The Queen’s Garden

Oral Histories of the Piedmont Foodshed.

Barbee Farms – Tommy Barbee

Tommy Barbee was a 58-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place at Barbee Farms in Concord, North Carolina. He was born in Concord, North Carolina in 1960. He was educated in Concord and is employed as a farmer.

The Farm at Dover Vineyard

Elizabeth Anne Dover is a lifetime resident of Concord, North Carolina. Believing she wanted to be a diplomat, Ms. Dover received a degree in medieval Spanish from Davidson College before settling on a career as a winemaker and farmer. She owns The Farm at Dover Vineyard, a produce farm and vineyard located near the Charlotte Motor Speedway. She opened her business in 2009, however her family have farmed in the Charlotte region since the mid-1700s. Ms. Dover provides insight into the challenges and satisfaction of small-scale farming and selling produce in the Charlotte region. She discusses the physical and economic effects of Charlotte’s growth on historic farmlands and describes how public perceptions of small-scale southern farming are at odds with the realities. Elizabeth Anne Dover as interviewed March 13th, 2019.

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