We first met Debbie Donnald and Audrey Lin of Two Chicks Farm when they signed up for the Piedmont Farm Tour in 2012. They’d been farming since 2008, when they moved to Hillsborough from Texas. They began by selling produce at farmer’s markets, but as time passed, they shifted production to focus on fermented vegetables and preserves. They now grow organic vegetables solely to use in their products: fermented krauts and kimchis, pickled vegetables, and their infamous pepper jelly. They supplement with produce from other local, organic farms when needed. Several of their products have received recognition in the Good Food Awards, national awards that recognize food entrepreneurs that produce delicious food that is respectful of the environment.
Since 2014, Two Chicks has rented a kitchen space in town, and they employ helpers to make their products. A grant helped them purchase the equipment needed to increase production. We visited the kitchen when they first moved in and again last month for an updated tour. Watch our interview below.