Mission
There are few things in life of greater importance than the food that we buy and eat every day. Yet, the vegetables you buy at the grocery store and the vegetables you buy directly from a farm are worlds apart. In many ways we've forgotten the simple joys that our grandparents and great-grandparents experienced when they sliced into the first tomato of the season, after eating canned ones all winter, or the richness of a just picked sweet potato. Here at York Farm we want to help all of us remember the excitement of food: true gifts of nature.
We aim to nurture the health and fertility of our land through sustainable cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and eggs in order to provide the healthiest produce to Mount Airy, Winston-Salem, and the surrounding area. No pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, or chemicals of any kind will ever be applied to our food-growing land, and no genetically modified seeds or food will ever be grown or fed to our animals. That is a promise. We cherish the opportunity to support the health and vitality of our community, while revitalizing a piece of our family and its rich history.
Practice
We grow around forty different types of vegetables throughout the year, in addition to various culinary herbs. In 2020, we grew an eighth of an acre of heirloom, non-GMO dent corn that we milled for cornmeal, a venture that we plan to expand in 2021. Our biggest goal is to make the farm as self-sustainable as we can, and we are working towards recreating the original farm orchard with muscadine grapes, blueberries, and fruit trees, as well as tending to the land in a holistic way. Just like those who lived here and planted the land in tobacco and a small garden, built the barn to house mules and chickens, we want to create a farm that lasts for years to come.
THE FARMERS
Kyle Montgomery is Wesley York's great-grandson and is cultivating land that has been in his family for over a century. Born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC, he graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BS in Biology. While attending the university, he volunteered at the community garden and realized how much he enjoyed learning about sustainable agriculture. He traveled to South America, China, and India, after graduating, which opened up the possibility to consider international applications of organic agricultural practices. Between these travels, he worked on a farm near his hometown. The idea of starting his own farm on the land that had always been such a treasure to his family came almost naturally, and he set out to revitalize what his great-grandfather began years ago.
Nicole Stockburger was born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC, and developed a strong interest in organic agriculture and sustainable eating early on. While attending The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she volunteered for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), leading her to the hills of Appalachia, and was a frequenter to farmers' markets. After college, she traveled widely in Europe and worked on small farms through WWOOF, and following a reconnection with Kyle, she is now continuing her education in running a farm. She also recently completed an MFA in Creative Writing at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. You can find her work here: nicolestockburger.com
History
York Farm truly began in the late 1800s when Wesley York, Kyle's great-grandfather, began purchasing land in the Beulah community, located between Mount Airy and Lowgap, North Carolina. He moved to Beulah from Winston-Salem on doctor's orders, as he suffered from respiratory issues aggravated from working in the tobacco warehouses. Wesley, like many of his generation, maintained a large vegetable garden and kept chickens, cows, mules, and horses. York Farm, today, aims to honor the traditions of the family-run farm as well as the reason that Wesley moved from the city and started the farm — to cultivate and share the lifestyle that gave him a clean bill of health. Our name is an homage to his land and his journey, and our goal is to provide our community with the most nutritious food they can eat to promote good health.
