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Celebrity Dairy Transition In addition to the usual trials and tribulations of farming, here's the kicker: you've worked hard, built a business, perfected your production system, developed a market, established a reputation, and then, when your knees or hips wear out and you want to sleep past 5:00 am, no one is available to take over. Next time you're at the Farmers' Market, check out the demographics. The days of 3-generation farms, where the grandparents chip in and kids inherit the operation, are gone. More |
After Hours Jazz Brunch SV Talent Show NC Wine Tour Free T'ai Chi |
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| Carrboro Film Fest Hillsborough Last Friday Farmers Markets CHICLE Cultural Event |
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| Farm Dinner Tonight! New art show! NC Wine Dinner |
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| Weekly Produce Specials Weekly Meat Specials |
Celebrity Dairy Goat Cheesecake | |||||||||||||||
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| Celebrity Dairy Transition continued | |||
A case study: Fleming and Brit Pfann, who started building Celebrity Dairy in 1989 and began selling their goat cheese in 1991, feel they can no longer reliably manage their dairy operation (Fleming is 69). Whitney, their cheesemaker for the past three years, is leaving, and finding someone else to take over that operation as well as tend the goats, organize orders and deliveries, keep the books, and otherwise run the business is a huge challenge—in spite of the fact that Celebrity Dairy is renowned and could be a spectacular opportunity for someone. Fleming reports that business is good, with a full complement of wholesale and retail accounts; in fact, this year may be their most profitable ever.
Not that they imagine someone will just walk in and take over...the expectation is that under Fleming's guidance, the succession might take a year or so to learn cheesemaking skills, another year learning to speak "goat", and the next year to be ready to tackle the business end of things. Along the way, sweat equity would build, ultimately transferring ownership to a fully trained person or couple. Failing to find the right person, Fleming and Brit plan to cut way back on the number of goats (currently over a hundred), and only make enough cheese for retail sales at the Farmers' Market. Keeping the license and production going, although at a smaller scale, will buy some time to enable a transition. What happens when other growers start thinking about an exit strategy—or something similar to retirement? This problem of farm transition is important, so we'd better start thinking about why it's happening and what the options are; fortunately Andrew Branan at the North Carolina Farm Transition Network (NCFTN) is doing that (more later). The "why" part of the problem is not difficult: unlike most business ventures, farms, especially dairy or other animal-based operations, do not have weekends, seasonal holidays, accrued vacation and sick leave, etc. On top of that, the work is often hard, hours long, paychecks are variable, and your products usually have limited shelf life, requiring a speedy sale to recoup costs. Not to mention the vagaries of the weather. Necessary skills are hard to come by (unless you've grown up on a farm), and the financial barriers to getting into the business are high, given the cost of land and equipment—especially if you want to be located anywhere near a population center for your products. The sad truth is that in most places, you can't pay for farmland by farming it. But unless we're prepared to consume only food produced on factory farms or imported from "underdeveloped" countries, and if we really want a durable local economy, we'd better make it attractive and possible for the next generation to access the assets—both land and skills—built up by the current generation of small farmers. In North Carolina, and especially in the Triangle, we're fortunate to have a constellation of local agricultural producers and a strong local support network with organizations like the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA), Central Carolina Community College's Sustainable Farming Program, Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), The Land loss Prevention Project and others. All are acutely aware of the problem, but NCFTN, funded in part with tobacco settlement money (Golden Leaf Foundation and The Tobacco Trust Fund) is focused exclusively on the issue of farm transitions. Their mission is to "ensure that working farms remain in agricultural production by assisting retiring and aspiring farmers in the effective transition of farm businesses." Andrew Branan, a lawyer and the organization's director, has traveled the state, working with farm families and learning firsthand the difficulties of farm succession. One of the more important things he's learned is that passing on the farm, does not have to mean selling the land; in fact transferring ownership of the land is a major obstacle, and in some ways a distraction from the real job of transferring a connection to the land, the animals, and the unique challenges and opportunities of a particular place on the earth. That's what Celebrity Dairy needs, and we should all wish Fleming and Brit a successful transition. |
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| Learn more about Celebrity Dairy here. | |||
| Weekly Produce Specials | |||
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| Organic Packham Pears | $1.00 lb | special buy! | |
| Driscoll Organic Strawberries | 1 lb. pkg 2/$7.00 |
super low price |
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| California Organic Seedless Red Grapes | $2.59 lb |
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| Weekly Meat & Seafood Specials | |||
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Troller Point Alaskan Wild Caught Salmon Fillets | $11.99 lb | save $2.00 lb |
