The Queen’s Garden

Oral Histories of the Piedmont Foodshed.

Muddy Springs Farm – Jeff Stevens

Muddy Springs Farm raises steers that they either buy them from a sale, or from a dairy, and they then bottle feed and take them to Whitfield, Virginia where they sell them.

Rowland Row farms – Mark and Mindy Robinson

Mark and Mindy Robinson are the owners of Tega Hills Farm in Fort Mill, South Carolina, a two acre urban farm with five hydroponic greenhouses. They employ five fulltime employees, and provide produce to the Matthews Community Farmers Market, Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, and multiple high-end restaurants in the Charlotte and surrounding areas.

Springs Farm – Ronald Edwards

Ronald Edwards describes the different entities that comprise Springs Farms and its history dating back to the 1930’s. He shares his personal memories and background in the farming industry, along with his present role as general manager of Springs Farms.

Friendship Trays – Lucy Bush Carter

Lucy Bush Carter is the Executive Director of Friendship Trays, a nonprofit organization located in SouthEnd Charlotte. Friendship Trays is the only non-governmental Charlotte-based organization creating and delivering healthy meals to elderly and infirm community members in their homes.

McLeod Organics – T. McLeod

T. McLeod talks about his experiences in running his own organics business, McLeod Organics, and his transition from farmer to seller in north Mecklenburg county. Mr. McLeod begins by detailing how he originally got into farming, discussing his family’s past and mentioning his early organic gardening experiences with his family.

Avondale Community Giving Garden – Cindy McKenzie

Cindy McKenzie is a member of the Avondale Presbyterian Church and one of the founders of the Avondale Community Giving Garden. She began working on a community garden at Avondale through a connection from Myers Park Baptist Church, who introduced her to Common Grounds Farmstand.