How an Incubator Farm Launched Heeks Farm
Hi friends,
This past Tuesday I had the opportunity to attend a Durham Farm Campus Retreat. It was a welcome escape from the heat. The farm stand was still open. I’ve been trying to have everything set up for self-serve while I am busy working in other parts of the farm or if I have to run an errand.
The future Durham Farm Campus is located at the corner of Orange Factory Road and N. Roxboro St. (or US Hwy 501). The plan one day is for it to be an incubator farm. A place where new and beginning farmers can gain access to land and start or grow their farm businesses. There’s also plans for a commercial kitchen space with dry and cold storage. And lots of recreational and educational opportunities. There’s a lot of plans. And right now not a lot of money.
I got my start in 2009 at an incubator farm in Orange County called Breeze Farm. I was only there for 2 years before my lease was up and I had to move on. At the time Breeze had very little in the way of infrastructure. I actually built a walk-in cooler inside the old farmhouse. When the higher-ups found out, I was told it was a fire hazard and I had to dismantle it. We were not allowed in the house after that. Luckily a farmer on Red Mountain Rd. in Rougemont rented 3 acres to me, gave me use of his tractor and let me build my walk-in cooler in an old barn.
It was hard finding a forever home for the farm. We were in serious talks with Triangle Land Conservancy at the time to figure out a way to lease some land they own off of Snow Hill Rd. (very near to the future site of the farm campus). This didn’t work because of some legal issues that prevent a non-profit from renting land to a for profit farm without having to pay market-rate tax value on the land. Farms only have to pay property tax based on its “present use” which is agriculture or forestry.
It’s great to be in a community so supportive of agriculture. One where the people buy from local farms and the elected leaders fund programs to help farms grow and thrive. It’s blackberry and blueberry picking time at Heeks Farm. Plenty of berries. Nothing says July 4th like blackberry cobbler. We’re open Saturday from 8am-5pm and Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm. Call 919-627-2946 to confirm hours and berry availability.
Your Farmer,
David Heeks
P.P.S. Oreo has decided she wants to be a momma again. She’s sitting on a clutch of eggs in the chicken coop. I’m not sure if she’s keeping them cool or warming them up. It takes 21 days. I’ll keep you posted.
P.S. Check out the website for the Durham Farm Campus at www.durhamfarmcampus.org and read the article from the Indy Week.