Alice White named their farm after the bluebirds who flew about at the first piece of land she farmed, on a rental property in Hillsborough. Her husband, Stuart, worked at Maple Spring Gardens, north of town. A year later, the two joined forces at Bluebird Meadows and began to farm full-time. At the end of the year, they bought their own land in Hurdle Mills—30 acres with a pond, a spring, and the remains of a house—and moved all their equipment there, giving Bluebird Meadows a permanent home.
It may seem like they made a big commitment quickly, but they were both sure that farming was right for them. “We still look at each other every day and say, ‘I can’t believe we get to do this!’” Alice said when we interviewed her.
The cleared acres on their new land had been a cow pasture for 30 years. Then the owner had planted a cover crop, so that when Stuart and Alice arrived, eight inches of good dirt waited for them to plant. A large pond provided water. They bought a tractor, a cooler, and a hoop house for winter farming, and a friend traded a greenhouse for produce.
For several years, Stuart and Alice sold their produce and flowers exclusively through CSA shares and farmers’ markets. Now they’re supplying Weaver Street Market with spring veggies like bunched beets and fennel, summer favorites like zephyr squash and mixed cherry tomatoes, and (hopefully soon) beautiful cut flowers.
Visit Bluebird Meadows online at https://www.bluebirdmeadows.net/.