BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – The idea for Lively Grove Farms came about when Kelsey Smith and her husband were planning to set down roots and start a family.
“At that time, I was starting to do a deep dive into health nutrition and where our food comes from. I really wanted to move forward with organic practices as well as regenerative farming,” said Kelsey Smith, Owner of Lively Grove Farms.
After spending three decades in agricultural research for the state, Smith’s father-in-law, Fred, was on board as well.
“I happen to be down here doing some recovery workout after Florence hurricane and right around just keeping my eye on what flooded and what didn’t,” said Fred Smith, Owner of Lively Grove Farms.
It took one phone call to get the ball rolling.
“It was 2018, I was deployed in Iraq and I got a phone call saying that Fred found the perfect land to grow blueberries,” said Kelsey.
At the time, the land in Brunswick County was covered in pine trees, but the soil was full of nutrients and still is.
” If you think about trees, nobody’s ever fertilizing trees. They grow mainly because those microbes that I mentioned are mineralizing the naturally occurring minerals in the soil,” said Fred.
That’s exactly how Kelsey envisioned the farm.
“Our philosophy here at. The farm is. Biology over chemicals. We do not spray pesticides. We do not spray fertilizers and we do not spray any herbicides. So, for us, we’ve had to learn other farming methods to ensure that, first off, the soil is healthy. It ultimately takes care of the plants,” said Kelsey.
It took years of hard work to get the soil ready, plant the seeds, and give them time to grow. Now, people can enjoy picking blackberries and blueberries, eating them right off the bush.
Sara Harper says going to the farm has become part of her family’s vacation. She and her husband bring their kids, Ellis and Rosemary. Harper says her kids love to pick berries, and she sees it as a way to plant a seed to grow in their young brains.
“We always are looking for opportunities to get them interested in nature and what they eat, so it’s an educational and fun opportunity for all of us to be out here on the farm,” said Harper.
That’s one of the things Kelsey enjoys the most, especially when she gets to talk to kids.
“We had a daycare group come out here, and one of the first things that I love to ask: Who’s been to the farm? Who knows where their food comes from? I love educating not just daycares, but also homeschool groups and churches. And we’ll talk about what it means to be an organic farmer or regenerative farmer. And ultimately, where your food comes from,” said Kelsey.
Kelsey hopes their conversations will help sprout the next generation of farmers.
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