Puzzle Peace Farm

Though they are young, Rutherford County farmers Thomas Carson and Lindy Abrams have developed a love and respect for the land that is mature beyond their years. With a great deal of study, hard work and determination, Thomas and Lindy they have carved out their own special niche on Mother Earth. Thomas’ family has been in Rutherford County for many years, and he is the third generation to live and work on Puzzle Peace Farm. His father grew wheat for a time and currently works with farm machinery, so Thomas has been familiar with farming from an early age.  Because he always wanted to grow food and to become self-sufficient, he started farming two years ago.  Lindy had previously operated her own small farm in nearby Rutherfordton, but with common interests and goals, it just made sense for them to combine forces.

Thomas and Lindy describe Puzzle Peace Farm as a small-scale sustainable enterprise. Although not yet certified, these young farmers insist on using organic methods for in everything they do (no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers are used). Their long term goal is to be as sustainable as possible, therefore minimizing their farm’s negative imprint on the environment. This involves effective composting, cover cropping, passive water collection and irrigation. Alternative energies, used efficiently and sparingly to power equipment and to provide electricity and heating are also vital to this goal.

As its name suggests, Puzzle Peace Farm resembles a complex puzzle. Its pieces include a diverse mix vegetables, wild edibles, pastured dairy goats, chickens, and hogs… somehow all fitting together to make the picture of a successful small farm complete. Each piece of the puzzle benefits and compliments another, like the hogs and goats that eliminate kudzu to create a suitable planting site for vegetables. In turn, waste vegetables provide a portion of the feed for the livestock that made growing them possible. These types of symbiotic relationships, orchestrated by Thomas and Lindy, lend a sense of peace and harmony to the farm.

Look for Puzzle Peace Farm products at the Foothills Farmers’ Market satellite location in Boiling Springs, at the Charlotte Regional Farmers’ Market on Yorkmont Road, or online at www.farmersfreshmarket.org.