I’m going to actually try to go to market,” said Garner, owner of CropHouse LLC

Kajol Mehetre, a computer science graduate research assistant, presented a virtual tour of the University Farm’s poultry unit. Mehetre is developing a virtual reality program to teach farming methods. Issa AlHmoud, Ph.D., STEPs4GROWTH program manager, and Balu Gokaraju, Ph.D., professor of computational data science and engineering, also spoke to the group about the use of technology in farming, including drones.

Garner said that her husband will be pleased that she had attended the session.

“My husband has been begging me to get a drone, and now, I just might go ahead and get one,” Garner said, chuckling.