chatham liv in g
six tasty salads you can’t miss snapshots of life in chatham
2016 issue | $5
ma ga zi n e
new distillery is making a splash jonathan davis’ glass menagerie
cccc remains a national leader in being green
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A Herald Community Publication with the Chatham Chamber of Commerce and Chatham Economic Development Corp.
chatham living 2016 1
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Thank you
to our Ambassadors and Board for your support and service.
Chamber Ambassadors
Erica Sanders, Ambassador Chair
Branch Manager Carolina Home Mortgage 148 East Street Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-545-3000 Erica@CarolinaHomeMortgage.com
Lana Bradley Relationship Banker BB&T, Pittsboro Branch 44 Powell Place Lane Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-5793 LBradley@bbandt.com
Cindy Dameron REALTOR/Broker, SRES Realty World Carolina Properties 73 Hillsboro Street Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-548-3548 CindyD@RWCP.net
Sharon Dickens Financial Advisor Edward Jones 50101 Governors Drive, Suite 118 Chapel Hill, NC 27517 919-967-9968 Sharon.Dickens@EdwardJones.com
Lisa Edmisten Community Educator Community Home Care & Hospice 108 Village Lake Road Siler City, NC 27344 919-663-1244 Lisa.Edmisten@Community-Companies.com
Debbie Gardner Center Manager Piedmont Health Systems Siler City Community Health Center 224 S. Tenth Street Siler City, NC 27344 919-663-4405 GardnerD@PiedmontHealth.org
Dr. Marcus Timothy Mounce Board President Chatham Transit Network 480 Hillsboro Street, Bldg. F, Suite 110 Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-5136 MTMounce@yahoo.com
Ronda Stubbs Administrative Assistant Cambridge Hills Assisted Living A Silver Thread Community 140 Brookstone Lane Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-545-9573 Ronda@Silver-Thread.com
Debbie Hoyt Board Chair
Sara Donaldson Insurance Sales Agent, LTCP State Farm - Sara Donaldson Ins Agcy., Inc. 547 Hillsboro Street Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-4001 Sara.Donaldson.CU41@StateFarm.com
Michael Whitman, MBA, RFC® Co-Founder MoneyMess 4020 Westchase Blvd, Suite 150 Raleigh, NC 27607 919-260-7709 michael@money-mess.com
Chamber Board of Directors 2015-2016 Broker/REALTOR®, GRI®,SPS® Chatham Homes Realty 490 West Street Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-545-2333 debbieahoyt@gmail.com
Tiffany Steinbrunner, Board Treasurer Market Leader III, Retail & Small Business Lender BB&T 44 Powell Place Lane Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-5673 tsteinbrunner@bbandt.com
Jessica Mashburn Board President Elect Branch Executive Director Chatham YMCA 964 East Street, Suite 100 Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-545-9622 Jessica.Mashburn@YMCATriangle.org Victoria (Tori) Thomas, SPHR Past Board President Principal Digital Benefit Advisors 4325 Lake Boone Trail, Ste. 220 Raleigh, NC 27607 919-313-6705 vthomas@digitalbenefitadvisors.com
Mary Button Co-Owner WLHC – Life 103.1 FM 1002 S. Steele Street, Suite 301 Sanford, NC 27330 919-775-1031 mary@life1031.com
Lori Major Carlin, Ph.D. Public Information Officer/Arts Coordinator Chatham County Schools 369 West Street Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-3586 lcarlin@chatham.k12.nc.us
Robert A. Enders, Jr. President Chatham Hospital 475 Progress Boulevard Siler City, NC 27344 919-799-4001 Robert.Enders@unchealth.unc.edu
Bryan Gruesbeck Pittsboro Town Manager 635 East Street Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-4621, ext. 22 bgruesbeck@pittsboronc.gov
T. Eston Marchant, Ed.D, Public Affairs Officer President Central Carolina Community College 1105 Kelly Drive Sanford, NC 27330 919-718-7246 tmarc489@cccc.edu
Michael Constantino, Ex-Officio Siler City Commissioner 1102 Driftwood Drive Siler City, NC 27344 919-880-1343 ratherbfishing@charter.net
Kim Nelson Membership Officer Co-Owner Pittsboro Ford 1245 Thompson Street Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-3131 knelson@pittsboroford.com
Walter Petty, Ex-Officio Chatham County Commissioner P.O. Box 167 Bonlee, NC 27213 919-200-1940 walter.petty@chathamnc.org
Alfred Devine Regional Sales Coordinator Aflac 514 E. Third Street Siler City, NC 27344 919-663-4900 alfred_devine@us.aflac.com
Tony Rocco Senior Enterprise Account Director CenturyLink 1411 Capital Boulevard Wake Forest, NC 27587 252-469-7010 anthony.j.rocco@centurylink.com
chatham living 2016 3
chatham living magazine 2016 a community publication of
The Sanford Herald with the Chatham Chamber of Commerce & Chatham Economic Development Corp.
