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Helping communities across the state connect their heritage arts and traditions to local development, education, and active citizenship

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Got to Be NC

Visit the Goats

Text and photos by Ray Linville If you like artisan cheese, visit the creamery where it’s made. Even better, get introduced to the animals. If you like chevre, a word we borrow from French for goat cheese, don’t forget to talk to the goats. When Paradox Farm held Spring Farm Day and opened its property… Read More →

Filed Under: Central NC, Destinations, Food, Products, Uncategorized Tagged With: cheese, farm, farmers market, goats, Got to Be NC, Moore County, Paradox Farms, Ray Linville

First Local Berries of the Season

By Ray Linville Finding locally grown strawberries is a sure sign that spring has arrived. As I was driving in the Monkey Junction area of Wilmington on the last weekend in March, I noticed a berry stand that had been closed for months was open. North Carolina, the third largest producer of strawberries in the… Read More →

Filed Under: Destinations, Food, Southeastern NC, Uncategorized Tagged With: agriculture, Got to Be NC, New Hanover County, Pender County, Ray Linville, Strawberries, Wilmington

Pruning Peach Orchards: A Lifetime Skill and Dedication

by Ray Linville Nothing says spring like the arrival of flower blossoms, particularly in the Sandhills and eastern North Carolina with blooms on acres and acres of peach trees. Many in North Carolina believe that our state’s peaches are the best (they’re right) and that peaches are native to the South (they’re wrong). Cultivated in… Read More →

Filed Under: Central NC, Destinations, Eastern NC, New South, Products, Uncategorized Tagged With: agriculture, Got to Be NC, Moore County, peach, Ray Linville, Sandhills, Triad, Triangle

Making Mac and Cheese Better with N.C. Mountain Cheese

by Ray Linville What’s the most important ingredient in macaroni and cheese? Except for the love that the preparer personally adds, is one item more important than anything else? The questions may seem frivolous because today the recipe at home can be quite simple – unless you’re Thomas Jefferson, who was so consumed with serving… Read More →

Filed Under: Central NC, Destinations, Eastern NC, Food, New South, Products, Recipes, Southeastern NC, Uncategorized, Western NC Tagged With: agriculture, Ashe County, Ashley Christensen, cheese, Chef James Hemins, dairy, farmers market, Got to Be NC, Jeff Lee, macaroni, Ray Linville

Learning About Cheese Making (and Feeding a Baby Goat)

by Ray Linville To watch cheese being made, taste some artisan cheese samples, and take home a package or two, I headed to the Blue Ridge area of our state to travel part of the Western North Carolina Cheese Trail. Little did I expect to be bottle-feeding a day-old baby goat. Within minutes after arriving… Read More →

Filed Under: Destinations, Food, Products, Recipes, Uncategorized, Western NC Tagged With: agriculture, cheese, cheese trail, dairy, farm, farmers market, goat, Got to Be NC, Ray Linville, sustainable agriculture

Mountain Trout Is N.C. Good

by Ray Linville Imagine fishing in a fast-flowing, rocky mountain stream and reeling in trout for dinner. Such experiences have always been part of the food culture in the Blue Ridge region, whether for the Cherokee with prehistoric ties to its hills and streams or the families who settled there after the Trail of Tears… Read More →

Filed Under: Destinations, Food, Recipes, Uncategorized, Western NC Tagged With: agriculture, aquaculture, Blue Ridge, Cherokee, farm, farmers market, fish, Got to Be NC, Haywood County, heritage tourism, Mountain, Ray Linville, trout, wildlife

Foods Made in N.C. Often Continue Family Traditions

by Ray Linville Have you ever wandered through a festival that showcases the best flavors and tastes of North Carolina? Imagine attending an event that highlights the best of N.C. agriculture and celebrates specialty foods made in our state. The three-day, family-friendly Got to Be NC Festival  held each May at the State Fairgrounds in… Read More →

Filed Under: Central NC, Destinations, Eastern NC, Food, New South, Products, Recipes, Southeastern NC, Uncategorized, Western NC Tagged With: agriculture, festival, Got to Be NC, Ray Linville, sausage, specialty food, vineyard

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