Alan and Susan Fox have deep roots in traditional farming Be sure to stop by the booth of Alan and Susan Fox at Old TImey Day on Burnsvilles Town Square tomorrow. They will be demonstrating heritage crafts and will have some of their farm products available including honey and special kinds of jelly they make. Watch their demonstration using Bloody Butcher corn. They love to talk about their farm and the traditional way of doing things. Alan and Susan farm on four very productive acres next to Alan’s parents’ farm off Jacks Creek Road in Yancey County. They learned to can, make jellies, raise animals, and save seeds from their parents and grandparents. Going even further back, both Alan and Susan have Native American heritage. These deep roots can be seen in their farm today. The focus of their farm, Susan says, “is on things we have available—the resources, and the mountain culture.” Their products include seasonal produce and berries, flowers, jams and jellies made with berries and flowers, heirloom seeds, goat milk and goat cheese, soaps made with goat milk, mushrooms, cornmeal (ground from their own corn), and Appalachian and Native American crafts. But it’s not just the old ways for Alan and Susan. Learning new things, and how to do old things better, is a big part of their life. Back in their grandparents’ day, Susan says, “Everyone farmed organically because they had to. But it was hard. When pesticides came along, they made farming so much easier. Now everyone realizes that was a horrible era.” Instead of relying on chemicals, Susan and Alan use organic practices, and get their fertilizer from their farm animals. Susan has a lot of respect for local educational resources, especially the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and Mayland Community College. She says neither her mother nor her father had much formal education. Her mother had to drop out of school in ninth grade, but later went to Mayland and got a GED and training to run a business. The Foxes are enthusiastic about passing on what they have learned. They have in the past offered a number of classes through Mayland, including: Saving Seeds and Mountain Tradition, Making Chevre Cheese, Growing Shiitake Mushrooms, and Tapping Maple Trees. They feel it’s important “to remember where we came from, remember our culture, because we’re losing our culture.” They want to give people the skills and confidence to do things. “We say, yes you can—maybe on a small scale, but yes you can!” Susan TiptonFox adds, “You don’t have to spend out to do things.” Like their farmer forbearers, the Foxes reduce, re-use and recycle. When asked how she defines sustainability, Susan said, “It’s a personal thing. For me it means sustain one’s body, one’s environment. It all works together.” As for thoughts she might share with young people, she says, “Be a good steward of the land and of mankind by being respectful and forgiving to both. In life, take only what you need and share any excess, not just in material things but also in joy and knowledge. Remember what the Bible says, Whatever your hand findeth to do...do it well! Do not make apologies for who you are and dont let anyone tell you you cant do something! We are all a sustainable resource in some way just as we are and some of us get re-purposed and get a second chance at being better than we were the first go around!” The above information appeared in the Yancey Times Journal as part of the first in a series of Sustainable Yancey/Listening Project articles on local businesses and sustainable development that benefit the local economy and natural resources.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 03:16:56 +0000
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