Script for website:

  1. Home page
  1. History - Flying Cloud Farm, managed by Annie Louise and Isaiah Perkinson, produces vegetables, fruits, and flowers for local markets. The farm is located approximately twelve miles outside of Asheville on route 74A in the last valley before the road climbs the mountain to HendersonCounty. It belongs to Annie's parents, Will and Susie Hamilton, who enthusiastically support the farming endeavors and consume produce galore. Annie is the eldest grandchild of Jamie and Elspie Clarke, who managed Hickory Nut Gap Farm, which is adjacent to Flying Cloud, for many years, as Elspie's parents did before them. Isaiah and Annie have been farming the land for about five years, with an active CSA for four years. The land is rich bottom land, which was used for hayfields for a long time before the produce operation began taking over fields for veggies.
  2. Owners/Staff

Isaiah Perkinson was born in Philadelphia, and moved to Chapel Hill, NC when he was in high school. He attended UNCG for a year, before he decided he could learn more away from institutional education facilities. Isaiah takes care of all of the mechanical aspects of the farm, from tractor work, to irrigation, to refrigeration, to any and all broken things. He is a master at recycling old things, and creating something out of nothing. Off season he works as a carpenter.

Annie Louise Perkinson grew up in Fairview after living briefly in London as a baby and a toddler. She grew up weeding the garden, gathering eggs, helping with canning, jamming, and freezing produce for home consumption, and caring for her many brothers, sisters, and 21 cousins. She attended UNC - Chapel Hill for two years, and graduated from Warren Wilson in 1996. Annie works in the planting, tending, greenhouse propagation, harvesting, and scheduling of the farm. She is particularly fond of picking fruit, and working with the flowers. Annie is also co-owner of Trout Lily Market, Fairview's one and only natural foods convenience store.

Will Hamilton is the patriarch of the farm, providing free advice, willing help, and, lots of enthusiasm. He is an English doctor who practices at Parkway Family Physicians and is a champion of organic produce, whole foods, and a healthy lifesytle.

Susie Hamilton is the matriarch of the farm and a universal mother for all lost souls. She operates an after school art program for children as well as a summer camp with her sister, Annie Ager. She is famous for producing incredible meals for armies of people at a moment's notice.

Sidney Rose Perkinson is the eldest daughter of Annie and Isaiah. She is 7 years old and the social light of the family. She enjoys playing piano, soccer, swimming, and gymnastics, and especially playing with her friends. Her favorite part of the farming operation is selling things at the farmer's market, a job at which she is becoming more and more accomplished.

Ivy Perkinson is three years old, and the youngest daughter. She is wonderful in the fields, grazing on everything from strawberries and sugar snap peas, to dandelion greens and chickweed. She particularly enjoys playing in the tall sunflower playhouse and role playing with us as we work around her, she is usually the mother and everyone else is "honey". However, she is not asocial child, and prefers to stay home with her immediate family, so she may not be seen at market.

Interns

  1. How We Farm:

Our farming practices rely on cover cropping, amending the soil with OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) approved minerals and fertilizers, annual soil testing, crop rotation, beneficial insect habitat, and careful planning for insect and weed issues. At this point the land is not certified organic, although we follow the OMRI rules at all times. We have been certified organic in the past, however, when the certification switched from a North Carolina agency to the USDA, the cost increased substantially. We realized that we are primarily direct marketing, giving us immediate contact with the people who are eating our food. This gives folks a chance to ask us any pressing questions, and visit the farm if necessary. At this point we are doing virtually no wholesale distribution of our produce, which would require us to be certified.

  1. CSA

Info can be taken directly from the brochure.

  1. Additional Services/ Products
  1. We sell our produce and flowers at several farmer's markets around the Asheville area. On Saturday mornings, we can be found from 7am to 12pm at the North Asheville Farmer's Market, located on Merrimon Avenue behind the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company. We can also be found on Saturday mornings from 8am to 12pm at the French Broad Food Co-op Market located in the Bio-Wheels parking lot on Biltmore Avenue. At this same location, the Wednesday Evening Downtown Market operates every Wednesday from 3pm to 6pm. This is also the pick-up for our Asheville CSA members.
  2. We offer You-Pick strawberries and blueberries on the farm. The strawberries are available by appointment on designated days, generally in the month of May. The blueberries are ripe in June and early July, and can be picked most any time with payment made at our self-service roadside stand.
  3. We operate a self-service roadside stand at the end of our driveway on 74A. It is open from June thru September, and contains seasonal produce and flowers. The stand is stocked several times during the day, but can be depleted quickly by eager customers. If you see any of the farm crew working, you are welcome to request things, or pick something yourself. We do accept approximate payment, IOU's, nice notes, and payment in advance if change is needed. We know, it is an old-fashioned way of doing business, but it seems to work well for the neighbors.
  4. We also sell our produce at Trout Lily Market, Fairview's one and only natural foods convenience store. It is located on 74A in central Fairview about 1/4 mile before FairviewElementary School on the right. It is open 7 days a week, Monday thru Saturday 9am to 8pm, and Sunday 12pm to 6pm.