Here’s to sustainable farming, and a look back to our farming days up on Ritchie Hill.
Tonight, we’re proud to be part of a benefit dinner, hosted by Scott Avett and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, to benefit the Lomax Incubator Farm. Lomax Farm is an incredible organization that helps individuals in our region start farm-based businesses. These days, we rarely stop to think where our food comes from – but we should. The businesses that grow at Lomax Farm not only cultivate the next generation of farmers, but ultimately establish a sustainable local food economy and help all of us live healthier lives.
As we learned more about Lomax Farm these past months, it got us thinking about Ritchie Hill. Only a generation ago, Ritchie Hill sat on 11 acres. It was considered “in the country” and featured a modest, but sustainable farm. We didn’t know the specifics, though, so we did a family poll, even looked at fire marshal records and old insurance documents. All information combined, we were able to assemble an approximate picture of what the Ritchie Hill Farm looked like.
A vegetable garden, apples, blackberries, chives, mint, fresh eggs, cheese, milk, bacon; there were even guinea pigs, a pet flying squirrel, and a pony whose name no one can recall, yet we’ve confirmed it had one leg longer than the others and required special horseshoes.
Patterson’s Grocery would bring a horse and buggy to Ritchie Hill early in the morning to pick up chicken and other produce to sell in their store.
Before the home’s restoration, a shed stood on the right side of the property that was once used for boiling water and field dressing animals. Just across the yard, Uncle Dan kept bird dogs. During the 20’s and 30’s, hunting parties would come down from up North and quail hunting trips would be arranged through the Ritchie Hardware store. My grandfather, Lee Ritchie, said “those Northerners” preferred the “gamey taste” of quail and requested they not be gutted for three days. Gross.
The Ritchie’s farm was certainly a sustainable (and probably delicious) source of food for the family and the city. Recalling these stories reminds us of how rare and important farm-fresh goods are, and the significance of places like the Lomax Incubator Farm. It’s a lost art that we benefit from greatly. We thank those who continue this tradition and urge you to take a look at the Lomax Incubator Farm! We wish them all the success in the world.