More than 100 people attended Chatham Conservation Partnership's 10 year anniversary celebration held last month…
On Saturday, November 7, friends gathered at Bailey and Sarah Williamson Preserve to celebrate a new chapter for Reclamation FARMacy, the Raleigh-based nonprofit farm led by founding farmer and Executive Director Shy Palmer. The organization officially broke ground on its new space as the newest member of TLC's Williamson Farm Program.
The move to Williamson Preserve gives Reclamation FARMacy six acres to work with. Shy plans to grow food for a farm stand, open a community garden where people can plant and harvest their own food, and set aside space for a pollinator garden and beekeeping. All six acres will be farmed using regenerative agricultural methods. On Saturday, event attendees heard from Shy about the journey so far, walked in a processional to the new ground, and helped honor the land and all those who came before.
"Expanding to six acres means more space to grow culturally relevant foods from the Black diaspora, honor the agricultural knowledge of our ancestors, and deepen the Black community's connection to land and one another," Shy said. "Through our partnership with Triangle Land Conservancy, we're growing opportunities for our community to reclaim our food traditions and shape a food system rooted in dignity, justice, and collective care."
Reclamation FARMacy's work centers on expanding access to fresh, nutritious food through agricultural education, hands-on training and sustainable, culturally relevant farming. By building skills and strengthening local food systems, the farm helps foster long-term food security and community resilience.
A growing community at Williamson
TLC's Williamson Farm Program sets aside 120 acres of the preserve for farming. The program gives beginning farmers access to farmland plus shared use of equipment and infrastructure, including a tractor and the Agriculture Pavilion. It also keeps working farmland in production in one of the fastest-developing regions of North Carolina.
Reclamation FARMacy joins farms already working the land at Williamson: Karen Community Farm, Project Pando, Farm of Zebulon and Broadwell Farms.
"Triangle Land Conservancy is beyond excited for this new partnership with Reclamation FARMacy," said Heather Szaro, Associate Farm Manager at TLC. "Shy and her team work tirelessly to support and grow community in their quest to strengthen our local food system. Our shared goals will not only allow for RF's expansion, they will also add tremendously to TLC's farm program."
