Big Oak Farm – Mike Smith

subject: Livestock

The Big Oak Farms has been in the Smith family for the past 200 years. Michael grew up around farming and took over the family farm in the 1980s where he mostly raises cows and pigs. In the 2000s he switched from selling live cattle to selling his own beef and pork products at local farmers markets. Mike and his wife, Dawn, were the initial organizers of the Conover Farmers’ Market and Dawn directed the market until 2018.

Tape Log

TimeSubject
0:00:08Introduction
0:01:04History of Big Oak Farm and farmers’ markets
0:01:57Growing up with farming and taking over the family farm
0:02:59Typical day on the farm and balancing two jobs
0:04:30(Phone Notification)
0:04:58Acreage between all of the farms and their use
0:05:42Increasing demand at farmers’ markets
0:06:20The “Cul-de-Sac Moms”: key to success and demise
0:07:14The collapse of civilization and what to do about it
0:09:07Approach to change, handling cattle, and grazing techniques
0:13:34North Carolina State, government agencies, and the internet
0:15:24Challenges with the soil
0:16:23Challenges with the weather and the 2007 Drought
0:18:43Expenses
0:19:32Distribution at the farmers’ markets
0:20:51Entering the farmers’ market economy and fears
0:23:55Organic farming, consumer concerns vs. practicality
0:28:03Misconceptions of modern farming and the GMO controversy
0:29:25(Phone Notification)
0:30:48“No-Till” Farming and soil conservation
0:31:13(Phone Notification)
0:32:30Research and Information vs. Misinformation
0:34:33Local farming community, big farms, and small farms
0:38:23Open community and farming organizations
0:39:30Know Your Farms, LLC
0:41:24Farming is hard, dirty, non-stop, and filled with adversity
0:44:09Smaller farms equal smaller profits
0:44:35(Pause in Recording) Granddaughter triggered car alarm
0:44:36Grandchildren growing up on the farm
0:45:16Lack of interest among the youth for farming
0:47:01The lost art of feeding ourselves
0:48:37“Feeding yourself is the most intimate thing…”
0:50:25The cost of buying imported food and embracing technology
0:53:00Final thoughts
0:53:15End of Interview

Transcript

Captioned Audio