| Niman Ranch All Natural Top Sirloin Tip Steaks | $4.99 lb save $1.00 lb |
USDA Choice Certified Angus Beef |
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| Niman Ranch All Natural Chopped Sirloin, |
$4.79 lb save 50¢ lb |
USDA Choice Certified Angus Beef |
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| Read more about other Weaver Street Market Specials. | |||
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| After Hours | |||
 Every ThursdayOn the Weaver Street Market lawn in Carrboro, 6-8 pm Weaver Street Market invites the community to enjoy an eclectic mix of local bands under the oaks in Carrboro. Bring a blanket or chair and relax with freshly prepared hot food from our Hot Bar or picnic on cheese, salami, and bread fresh from our bakery. Beer and wine will be available for sale inside the store. Weaver Street Market loves to see people enjoying our lawn and connecting with their community. To keep this event a safe and fun place, we ask that you only bring friendly, well-behaved dogs on leashes and please clean up after them. We want the children who attend our event to have a safe and happy time too, so we ask that they not be allowed to climb the trees, including the Crepe Myrtles. Lastly, please enjoy the fountain from its perimeter. Thank you for your help in making this event safe and fun for everyone. July 19 - Carolina Caterwaulers - breakdowns, hoedowns & songs of the South July 26 - Armand and Bluesology - house rockin' music August 2 - Equinox- jazz and pop standards August 9 - Hushpuppies- Tasty old-time songs and tunes from the Piedmont of NC August 16 - Hot Tin Roof-50s and 60s rock and roll August 23 - Dom Casual Band-50s influenced modern rock between surf and Spy August 30 - Contrazz-a trad-jazz fusion After Hours & the ALE Regulations We know how much fun it is to sit on the lawn and drink some beers, but unfortunately North Carolina law forbids Weaver Street Market from selling six packs for consumption outside. You can buy beer singles from our cooler, or half-gallon Growlers from Carolina Brewery, but please—be kind to our cashiers and don't buy a six pack to take outside. Habitat for Humanity is Cooking at After Hours this Week The Board of Directors for the Orange County Habitat for Humanity will be grillin' up jerk chicken and portabellos for your picnic dinner. All the funds raised will be used for projects in Orange County. Habitat is a non-profit organization that builds homes with volunteer labor. Show your support for this great organzition by buying a freshly made dinner this Thursday, July 19. |
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| Read more about other Weaver Street Market events here. | |||
| Jazz Brunch | |||
 Sundays11 am - 1 pm On the lawn in Carrboro Weaver Street Market's Jazz & More! Brunch is under way! This family friendly event is a great way to start your Sunday. Inside, we'll have fresh scones, muffins and sweet pastries in our bake case; fresh, hot coffee and a barista to make that special coffee drink; and an array of eggs, grits, pancakes or French Toast to fill you up! Outside, under the oaks, you'll hear a range of local bands playing Jazz, Americana, Blues, and Bluegrass; keeping everybody happy and dancing. Children and well-behaved dogs are welcome. Please keep the children out of the trees and fountain and dogs on leashes. Band schedule: July 22 - Different Drum - American music with a world beat July 29 - Laura Ridgeway - Jazz vocalist August 5 - Equinox - jazz and pop standards August 12 - Susan Reeves - jazz vocalist sings blues flavored renditions of standards and lesser-known gems August 19 - The Todd Proctor Trio - rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic possibilities, from the roots of Jazz and other cultures August 26 - The Richard Tazewell Quartet - progressive jazz and Caribbean |
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| SV Talent Show | |||
 Wednesday, July 18 on the SV green To be in the talent show call 967-4934 or e-mail steelstringer@aol.com |
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| Click here to see more of the schedule. | |||
| 3rd Annual NC Wine Tour | |||
 Friday, August 10Have you ever been to a vineyard and winery? Have you driven down a winding country road until row after row of grape vines appeared before your eyes? Well, I have and it is truly inspiring! Walking through a vineyard in the spring and seeing the season's first buds, or later in the summer and beholding bright, plump bunches of almost ripe grapes, is a sight I'll not soon forget. It reminds me where that amazing wine I had last night came from: the earth, sky, air and some dedicated farmers. Yes. Farmers. Wine doesn't magically appear in front of us whenever we get thirsty (although sometimes I wish it would). No, it is the product of someone's hard work and dedication that make it possible for us to chug it down on a hot night. Working a vineyard is a year round job. Days and days of pruning, trellising, planting, and harvesting go into each bottle of wine that sits upon our shelves. It's an awesome process. Do you want to know more? Want to hear someone other than me wax poetic about wine? Or do you wish you could tour wineries, see beautiful vines and talk to some really interesting people? Do you think this is only possible in California or Spain or Italy? Well, guess again. You can do this, here and NOW. This August we'll take you to three great NC wineries to see beautiful vineyards nestled into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, tour wineries big and small, and taste hand-made, hand-crafted wines made right here in our home state. Join us on a chartered bus, and enjoy a day packed with winery tours, beautiful vistas, great people, and best of all, terrific North Carolina wines. I have picked each winery and will personally guide you through our day-long tour. For complete details, check with our service desk in our Carrboro store. Tickets are $95 each and space is limited. Don't miss out! I'll see you on that bus! |
