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Brian Fletcher and Nicole Struble didn't set out to become farmers. But, a passion for food and finding enjoyment in "playing in dirt" led the couple to growing vegetables and raising trout at Deer Valley Farm.
"My background is as a chef," Fletcher said. "I have always had a passion for good food, and liked to use organic, local food in my cooking."
Fletcher met Deer Valley owner Bob Young while working as a sous chef at a restaurant in Spindale. Young offered him an opportunity to intern at the farm.
"And I've been here ever since," Fletcher said.
Fletcher had grown personal gardens, but had never ventured into commercial farming until he met Young. Now, he grows everything from greens, kale, kohlrabi, arugula and even brussel sprouts.
"We really like to grow lettuce," Fletcher said. The couple currently has a greenhouse with leaf lettuces growing, which will be sold to restaurants in the region.
One of the most popular items the farm has to offer is farm-raised trout. The trout are purchased as babies from a trout farm in Brevard - "They provide trout to the North Carolina hatcheries," Fletcher said - and are raised in a spring-fed pond located on the farm's 25 acres. Trout are processed at the farm as well.
"One of our favorite ways to prepare it is to smoke it," Fletcher said. "It is brined with salt and sugar, and then smoked for 6 to 8 hours at 165 degrees. Once it's smoked, it's preserved and very shelf stable, and can be used on salads and in dips, chowders and trout cakes."
Deer Valley's items aren't just on restaurant menus. The farm will again have vegetables and trout for sale at the Farmer's Market of Rutherford County and farmer's markets in Rutherfordton, Marion, Spartanburg and Asheville.
This spring Deer Valley Farm will offer its second CSA. CSA stands for community supported agriculture.
"With community supported agriculture, you invest in local farms by purchasing shares of their crops," explained Struble. Essentially, a CSA works as "subscriber" service for those who participate. Each week participants receive a basket of seasonal, organic produce that will feed a family of four.
"It is beneficial for farmers and buyers," Struble continued. "For the farmer, it allows us to know how many mouths we are feeding. For a buyer, purchasing local vegetables allows you to know exactly where your food is grown and there are so many more nutrients in the vegetables."
Vegetables are picked in the morning, she added, and CSA participants can pick up their baskets at drop off points that afternoon.
"I've had our items last in the refrigerator at least two weeks," she said.
The CSA will begin April 12 and run through May 31, and those who take part will see cold crops like broccoli and lettuce included in the beginning, Struble said.
The cost for the 8-week CSA is $170.
An open house and registration event for the CSA will be held at the farm on April 1, and a farm to table event is being planned. For more information on the event or to apply for the CSA before the April 5 deadline, contact the farm at DeerValleyFarmNC@gmail.com, 828-748-9121 or visit Facebook.com/DeerValleyFarmNC.
