Each month, Blackman & Sloop CPAs, P.A. highlights a client that represents business integrity and the spirit of community. It is our honor to present this month’s spotlight on Maple Spring Gardens.
Maple Spring Gardens is a family owned and operated farm in northwestern Orange County, North Carolina, about 20 miles from Chapel Hill. They raise about 80 different varieties of vegetables, cut flowers and small fruits for sale to local markets. Their produce is available at the Carrboro Farmers Market and Durham Farmers Market throughout the season, and by subscription through their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.
The farm is owned by Ken Dawson and Libby Outlaw. Ken first began raising and marketing organically grown vegetables in Orange County in 1972. Ken and Libby first sold produce at the Carrboro Farmers Market and to Wellspring Grocery (now Whole Foods Market) in 1981. Farming has been Ken’s full time occupation since 1984. It has always been their goal to create an agricultural business while practicing good stewardship of the land. They believe the two are compatible and desire to serve as a model of a viable, environmentally sound farming operation, supplying food to the local community.
As a productive agricultural model, Maple Spring Gardens works year-round to grow and cultivate the various vegetables, fruits, and flowers they sell. This includes using advances in technology such as solar power, composting, and cover cropping.
Maple Spring Gardens is accepting registrations for their 2014 CSA program. Sign up now for weekly boxes of fresh seasonal produce harvested and delivered from May thru October. As Ken states “We are a small family farm in northern Orange County, supplying fresh produce to the local community for more than 30 years.” 2014 will be their 11th season of offering a CSA program. They raise a wide variety of vegetables, from arugula to zucchini, as well as small fruits such as strawberries and blueberries, fresh herbs, mushrooms and fresh ginger, and a cut flower option with the CSA. Their produce is also available most of the year at the Carrboro and Durham Farmers Markets. Joan Pharr and several other Blackman & Sloop staff participated in the CSA program in 2013 and look forward to their participation in 2014. Joan was heard explaining her excitement on her CSA share pick-up day – “It’s like Christmas every week except the present is fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers.” For more information about the farm, to register for the CSA program, and their growing practices visit www.maplespringgardens.com or their Facebook page.
Blackman & Sloop is proud to be a partner in providing services to Maple Spring Gardens.
About Blackman & Sloop CPAs, P.A.:
Blackman & Sloop is a full-service CPA firm headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is actively involved in auditing, taxation, management consulting, financial planning, and related services. The firm directs a large part of its services toward providing management with advice on budgeting, forecasts, projections, financing decisions, financial analysis, and tax developments. The firm also performs review and compilation services and prepares not-for-profit, corporate, individual, estate, retirement plan, and trust tax returns as well as technology consulting services regarding installation and training on QuickBooks. Blackman & Sloop provides services in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, RTP, Hillsborough, Pittsboro, Charlotte, and the rest of North Carolina. To find out more please visit http://www.blackmansloop.com
Contact: CPA cpa@blackmansloop.com
Toll Free: 1-877-854-7530The Exchange West
1414 Raleigh Rd, Suite 300 Chapel Hill, NC 27517