A Garden in Bloom

Driving up Old NC 86 in the past year you might have noticed something growing other than subdivisions.  Just past the Carrboro Town line and opposite the Won Buddhist Temple now sits the fertile three-and-a-half acres of “Twin Creeks Farm,” so named because it’s part of the 190 acres of Orange County’s future Twin Creeks Park or Moniese Nomp in the Occaneechi dialect of its former inhabitants.

This fecund miracle of intensive organic growing is the child of a partnership between Jim Sander, of Wildflower Lane Farm, TABLE, the Carrboro-based non-profit providing food to local hungry children, and Orange County government, the landowner.

In 2024, Sander, who has been growing organic produce for TABLE since 2018, had outgrown the 2/3 acre he’d cultivated for vegetables at his Efland homestead. He sought a bigger spread, closer to town easier for volunteers to access to help grow more food and get it quickly to TABLE for the 1,200+ children it now feeds.

In May 2024, Sander contacted Dave Stancil, Director of the County’s Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR). Stancil identified the acreage, a section of the former Cate farm slated for a future County park site. This weedy field was still overgrown and it was going to take a lot of work to restore it to cropland.

Sander and TABLE Director, Ashton Tippins, began a year-long discussion with Orange County. On June 11, 2025, a three-year lease was signed at $100 a year so then, as Sander put it, ‘We could start tearing up the ground’. 

During that formative year, various angels appeared including local philanthropist Frank Phoenix, a principal of the Fenwick Foundation. Frank heard about the project and, after no more than a conversation, wrote TABLE a $5,000 check.

Similarly, Chris Soloma de Cadavid, manager at a regional Lowe’s, steered us to the Chapel Hill Lowe’s where Store Manager, Frank Mathews and Assistant Manager, Janet Gralen came through with a $3,000 contribution of tools and supplies. Along with James Crane and Grayson McKee, they later helped relocate a fence on the site, deer-proofing more growing space.

A grant from Orange County’s Climate Change Fund followed and another grant from the County’s Agricultural Economic Development fund rounded out the seed money needed to install a water connection to OWASA, put up 1,400 feet of 10’ high deer fencing, plow, form planting beds then put down compost, fertilizer and finally seed.

Just as money flowed in, so did people.  “Charlie, a curious local architect living literally across the street, wandered in a year ago.  Next thing you know he was pounding in fence posts.  He’s since designed and built a solar-powered stream and pond complex in a grove of trees at the center of the site. A local self-described  ‘bee mistress’ phoned, then showed up to install and tend two, now flourishing, hives. 

Ed Witkin, a solar contractor arrived one day up with panels, batteries and expertise. Energy from the sun now drives the pond pump, lights and a refrigerator. Phil White from nearby Calvander built three decorative wooden entry gates. Barry Feiler, local garden designer, installed two ornamental gardens.

The list of those volunteering is much longer, but even through this summer’s brutal heat, rotating crews are planting, weeding harvesting, packing and transporting abut 38,000 pounds of organic vegetables or what Sander has calculated will have total market value of $150,000-$170,00.

Because of a late start in summer 2025, there was only a dim hope of getting anything in last autumn. Sander pulled off a miraculous burst of work, combining efforts of local paid contractors and volunteers. Lifetime Calvander resident and long-time farmer, Ray Cheek, was hired to clear the field. He’d worked the same field as a boy seventy years ago, picking out rocks for five cents each. 

Plowing and shed construction by Simon Rose of Small Potatoes Farm followed. Volunteers did the rest. Within two months three-and-a-half acres were cleared and fenced; the first half-acre planted. By November 2025, 9,000 heads of lettuce and over 2,000 pounds of the greens had been harvested and shipped right out to hungry children throughout Orange County.

While nothing was grown from December through February, another 1.5 acres were plowed, fertilized, irrigated and readied planting. From March through July 2026, Sander calculated the harvest at another approximately 30,000 pounds of lettuce, greens, string beans, peppers, eggplant, basil, cherry tomatoes, beets, onions, squash and cucumbers.

Three-quarters of an acre were set aside for flowers to beautify the site and explore the market for locally grown sunflowers, zinnias, giant marigolds and cosmos. As of publication, bouquets and flowers can be found at nine area restaurants including Venable, B-side Lounge, Autostrada Pizza, and Autostrada Gelato in Carrboro all owned by Mary and Drew Tate.

Mary said “Growing up in rural eastern North Carolina, everyone seemed to share what they had. Volunteering for TABLE…I’m proud to continue that tradition, participating in such an incredible effort to share with my neighbors in Orange County.”  

The Chapel Hill Restaurant Group led by Greg Overbeck has TABLE flowers at 411 West and Squids in Chapel Hill plus three more in RTP. Overbeck sums up this unique local partnership between business, government, non-profits and farmers saying, ‘When I was contacted about the availability of flowers, I visited the site and saw the gorgeous zinnias and sunflowers; I immediately decided to use them at all our restaurants. It was an easy decision, since we’ll also be donating to TABLE instead of buying flowers at retailers. I really enjoy visiting the farm every week to harvest flowers. Featuring them in our restaurants can encourage our customers to learn more about TABLE and their mission.”

All photos: Blair Pollock