(Caswell County) A desire to help any farmer in need
Did you know that love at first sight applies to the agriculture industry? Ever since she was a little girl, Leah Solomon has loved agriculture and all that it has to offer. Growing up alongside her grandfather, father and uncle on the family farm in Caswell County, she learned at a young age what it was like to work hard for a crop and reap the rewards during the harvest. From playing on the tobacco barns to studying agriculture at N.C. State University, our state’s No. 1 industry has helped shaped Leah’s life path in many ways. After fighting in World War II, Leah’s grandfather returned home to Caswell County, purchased land, and started the family farm. “I am the third generation to grow up on this farm and I grew up learning the trade from my father, grandfather and uncle,” Leah said. “I have always loved the work, community and culture of it.” Growing mostly tobacco and soybeans, the family farm has become a staple in the community and taught Leah a lot about hard work. “My grandpa was the one who inspired me to a life of agriculture because I saw how hard he worked, alongside other members of my family, every single day,” she said. “I saw the passion that drove him to continue fighting for the farm during the hard seasons and the pride he felt when a crop came through to harvest. As a girl I wanted to be just like him, but now I want to spend my life helping people like him.”
(Durham) Fun and Fruity: Drink A Bull makes Got to Be NC Festival debut with a wine product meant to put the fun back into winemaking
(Editor’s note – Drink A Bull was a GTBNC vendor at the Got to Be NC Festival held May 17 – 19) With bold graphics and fruity flavors, Drink A Bull is not your typical wine product. In fact, this Durham-based winery produces wine products that are not even grape-based. Andrew and Allison Zimmerman opened Drink A Bull in 2021. The winery offers four base flavors of wine – apple, peach, raspberry and blackberry. Their Durham facility may be a new venture, but the wines offered by the Zimmermans have roots that go a lot deeper. The wine traces it’s heritage back to the Waldensian immigrants that settled in Valdese in the 1890s. Just like the Waldensians saw wine making as a family heritage to pass down, so did the Zimmerman family. …
(Guilford) San Giuseppe Salami Co. makes its debut at the Got to Be NC Festival
(Editor’s note – San Giuseppe Salami Co. was a GTBNC vendor at the Got to Be NC Festival held May 17 – 19) This will be the first year that Got to Be NC member San Giuseppe Salami Co. will bring its old-world recipe Italian products to the Got to Be NC Festival to sample and sell to customers. The company is looking forward to connecting with the community and increasing the awareness of its products said Audrey Zelaya, sales and marketing manager. San Giuseppe got its start in a rather unlikely way, fueled by a touch of homesickness and a desire for a local source of quality Italian meats and pastas. Owners Giacomo and Laura Santomauro decided if they couldn’t find authentic local products, they would make them themselves. “They saw a need for Italian delicacies and that’s when he opened,” Zelaya said. The pair came to High Point via Long Island, New York when Giacomo followed his dream to be a firefighter. He grew up in his family’s deli and restaurant business, so looking back, his ultimate arrival as a food business owner might not be all that unexpected. …
(Orange) Showing cattle and teaching the next generation
Growing up around beef and dairy cattle in Northern Orange County, Rhiley Crabtree fell in love with animals and agriculture at a very young age. That passion not only led her to involve herself in many agricultural activities and organizations through high school but is also directing her path towards a career in agriculture that will advance the industry for years to come. As a young girl, Rhiley learned a lot of life lessons on the family farm. “My aunt and uncle own a beef cattle farm in Orange County, so I’ve always been immersed in agriculture,” she said. “At eight years old, I started showing beef cattle and, eventually, dairy cattle. I love animals, so being a part of the farm and learning to work with these amazing cattle sparked my love for the industry.” As a teenager, Rhiley learned to drive by operating the hay truck and tractor on the family farm. She also learned many lessons, like how to care for livestock and harvest a crop, from her aunt and uncle. “My grandparents worked in tobacco, so our family is no stranger to hard work,” she said. “I am glad that I not only had these experiences as a child but learned to appreciate farmers and their hard work in my early years. Many people take farmers for granted every day for providing the food that is on our tables. They deserve all the recognition in the world for the difference that they make in our lives.” …
(Stanly) Educating the world on N.C. agriculture
Born and raised on a cattle farm in Marshville, Lydia Hill grew up with a strong awareness of agriculture. Although she didn’t realize her passion for it until her high school years, today she not only has a passion for the family farm, but a desire to advocate for the industry to every person that she meets. Lydia’s family farm is home to about 70 head of cattle throughout the year. Nearly all of Lydia’s family is involved in agriculture, whether on the farm or working for another ag related corporation like Pasture Management Systems. “I started helping on the farm at a young age, but truly started to dig deeper into the heart of the farm my junior year of high school,” she said. “I also started working with my dad at Pasture Management Systems to learn that side of the industry.” Lydia’s junior year of high school was the seed that blossomed into where she is today. In fact, Lydia has her FFA advisor to thank for making her take a deeper jump into the industry. …
(Stokes) Sauratown Mountain: The aftermath of a recent wildfire and preparing for the next
North Carolina traditionally experiences two seasons annually in which wildfire risk is heightened and activity increases. The year’s first wildfire season occurs March through early May when humidity levels tend to be lower and trees, shrubs and other natural vegetation begin pulling necessary moisture and nutrients from the ground to green-up, blossom and bloom. This causes ground conditions to dry out quicker. As summer heat and humidity levels taper off and autumn’s foliage begins to stack up leaf litter on the forest floor, wildfires once again become more frequent from October through early December. To most, these two seasons are known simply as spring and fall wildfire seasons. However, in 2023, it seemed as though North Carolina was never able to “take five” and catch its breath from wildfires. The N.C. Forest Service responded to more than 5,300 wildfires across the state in 2023, which burned around 76,200 acres. Most fires were held to five acres or less, but North Carolinians saw their fair share of large incidents as well. Off to an early start with March’s Last Resort Fire in Tyrell County, wildfire season appeared to roll on through the summer months and into the fall before its grand finale, when North Carolinians endured more than a thousand wildfires in November alone. …
(Wake) Everyone belongs in the N.C. agriculture industry
During their free time, many kids would list watching TV or playing on their iPad as some of their favorite things to do. However, for William Winslow, it was always digging potatoes with his grandfather. “It was my favorite activity not only because I enjoyed it and the time with my grandpa, but also because he told me many stories about his work as Chairman of Farm Bureau during those moments,” he said. Growing up under such strong agricultural leadership, it’s no surprise that William is seeking a career in the industry for himself. William learned a lot at the hands of his grandfather as a child. “My grandfather was not only the Chairman of Farm Bureau, but he also farmed 1,000 acres of tobacco on his land, which was about an hour outside of Raleigh,” William said. “I learned a lot about the importance of our state’s agriculture industry from him as well as how to let passion and a hard work ethic drive you.” A passion for agriculture was passed down from William’s grandfather to him and has stayed with him all through middle and high school. …