Farm Fresh North Carolina

Book excerpt: In the first statewide guidebook of its kind, Farm Fresh North Carolina takes readers on a lively tour of more than 425 farms, produce stands, farmers' markets, wineries, children-friendly pumpkin patches and corn mazes, pick-your-own orchards, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, agricultural festivals, and more, all open to the public and personally vetted by travel writer Diane Daniel. Daniel's animated, knowledgeable recommendations will give food lovers, families, locals, and travelers the inspiration and resources they need to cut a fresh Christmas tree, pick a peck of apples, take a fall hay ride, sample wine from locally harvested grapes, or spend the night on a working farm. Sidebars offer information about the state's agricultural history, politics, and eccentricities, while twenty recipes gathered from North Carolina farmers, innkeepers, and chefs provide delicious ways to use the day's pickings. Emphasizing farms and establishments that are independent, sustainable, and active in public education and conservation, this delightful guidebook will help North Carolinians and visitors discover how the burgeoning farm movement has become a bridge between North Carolina's past and present. The publication of this book was supported by a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation. Southern Gateways Guide is a registered trademark of the University of North Carolina Press