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| Free T'ai Chi | |||
 Saturday Mornings with Lewis Tisher 8:00-9 am thru September on the Green across from the Lumina in Southern Village T'ai Chi, a 2000 year old martial art, is a sequence of choreographed movement that releases the energy known as Chi and moves it through the body to allow healing effects. The many benefits of T'ai Chi include development of coordination and balance, regulation of blood pressure, strengthening of joints, and improved mental focus and calm. Call 929-7048 for more information. |
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| Carrboro Film Fest | |||
Second Annual Carrboro Film Festival Calls for Submissions
The 2nd annual Carrboro Film Festival is seeking submissions from filmmakers who have breathed in the good, local air of Orange County. Nic Beery and Jackie Helvey, the festival's founders, say, "The creativity in this region is wonderful, with artists, musicians and writers. Last year's Carrboro Film Festival showed that there are amazing filmmakers as well. This festival is a celebration of local filmmakers' work and an outlet to get their films shown to a large, receptive audience. We encourage everyone to submit their work for the possibility of their film to be shown this year." The deadline for submissions is August 30th, $15 per submission. Late deadline is September 20th, $30. The only requirements are that the filmmaker at one time in life had a brush with Orange County and that the film is no longer than 20 minutes. Films can be in any format: film, video or even digital photos. There will be a kick-off gala the evening of November 17th at the Carrboro Century Center. The film festival will be held on Sunday, November 18th at the Century Center as well. |
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| Submission forms and additional information may be viewed here. | |||
| Hillsborough Last Friday | |||
 Filmmakers Film Series FridayJuly 27th at 8:00 pm Hillsborough Masonic Lodge 142 West King Street Hillsborough Lilyan Sievernich's documentary, JOHN HUSTON AND THE DUBLINERS At the age of eighty, John Huston completed work on a movie based on James Joyce's classic novella, THE DEAD. It was destined to be his last work and the crowning achievement of Huston's remarkable five-decade career winning the Best Film Award from the National Society of Film Critics. This moving documentary gives an inside account of the production capturing the spirit and brilliance of a Hollywood giant. Additionally, it provides keen insight and understanding into the work of Joyce. THE DEAD marked the first and only time Huston collaborated with both his son (screenwriter Tony Huston) and daughter (acclaimed actress Anjelica Huston) in a feature film. This unique family interplay as well as the grand filmmaker practicing his art, are finely detailed in JOHN HUSTON AND THE DUBLINERS. This screening is part of Hillsborough's "Last Fridays" and is co-sponsored by the Hillsborough Arts Council, Weaver Street Market, and Sports Endeavors. Tickets are $5.00 at the door, children under 12 are free. |
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| Farmers' Markets | |||
 Go to Market!My first visit to the Hillsborough Farmers' Market last weekend left me excited for a summer of goodies! I'd been told this market was smaller than what I was used to on Saturday mornings in Carrboro, but I arrived to find a lot full of vendors. Everywhere I looked, something different was for sale. My inner shopper took over— never mind budgeting, there was local cheese and handmade jewelry and baby plants to be had! Fearing for my wallet's well-being, I pulled out my notebook and got to work meeting vendors. Here's a list of some of my favorite items: John Blythe's "compost tea," a 100% natural plant food; Simply Sourdough's homemade, bone-shaped dog biscuits, shining in their silver dog bowl; Tobi's Home Baking's decadent "Millionaire Shortbread," a shortbread cookie with homemade caramel and chocolate on top; Heathen Handcrafts' all natural heat packs—they contain feed corn that stays warm or cool after nuking or freezing them; The Farm Fairy's beeswax, sold with a recipe for making your own lip balm; and don't miss Scrambled Acres Farm's chicken-footed table! So whether it's your garden, your stomach, or your inner shopper calling you, get out to a Farmers' Market this weekend! The Hillsborough Farmers' Market is open from 8 to 12 on Saturday mornings. It is located in the Suntrust Bank parking lot off of Churton Street in downtown Hillsborough. The Carrboro Farmers' Market is open from 7 to 12 on Saturday mornings. It is located by the Town Hall in Carrboro. The Durham Farmers' Market (opening April 7) is open from 8 to 12 on Saturday mornings. It is located in the Measurement, Inc. parking lot on the 400 block of Morris St between The Carolina Theater and the old Durham Ball Park in downtown Durham. |
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| CHICLE Cultural Event | |||
 Gypsies without Tents
101 E. Weaver Street Third floor over Weaver Street Market Free and open to the public Sunday, July 22, 2007, 5:00 pm Gitanos sin carpa/Gypsies in Chile, Spanish and English with English subtitles where needed, 62 minutes, Chile, 2002, Director: Iván Tziboulka GYPSIES WITHOUT TENTS portrays the lives of Chile's estimated 15 - 20,000 Romanies (Gypsies) by documenting the stories of three families and their everyday struggles to reconcile their traditional culture with the advantages offered by cultural assimilation. The film brings us into the families' homes, their places of worship, the children's schools, and the markets where the men trade, where the protagonists speak, in the Romani language as well as Spanish, about their lives and their concerns as Chileans and as Romanies. We are shown through the experiences of the subjects themselves the shifting terrain that is Romani identity in the Americas. |
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