About
Old North Farm
Old North Farm is a place for growing, gathering, and supporting our local food community. On one acre in Cleveland County, Jamie Swofford and a small team of individuals grow seasonal vegetables for their Cleveland County neighbors and beyond.
We supply high-quality ingredients for chefs, breweries, and cocktail craftsmen in the North Carolina Piedmont and serve our neighbors every Saturday at the Foothills Farmers Market and across three seasons with the Old North Farm share.
PRACTICESGrowing on a small footprint means growing with great care. On one acre, we grow nutrient-dense vegetables without the use of chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, or large equipment. Our fields are hand-tended and our work is ingredient-driven. We use organic practices and focus on soil health to support a healthy ecosystem for our crops. Using intensive practices, we cultivate high-quality produce across four seasons.
PRODUCTS
We’re interested in unique products with exceptional flavor. As food people, we focus on highlighting the ingredients of our region while developing flavors that inspire. Shop Our Products
Our Story
It was January 2014, the middle of winter, when writer Keia Mastrianni asked Jamie Swofford for an interview. She was interested in writing a story about the chef-turned-farmer she’d heard so much about in her reporting circles. In an equally wintry reply, Jamie Swofford politely declined the interview.
Had this been the end of the story, Old North Farm would not exist today.
Luckily, that wasn’t the end. Jamie did, indeed, meet Keia for an interview. She published two stories about him before they fell in love and began imagining a life together. Since then, the two have built a life based on their mutual love languages–– food and service. Jamie started a beverage company and Keia became the baker and owner of a small pie business called Milk Glass Pie. Since then, their mutual interests have formed and shaped the vision of Old North Farm.
The farm continues to grow around the local community and Milk Glass Pie, the bakery that grew out of their union (and Jamie’s persistent encouragement), is proudly farm-based with fruit orchards and a pie garden that will eventually become a working part of the bakery’s supply chain.
At Old North Farm, Jamie and Keia host on-farm dinners and workshops that allow them to share their love of food and cooking with others. Old North Farm is the heart center of all they do. It is a dream realized.
Jamie Swofford
Before he farmed for a living, Swofford spent nearly two decades in kitchens throughout the Southeast and abroad. Equipped with a wealth of experience, deep culinary understanding, and a desire to preserve traditions rooted in Appalachian culture, he explores food in all of its facets; from his work in the field to his own line of artisanal products.
A deep commitment to agriculture paired with an insatiable culinary curiosity is the place in which you’ll find Jamie Swofford these days. His work is inextricably linked to his homeplace and thus, his heart. In the field, he works with preservation and place in mind. In the kitchen, he explores flavors while honoring tradition and craft.
Scout Denning
Scout Denning is a Shelby, NC local with a BA in Sustainable Agriculture from Appalachian State University. As an aspiring market farmer, they are rooted in this community and hope to focus on perennial and orchard production. Scout’s favorite crops to grow are strawberries, garlic and okra. They spend their time off building compost piles, cooking, and listening to female musicians from Patsy Cline, to Megan Thee Stallion.
Jordan Mitchell
Jordan Mitchell was raised in Shelby, NC and after a few years of studying and traveling has found her way back to this area. She loves being a part of the unique, inclusive farm community that is Old North Farm. She has a healthy, totally manageable obsession with K-Pop, houseplants, and stuffed animals.
