By Sidney Cruze | Photos by Don McKenzie

• Introduction
• The incubator model
• Hands-on training, home-grown skills
• Download the full article as a

The incubator model

This spring the fields at Raft Swamp Farm were blanketed by cover crops: crimson clover, browntop millet and cereal rye rippled in the breeze. By late summer, farm owners Jackie and Louie Hough harvest golden squash, French tarragon and heirloom sweet potatoes.

Once a collection of high-producing cotton fields, Raft Swamp comprises 190 acres sitting in the heart of Hoke County farm country. When the Houghs bought it in June 2005, it was nothing but dirt and stubble. Yet they knew it had potential. Located halfway between Fayetteville and Raeford, the farm is well situated to meet the area’s growing demand for local organic produce.

The farm is named for Raft Swamp Creek, which runs a mile down its western border. At its core sits 24 acres that anchor a not-for-profit organic farm incubator program where farmers can learn the art and craft of sustainable farming. The Houghs call this the Raft, which stands for Restoring Agriculture, Family and Tradition.

The Houghs plan to grow organic herbs and vegetables here. “And we want to create an opportunity for others to learn about sustainable farming,” Jackie says. “We want to educate people on how to live in harmony with the environment and preserve North Carolina’s agricultural traditions.”

A former sergeant major in the Army’s Special Forces, Louie spent his first 19 years on a 40-acre farm in Indiana. Jackie grew up in a small Wisconsin farm town, then joined the Army Nurse Corps before taking her job as a neonatal intensive care nurse. Both were looking for a return to their rural roots.

After purchasing Raft Swamp Farm, they set aside 40 acres for themselves, then talked to Tony Kleese at the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association about a wise use for the remaining land. When Kleese described an organic farm incubator program at The Intervale in Burlington, Vermont, they knew they wanted to create a similar model on their farm.

Much like the business incubator model formed by chambers of commerce and county governments, The Intervale’s Farms Program helps organic farmers get started by giving them access to land, equipment and technical expertise. Thirteen farms now operate at The Intervale, where they provide organic produce for the Burlington community. Six farmers and more than 50 interns have graduated from the program. Many of them now own their own land and earn their livelihood by selling produce to Vermont citizens.

At Raft Swamp Farm, once growers commit to a lease, they have access to all the Houghs’ equipment and facilities. Farmers will be responsible for buying their own seeds, and each incubator farm will have a small storage shed. Plants can be started in one of two greenhouses, while a lath house will give them space to harden off before they get planted. The Houghs have a wind-powered pump that will provide water for irrigation, plus a tractor, a cultivator and a disc. “We still need a grain drill,” Jackie says. “Our goal is have all the equipment the farmers need right here on the farm.”