welcome to grateful growers!
We are going to Slovenia!
The U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana, Slovenia has decided to use employ “food diplomacy” to showcase American culture and diversity, as well as to highlight sustainable development and environmentally-friendly practices in the United States. The centerpiece of the project is the month-long visit by two American chefs in April: Lenny Russo (Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market-St. Paul, Minnesota) and Cassie Parsons (Harvest Moon Grille-Charlotte, North Carolina). The program, conceived by Public Affairs Officer Christopher Wurst, will feature American food nights at top Ljubljana restaurants and food evenings hosted by U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia Joseph Mussomeli; but the highlight will be an eight-episode television series-”Seasoned by Americans”-on POP-TV, Slovenia’s most-watched TV channel. “Seasoned by Americans” will take the chefs throughout Slovenia (Chef Russo in the west, Chef Parsons in the east), to discover traditional Slovene ingredients, dishes and preparations. They will encounter strange traditions, unique characters and amazing landscapes-and they will occasionally be put on the spot to try and recreate Slovene dishes. At the same time, the American chefs will have the opportunity to share their experience and expertise with the Slovenians they meet. They are excited to work with other food artisans and farmers. According to Wurst, the American chefs were chosen because of their philosophies and strong backgrounds in “farm-to-table” food.
Follow along on our journey by visiting the “Slovenia Blog” page of this website. You can also follow us via the Charlotte Observer, or listen to our podcast on Food Arts magazine, our own new website Real Food Real Farms, or pick us up on iTunes
Cassie wins food category at 2nd annual Sustainability Awards
Cassie gives TED talk in Charlotte (February 15, 2013)
Cassie Wins “Citizen Entrepreneur” Award from Global Green USA! (June 2012)
click here for a link to more info
Cassie named “Restaurateur of the Year” by Charlotte Magazine (December, 2011)
click here for a link to the article
Cassie is featured in Charlotte Magazine’s “Power and Influence” edition (November, 2011).
Click here for a link to the article and accompanying video
Check us out on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Now!
click here for a link to the YouTube version of the story they ran about us and our restaurant on 2/16/11
Who we are
Grateful Growers Farm is a small diversified farm in eastern Lincoln County, North Carolina. Our farm is all about producing amazing food in a conscientious manner. We like to think of our operation as a meeting of craftsmanship agriculture and culinary artistry. We raise a menagerie of animals, but the cornerstone of our farm is the Tamworth hog. Unlike ‘mass produced’ pork, our hogs are raised on pastures where they freely graze, play and wallow. We do not use added hormones or antibiotics in growing our animals, and our finished products are all free from fillers, preservatives, nitrates and MSG. Our products can be found at a variety of local farmers’ markets, fine restaurants, and retailers in the greater Charlotte area (and beyond!).
In addition to producing wonderful food, we are also passionate about cultivating a sense of community through our farming enterprise. We welcome you to our site and encourage you to browse, learn and question. Your food fuels your body and spirit; so get to know it, and it’s producers, by starting here.
Learn more by watching this video by our friend Alex Gregor