Yancey County grower is 2014 N.C. Small Farmer of the Year
Greensboro -- In a state where the average age of a farmer is 57, the new face of farming in North Carolina belongs to a 34-year-old grower from Yancey County with a passion for agriculture; 6 acres of USDA organically certified vegetables, and an earlier career as a model.
Ryan Wiebe (We Be) was named the 2014 North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year by The Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University during ceremonies Wednesday on the campus. Wiebe's recognition was of special note given the theme of this year's Small Farms Week celebration: "Innovations for the Next Generation."
The 6-acre Wiebe Farmin' began in 2004 with assistance from Yancey County Cooperative Extension and A&T's Extension program. Known for its organic vegetables, quality packaging and clean operation, Wiebe Farmin' ships 3-to-5 tons of produce weekly during its peak growing season and about 20 tons, annually. The operation has expanded from a quarter-acre garden yielding produce sold to individual customers at tailgate markets to an agribusiness that cultivates a wholesale market of grocers, restaurants and other food suppliers.
"I'd like to thank A&T for starting me off in farming 10 years ago and I'm continuing today," Wiebe said to a packed campus audience. "I owe a lot to Yancey County Extension and (retired agricultural technician) Claude Deyton. He really saw something in me that I didn't know even existed."
In addition to his successful organic operation, Wiebe was noted for his willingness to help other farmers, and his innovative use of plasticulture, which involves growing vegetables on black plastic and drip irrigation. N.C. A&T officials presented Wiebe with a plaque, monogrammed jacket and $1,500 gift.
Small Farms Week recognizes the small-scale producers in North Carolina who generate $350,000 or less, annually, in agricultural gross sales.
