A Day at Twiddle Dee Farm
Ask a city dweller from North Carolina to name his or her favorite get-away location and, practically in all cases, the answer will be the beaches or the mountains. Oh yes. The crashing of the waves, wind and spray against your face, mountainous winding roads or cascading waterfalls….these are the elements that lure the weary urbanite to drive long distances simply to leave it all behind.
But what happens when the wind and spray, or winding roads and waterfalls, become something to escape? Oh dear. Do the people who live year-round inAsheville travel to the beach to vacation? And do you people— who live inWilmington— hitch it all the way to Asheville? Yes, perhaps many of you Wilmingtonians do head for the hills, in spite of the distance. Yet perhaps there are some of you who are looking for something less of a hassle, less costly, and a whole lot more creative.
In this blog, I am going to introduce an escape alternative for you seaside- living residents of Wilmington. And this alternative is not far down the road. Simply cross over the Isabella Holmes bridge and travel north about 50 miles. It’s that easy — not far physically but a world away from traffic congestion, hordes of tourists, and very, very hot pavement and sand. This escape is called Twiddle Dee Farm.
Twiddle Dee Farm is the brain-child of one Peterson clan member who (1) rejected the model of confined animal feeding operations; (2) knew the deep tilling of row-crop production was not an option for her type of farming; and (3) who knew she had to find a sustainable way to keep this century-old farm from the hammer of development. Carla Peterson had to find a way to make this small farm viable. Could she really do it? It would be challenging but all efforts were focused. The goal: a real working farm that is sensitive to the environment, to the health of the soil, to the welfare of animals, and to the health and well-being of her family and others.
Seventeen years on since Carla took the helm as chief farmer, Twiddle Dee Farm is thriving. It is an honest, authentic, unpretentious haven for horses, small cattle, sheep, wildlife, and farm supporters. The farm is not open to the public. Rather, the adults who gather at the farm are its members. These are the people who have access to the farm, who gather on the courtyard and in the Welcome Center, who warm by the fire pits, who walk the trails and paths, who stroke the animals, and who are committed to the values made present by this farm. It is their escape to the country.
To become a farm member at Twiddle Dee Farm and to help preserve this working farm for yet another century, simply go the farm’s website at https://www.twiddledeefarm.online. There you will find information about how to become a farm member and about the farm itself. The farm is open for its farm members seven days a week, 7 am until 11 pm, 365 days a year. It is a recognized North Carolina Century Farm, a designated North Carolina Green Travel Destination, and its woodlands are certified wildlife habitat.
Become a farm member and enjoy an easy and relaxing escape from the everyday drills of city life. Connect with nature. Connect with our animals. Connect and spend time here with your friends. And appreciate the beauty and benefits of this farm and nature.
