Thomas Day is truly a complex character. He was born Free in 1801, educated by Quakers in Virginia, and established himself as a furniture maker in Milton in 1821. He quickly rose to prominence as one of the antebellum south’s best craftsmen, and seems to have been accepted in Milton with enthusiasm, while his letters indicate that a sense of isolation and loneliness.
The museum is quickly being prepared to open fully to the public, but is currently available for private tours on request, at a very reasonable cost of $2 per adult and $1 per child.
#northcarolinahistory #ncheritage #nchiddengems #nchiddenhistory
Aubrey Onley is a striped bass farmer in Hertford, NC. He has tons of interesting thoughts on country life, and he really knows what he’s talking about, because his family has lived in Hertford going back many generations. Aubrey works with his wife and his two grown sons, and is a truly kind, thoughtful, and amazing person. Thank you Aubrey!
#southernculture #northcarolinaheritage #countryfolk #southernsayings
Thank you to Arlene, the owner of Aunt Millie’s Pizza in Milton NC for agreeing to explain “do what” on camera for me!
When I asked her to do this, she said, “bless your pea picking heart” 😂 and then explained that wasn’t a nice thing to say 🫶🏻
#northcarolina #southernculture
Nick Dotson is a third generation farmer raising Louisiana Red Swamp Crawfish in Chocowinity, North Carolina.
He fell in love with aquaculture as he worked side by side with his grandfather raising catfish on their family farm, and always knew that when he took over the farm, he wanted to keep the ponds in production. So he decided to raise Crawfish!
We talked a lot about how much you learn growing up on a family farm. Not just about the outdoors and farming, but how he learned skills like confidence and resilience as the family looked out for each other and built each other up.
#northcarolinafarms #youngfarmers #familybusinesses
I got to meet Herbert Byrum while filming a series of videos for Locals Seafood. Herbert may be 79 years old, but he pulled in over a thousand pounds of blue catfish on the morning we went out, and he is one of the main sources of Blue Catfish for Locals.
He sent me on my way with fish on ice for my entire family, and it was absolutely delicious. Blue catfish are actually a predatory catfish on the Chowan River, so commercial fisherman who keep their population in check are absolutely critical.
But from a flavor perspective, because they eat other fish, their flavor is unlike any other catfish you’ve ever had - very “oceany” and light in the best way possible.
If you’re buying Blue Catfish from Locals Seafood, there’s a very good chance the fish came straight from Herbert’s fishing boat!
I’ve been trying to understand how Herbert just knows so many things that people today spend years in therapy trying to figure out, and I think it’s related to the transmission of knowledge from one generation to another that has occurred in his family for at least five generations now.
Many people don’t understand the importance of generational wisdom when it comes to commercial fishing. From the time he was a little boy, Herbert was out on the water with his father and other family members, absorbing their profound knowledge of the Chowan River and how to read the subtle signs of nature and adapt to them.
He clearly received more from them than just deep wisdom on fishing. To me, this is a stark reminder of the importance of close relationships between older and younger family members, and what we lose when those connections break down.
#fishing #chowanriver #heritage #generationalwisdom #ncheritage
The Near Destruction of Raleigh
On April 13, 1865, the City of Raleigh narrowly missed complete destruction when the peaceful surrender of the city was almost unraveled due to the inexplicable actions of a long solider.
City of Raleigh Executive Director Ernest Dollar, author of Hearts Torn Asunder, tells the story
Herbert Byrum is a fifth generation, 79 year old working commercial fisherman on the Chowan River.
He grew up fishing the river with his family, and went into business for himself as a fisherman in 1964, and says that he has loved every single day of it and hopes to never retire.
When I asked him what advice he wishes he could go back in time and give his younger self, I thought he was going to say something about his career. Instead, he began to talk about his 50+ year marriage and the deep love and gratitude he has for his late wife.
(If you’re curious about his accent, it’s something close to a “high tider” accent you’d find on the outer banks)
#chowanriver #commercialfisherman #northcarolina #heritage
I’m not going to lie, this is my new favorite way to eat sashimi. Or is it my new favorite way to eat bbq 🧐
This striped base was filleted fresh from the tanks at the NCSU Pamlico Aquaculture Facility near Aurora, NC, so we were positive they were completely safe to eat raw. But you could make this with sushi grade fish from HMart, or with fresh fish you caught yourself!
#ncaquaculture #stripedbass #fishing #recipeideas
Mike Jones of MAE Farm is a multi award winning small farmer and has a ton of wisdom to share not just on agriculture but on owning a small business in general.
I’ll admit that I always shop by labels like this, but talking to Mike has completely opened my eyes to the harm that can be done when farmers have to pursue a trendy marketing label for its own sake.
Especially when it comes to labels like “grass fed and finished”. We talked a lot about situations where cattle end up malnourished and exposed to stressful living conditions because consumers believe that label is a mark of the highest quality. More on that to come.
Is there a marketing label you always look for when shopping at the grocery store?
#ncfarmer #ncagriculture #northcarolina #agribusiness
Beekeeping is hard work, and it isn’t easy to turn a profit. Tim discovered this firsthand caring for his brother’s 100 plus hives!
Starting NC Country Roads Honey was his way to stay involved in the beekeeping, and provide value to beekeepers, his family, and customers 🍯
I was actually shocked when I tasted it the first time. I could not believe that is what honey could taste like - super buttery, but with no butter or anything added but honey and cinnamon?
Mae Farm | NC Stare Farmers Market
📍1209 Farmers Market Dr, Raleigh NC
NOFO @ the Pig
📍2014 Fairview Rd, Raleigh NC
The Perfect Piece
📍200 E Chatham St, Cary NC
#agweek #beekeeping #beekeeper #gottobenc #raleigh #northcarolina #ncagriculture #apiary #explorethetriangle
Just don't tell this florist in downtown Wake Forest that you want a cookie cutter arrangement designed by a corporate floral wire service...
📍Heritage Flowers | 352 S White Street Wake Forest NC
#wakeforest #raleigh #youngsville #visitnc #rdu #nctripping #explorenc #northcarolina
#ncgems #lovenc #ilovenc #ncblogger #downtownraleigh #downtownwakeforest #explorethetriangle
