Larry’s Beans is one of our leaders in local sustainability and huge advocates of the “green” lifestyle. Based out of Raleigh, Larry and his constituents are the first, and still the only group of independent coffee roasters that buys organic green coffee beans directly from Fair Trade cooperative growers. All of Larry’s coffee is shade-grown and certified organic! They have only two delivery vehicles that run solely on recycled vegetable oil. They also have recently “green-o-vated’ their warehouse to include natural day lighting, low flush toilets, reclaimed timbers and edible landscaping. They have developed state-of-the-art bio-bags for their coffee that can biodegrade in your home compost, or even in a landfill! To top it all off, their coffee is delicious. We have approximately nine, 1 lb options and two options in the bulk bins. Starting at the beginning of 2011 we will be carrying two more blends in the bulk area, along with monthly promotions for not only Larry’s Beans, but all of our local vendors. Look out competition -Larry’s is getting ahead of the curve; steadily emerging with grace and innovation!

My name is Sarah Bryant and I am the owner and founder of Sarah’s Simples dehydrated produce. We are a family-owned and operated business located in Rocky Point, North Carolina.

Sarah’s Simples was formed out of a medical necessity to reduce my exposure to toxins and processed sugars. It was very difficult to find a snack product that did not contain preservatives or additives and even the “health foods” had sugars or sulfur added to them. Since nothing suitable could be found, I started producing my own snack foods. All our products are processed without additives and are dehydrated at temperatures less than 116 degrees to preserve both the enzymes and nutrients.

It was not our original intention to start a business doing this; however the products were so popular with my friends and family that we decided to offer them for sale to the public.

Tidal Creek has been so supportive in helping us get off the ground in our start-up year. We could not have done this without you, the local people, and we thank you for your support.

Sarah’s Simples has new seasonal products currently being tested and we hope to have them on the shelves soon. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for new products, we read and answer all e-mails. We also do specialty orders for special occasions and can customize labels to fit any need.

Thank you again for your support!

Sarah Bryant

s.r.bryant@att.net

Black River Organic Farm, a 16-acre farm in Ivanhoe, NC, has been certified organic for over 15 years.  Black River supplies seasonal organic produce to Tidal Creek and also provides a spring/summer vegetable box subscription.  Stefan Hartmann, who operates Black River Organic Farm, took a break from preparing for the upcoming season to answer a few questions.

When and where did you get your start in farming?

I grew up a city kid in Germany.  In 1977, after high school, I resisted the mandatory military draft and did the alternate civil service by working on a big farm, which was attached to a mental institution in North Germany. That got me started in agriculture, and I followed that up by getting a degree in agriculture from the University of Goettingen, Germany.  I came to my maternal grandparents’ place here in Ivanhoe in 1984, and have been farming here ever since.

Why organic?

Since I grew up a city kid, I didn’t have any preconceived notions of how farming should be. Environmental issues, limited natural resources such as oil, and economic factors including many farms going out of business, all contributed to my interest in growing organic.  I was also very interested in developing sustainable agriculture techniques for countries in need.  Furthermore, I didn’t want to expose myself or the food to chemicals.  It was a quality of life issue.

Could you describe your work at Black River?

We work like crazy all the time, growing a wide variety of veggies and herbs, and increasingly growing in greenhouses. We’re growing on about 16 acres of land, with a big emphasis on cover crops and soil health.  We’re also involved in timber/wood lot management on our timber acreage.

What crops do you grow on the farm?

What don’t we grow? Starting with lettuces, peas, mixed greens and going to squashes, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, melons, basil, parsley, dill, and ending with garlic, onions and leeks.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs are becoming important sales tools for small farms.  Describe your CSA and why it is important for your farm and the community.

CSA programs are a great way to connect the farm with the customer, in effect a community builder, creating ownership by allowing people to “buy” into the whole farm by subscribing to our vegetables. In a time where less than 2% of the population farm anymore, where people don’t know where most of the food they eat is grown, CSA programs are a reversal of those trends.  It also makes us farmers belong to the community and have face-to-face interactions with the consumers as opposed to just the wholesale buyers.