I had the privilege to write about some of the farms in Carteret County, NC the past 5 years. My husband and I just moved to Lincoln County in the foothills of the NC Mountains in December 2023. I am still learning about my new 'place' and am looking forward to learning about some of the farms in our new town. As a Freelance Writer, I get to tell the 'story' of some amazing people along the way. I hope you enjoy the article below of one of the farms in Bettie, NC in a place called Down East.
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The Simpson Farm in Bettie NC
Will
Rodgers once said, “The farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn’t still be a
farmer.” That is the beginning of the story of the Simpson’s Farm at 743
Highway 70 in Bettie, run by George and Sandra Simpson. In 1918, George’s grandfather George (Frank)
Simpson bought 20 acres of land in Bettie. He cleared the land by hand and by
candlelight. He did the work at night because the nighttime was not so hot. He
raised hogs and vegetables to feed his family. When Frank died, George’s
father, Dyon, took over the farm in 1944. Dyon raised soybeans, cabbage and
sweet potatoes to sell. In 1966, George and Sandra took over the farm. They
truck-farmed mostly potatoes and cabbage. All their children helped with the
farm, along with migrant workers they hired. When their children became grown
and started having children, the grandchildren took over where their parents
left off.
Sandra
said, “Our farm stand is run by family. It is where we teach our grandchildren
how things are grown and sold and to respect your customers.” Apparently, the
ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and
perfection of human beings. George and Sandra did not “set out” to have a farm
stand. When George Jr. was 11 years old, he wanted to grow some tomato plants.
Of course, his parents encouraged him. That first summer, he had an abundance
of tomatoes, so he set up a farm stand by the side of the road. The next year,
he asked George and Sandra if they could build him a small greenhouse and if he
could plant two rows of strawberries to sell. He sold those crops as well. They
ended up building four large greenhouses. The farm stand was doing so well that
George and Sandra began growing strawberries, cantaloupe, squash, sharp head
cabbage, onions, potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Sandra spent her days doing a
lot of cooking for everyone as all the workers had to be fed lunch and snacks.
Her baked goods, jams, breads and pickles were such a hit that she was
encouraged to bake and sell her goods as well. Another building was built with
a commercial kitchen, and Sandra called it Nannie’s Bakery. She is most famous
for her pies: strawberry, pineapple, coconut, Hawaiian, peach, sweet potato and
Butterfinger. She also makes and sells cookies, cream bars and cakes, with her
German Chocolate being the most sought after. The old barn still stands on the
property. Sandra, smiling, said, “What if old barns could talk? They would have
a lot to say.” No doubt, that barn is full of wisdom as it would tell the
stories of the families that lived there, of the things and events that it
witnessed, of the storms it endured and the endings of things. There will be
stories told and forgotten, and some reinvented anew. A good life is a
collection of happy memories. The barn has seen lots of beginnings and endings,
but there is no real ending in life. It’s just the place where you stop the
story.
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