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Local farms fill the needs of restaurants in region
Regan Hill photo
Executive chef Michael Spencer of Maestro's picks up some lettuce grown by Aileen Steelman during Thursday evening farmer's market at Pecan Park.
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Published: June 13, 2009
David and Cheryl Correll don't get many opportunities to taste their crops outside the comfort of their own home.
So eating the vegetables at Mayo's Ristorante on North Center Street on Thursday was a bit of a treat for the couple, who operate Red Barn Market Correll Farms LLC in Cleveland. The onions, grilled zucchini and squash accompanying David Correll's flank steak all came from the west Rowan County farm.
"It was fantastic," he said.
The farm is where Mayo's owner Sheryl Toukola buys her vegetables every week. The feeding stalls near the tomato fields are a bit of a giveaway that Correll Farms once housed a different brand of agricultural enterprise.
The Correll Family made the transition from dairy cattle to squash, tomatoes, berries, lettuce and other items, such as purple Brussels sprouts, about five years ago.
Tomatoes have been somewhat of a staple, said farmer David Correll. His father has been growing tomatoes on the farm since he was 16.
The key during the transition has been variety, he said. The farm's customers range from restaurants to customers at the local farmers markets to produce distributors.
"I'm not afraid to plant anything and try it," Correll said. "We have worked for years to get our soil in best shape we can. Where we try to set ourselves apart is the variety."
The 20 acres of tomatoes is the farm's big cash crop. Every summer, several varieties of tomatoes are picked and sold to Standard Produce in Charlottesville, Va., and Combs Produce in Winston-Salem. In addition to Mayo's and Maestro's Cafe, Chef Santos, Ilcolosseo Italian Restaurant and Romano's Italian Restaurant in Salisbury purchase the Corrells' produce from that local farmers' market.
"The restaurant folks aren't a big part of our business," Correll said. "We are sort of limited in we can't serve but so many."
One can always tell if a restaurant uses fresh vegetables, Correll said. However, there aren't enough local farmers solely producing fruits and vegetables for restaurateurs to have that option.
When Correll recently ran out of lettuce, Toukola had to start relying on a distributor to ship it in. People usually come by his stand at the farmers' market because he has miniature eggplants, purple cauliflower or huge heads of cabbage. This year, the farm grew eight different types of lettuce and six different kinds of broccoli. It is a challenge to grow so many varieties, such as the red and golden raspberries, because everything has to be handled differently and has its own individual needs.
"All this rain did not impress the raspberries," Correll said, looking over a vine.
Correll said he misses milking cows, but he's come to enjoy the camaraderie at the farmers' markets. The markets in Statesville, Mooresville, Davidson and Salisbury now make up 10 to 15 percent of the farm's total business.
"A lot of people come to my table at the market to see what weird things I'm growing," Correll said.
And he doesn't disappoint the crowds by bringing out six different types of peppers, including purple ones, artichokes and miniature eggplants. For those who don't know any recipes for items, such as the Swiss chard, Correll usually comes prepared with a recipe of his own.
The Corrells are careful about what they send to each market. People in Salisbury don't always want to eat as much kale as the customers in Davidson, he said.
"People are trying to get healthy," Correll said. "Everyone wants to eat green."
Planting at Correll Farms starts as early as mid-January when lettuce seeds are potted in one of the greenhouses. Correll and his family regularly rotate out the crops in order to keep the supplies fresh. Pumpkins will replace the rows that held cauliflower until just a couple weeks ago. The old lettuce rows now have sweet potato leaves springing out of the top.
Correll said it takes some skill to get everything timed just right.
"I do a lot of things on a small scale," he said.
The crops are spread along 400 acres, which sometimes provides a challenge for Correll and his family. He admits he doesn't always get to everything because he is constantly preparing for the next market.
"This isn't easy work," Correll said. "Agriculture is real volatile. You have to work with the other people at the markets."
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