For decades, children have left their family farms in search of their fortunes, eager to explore the world beyond the dusty dirt roads and planted fields. One fourth-generation farm, however, is nearing its centennial milestone with no signs of slowing down.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview encompasses 800 acres and has a rich cultural and agricultural history dating back to 1916 (see Part One: The Early Years in last month’s issue). The farm has played host to statesmen, rural farmers, traveling students, and energetic children romping through the orchard and woods.

Building on the legacy of Jim and Elizabeth McClure, the farm’s initial settlers, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren (26 in all) are creating a wonderful renaissance with innovative thinking, new technology, and the same time-honored tenets of hard work, respect for the land, and community. The McClure’s daughter Elspeth and her husband Jamie Clarke raised their six children, William, Doug, Jim, Dumont, Annie, and Susie, in a home where art and music were celebrated, ideas were encouraged, and hard work was commended.

Even on the chilly winter day we visited, the farm is teeming with activity. Annie and her husband John Ager now live in the big farmhouse which still serves as the hub for family gatherings and important meetings. The sounds of a violin float through the house as Annie leads us past the kitchen and into the “egg room” where one farm worker is packing up dozens of eggs to be delivered to local restaurants. “That’s our son Kevin playing,” she says. “He just returned from serving in Kandahar, Afghani- stan, and decided he wanted to learn to play the violin.” From the sound of it, he is doing quite well.

Annie and John’s other two sons, Jamie and Doug, are also involved. Doug is a talented carpenter and built the new courtyard-style barn. Jamie and his wife Amy own and operate Hickory Nut Gap Meats. Unlike days of old where success meant wholesale contracts, Jamie and Amy realize that today’s farming requires a more diversified approach and that people want a relationship with their farmer.

“The mission is to connect sustainable agriculture practices, our family history, and our customers by sharing the family farm experience,” says Jamie. Pasture rotation, mixed grazing, and the use of pigs to help create compost and aerate fields by dig- ging with their snouts (what Jamie calls, “Letting a pig express its pigness!”) are a few examples of their land management. There is also a retail store where their grass-fed beef, pastured pork and chicken, and Annie’s eggs are available.

Diversity and community outreach are also keys to their success. Annie and her sister Susie Hamilton operate Hickory Nut Gap Summer Camp, a popular horseback riding and art camp that incorporates Annie’s beloved horses and Susie’s artistic talents. John, aside from being a writer, works to preserve local farmland and is a partner in the low-density development, Drovers Road Preserve. Annie’s brother Doug Clarke manages the upkeep of the farm and recently finished building his family’s solar-powered home on the property. Susie and her husband Dr. Will Hamilton live in an historic house at the base of the mountain. Susie teaches a variety of art including painting, ceramics, and drama for the camp, as well as her after-school program. Dr. Hamilton served as the community doctor for years and now works part time at area retirement homes as well as assisting his daughter and son-in-law, Annie Louise and Isaiah Perkinson, in the running of Flying Cloud Farm.

Annie Louise and Isaiah offer vegetables, fruits, and flowers for local markets and at a little roadside stand. The 14-acre farm sits on rich bottomland and has been in operation for 11 years. The couple uses cover crops and adheres to Organic Materials Review Institute standards for minerals and fertilizers. They also conduct annual soil testing, crop rotation, and use beneficial insect habitat (attracting good bugs).

“I thought it was odd that I, at 20, was thinking about being a farmer. It’s always been a functioning farm, but just not very profitable,” Annie Louise says, “It’s transitional for our generation. We are embracing our heritage but at the same time bringing in a new era of farming.”

William Hamilton (Susie’s son) is the Farmland Program Director for Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, and helped the family add another 28 acres to an existing 290-acre conservation easement. They are currently working with neighbors along the bottomlands to add even more. Annie and Susie’s brother, Billy Clarke is a local environmental lawyer who helped secure the easement, as did another brother Jim, an accountant for Manual Woodworkers in Hendersonville. Although some family members did leave the farm, a part of what makes Hickory Nut Gap Farm so remarkable is their commitment to each other and to their land.

The fifth generation is being taught, as were their parents before them, the value of hard work, the reward of community service, and the fun of being raised on a farm.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm is located at 57 Sugar Hollow Road in Fairview and online at hickorynutgapfarm.com. Hickory Nut Gap Farm and Hickory Nut Gap Meats can be reached at 828.628.1027. Visit Flying Cloud Farm at 1860 Charlotte Highway (Highway 74) and online at flyingcloudfarm.net. They can be reached at 828.768.3348.