Family Farms in Appalachia

There are many things we don't have here in our little corner of the mountains-- Walmart, strip malls, highways and traffic lights-- but one of the things we do have is easy, local access to some of the finest, freshest fruits and vegetables imaginable. Late Spring is the season for fresh, locally grown strawberries. Early summer is when all the wonderful Farmer's Markets open and growers from the entire region gather to offer the bounty of their harvests. Here in our little community of Hayesville, NC we're blessed with SMM Farms, a family farm owned and operated by folks who have called Hayesville and Clay county home for several generations. Meet Salvador and Alyssa and their family in this wonderful article that details the risks and rewards of operating a family farm here in the western North Carolina mountains.

To learn more about Salvador & Alyssa Moreno and their family's dedicated efforts to bring only the freshest and most healthful fruits and vegetables to our tables, read more here: This Local Family is Taking a Gamble on Farming in Appalachia

As the article in the link above states, "Lying in the far western corner of the state, Hayesville is just minutes from the Georgia border. To enter the SMM property, which abuts the Hiawasee River on a stretch of prime bottomland, you have to pass a solar farm and a Sons of Confederate Veterans lodge, an arresting juxtaposition of the region’s past and potential future. The farm focuses on growing regional staples: tomatoes, lettuce, squash, peppers, corn, green beans and strawberries."

"... Still, Salvador Jr., who is 34, says he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. “Something kind of keeps calling me back…Either I love it, or it’s just Stockholm Syndrome. This is not a getting rich kind of job.”

The article goes on to say, "That may certainly be true, but SMM arguably has other merits, apart from contributing to the region’s food supply. It’s a testament to the Moreno family’s multigenerational achievement, as well as Salvador Sr.’s decades of hard work."