Writer, Designer & Photo Contributor Chip Pate Publisher & Editor Bill Horner III Advertising Director Dave Shabaz Chief Photographer Hannah Hunsinger Contributor R.V. Hight Photo Contributors Central Carolina Community College Fitch Creations Inc. We hope Chatham Living will entice you to spend more time exploring the local landscape, which expands over 707 square miles and offers a pleasant surprise around every corner. Jordan Lake; farm, art and wine tours; trails for biking, walking and horses; quaint businesses that offer an array of treasures and services; and restaurants with a variety of food and music are sure to bring you back again and again. We have an exciting future with many opportunities throughout our diverse county and will continue to support our local businesses and promote economic vitality throughout Chatham County. What are you waiting for? Come take advantage of all Chatham County has to offer! Debbie Hoyt, Chatham Chamber of Commerce Dianne Reid, Chatham Economic Development Corp.
T he S anford H erald . 208 St. Clair Court, Sanford, NC, 27330, 919.708.9000 (phone); 919.708.9001 (fax); news@sanfordherald.com. C hatham C hamber of C ommerce . 531 E. Third Street, Siler City, NC, 27344; 919.742.3333. info@ccucc.net. Chatham Economic Development Corp. 964 East Street, PO Box 1627, Pittsboro, NC, 27312; 919.542.8274. info@chathamedc.org. To Advertise in Chatham Living. Contact Dave Shabaz at 919.718.1259 (phone) or dave@ sanfordherald.com.
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Copyright Š 2016 by The Sanford Herald. All rights reserved.
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chatham living magazine 2016
CHATHAM LIVING FEATURES
salads you can’t miss
game on
glass menagerie: a photo essay
green for the future
There are many fresh, innovative options available all around Chatham. } 8
One of the state’s newest distilleries is already making quite a splash. } 12
Working in a quiet studio, Jonathan Davis creates stunning work in glass. } 20
A pioneer in sustainability, CCCC’s green focus means a brighter future. } 24
bocce at the ‘games’
selling history
community lunch
christmas parade!
Competition rolls from intensity to frivolity at the Senior Games. } 11
Not many people can say they work in a business open since 1888. } 19
Diners of all kinds gather for the “misunderstood” weekly lunch. } 23
Santa, bands and floats thrilled everyone lining the streets in Siler City. } 30
SNAPSHOTS OF LIFE On the Cover. Chris Jude, head distiller at Fair Game Beverage Co. in Pittsboro, is part of a statewide surge in craft distilleries.
chatham living 2016 7
Fearrington Beet Salad
taste of chatham dc
Salads You Can’t Miss With our trend toward healthy living, an emphasis on fresh ingredients and even the hipsterization of American menus — kale anyone? — salads are everywhere. Several of Chatham’s best are served at eateries in Fearrington Village, and the best combinations of creativity and accessibility are found at The Granary, a casual restaurant serving what Executive Chef Colin Bedford describes as comfort food and “Southern classics with English influence.” Fearrington Beet Salad If any is a revelation, it must be the Fearrington Beet Salad, an original creation anchoring The Granary’s lunch menu. The classic combination of tangy beets (gently pickled and sourced locally in season) and creamy goat cheese is light and refreshing; their flavor and texture are enhanced by crunchy, candied pecans and microgreens harvested from Fearrington’s own greenhouse.
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Salmon Nicoise
Chef Bedford says the secret is how the beets are prepared. Golden beets forming the base of the salad are salt roasted, while purple beets are boiled, skinned, sliced and pickled overnight. That less-intense twist to the classic preparation has made this salad a local favorite. Salmon Nicoise Fearrington’s take on the traditional salade nicoise keeps the hardboiled eggs and olives of the original, but substitutes seared Scottish salmon for the tuna. It’s an inspired update. The crunchy skin and meatier fish add texture and substance to the lunch-only “large plate,” elevating Salmon Nicoise to a full-fledged entree. With beans, potatoes and an herb aioli rounding out the dish, you have what Chef Bedford accurately describes as a salad that’s healthy, filling and pleasing to the eye. Fried Oyster Salad Speaking of entrees, seafood aficionados also can’t go wrong with the Fried Oyster Salad, which is exactly as it sounds: lightly fried, naturally salty oysters presented on a bed of greens — garnished with peppery radish slices and pickled onion that help cut the rich oysters. A light buttermilk and honey dressing brings it all together. Like its Salmon Nicoise, The Granary’s Fried Oyster Salad was developed after a request by Fearrington developer R.B. Fitch. And, like its seafood counterpart, this selection available at lunch and brunch has developed an enthusiastic following.
Fried Oyster Salad The Fearrington Granary 2000 Fearrington Village Center, Fearrington Village 919.542.2121, fearrington.com
Steak and Blue Cheese Salad }
The Modern Life Deli and Drinks
Yes, beef lovers, we even have something for you — the hearty Steak and Blue Cheese Salad at The Modern Life Deli and Drinks. When Tim and Ky Goodwin wanted a robust selection for their new restaurant menu, the couple modeled this one on dishes they enjoyed in some of the colder cities up North. There’s nothing demure in this bowl. The bold flavors and textures begin with sirloin, seared and grilled in a ridged, cast-iron pan, and only ramp up with a spring mix of greens, fresh tomatoes, crispy onion straws, sharp blue cheese crumbles and a sweet balsamic reduction. Their not-so-guarded secret is a housemade blue cheese vinaigrette that helps balance the dish and has customers begging for more. The Mod, as locals call it, is known for its wood-fired pizzas, but that doesn’t keep sandwiches and salads from flying out of the kitchen as well. And this one is particularly popular, especially among the guys. “It definitely strikes a chord,” Tim says. “Men will eat one and consider it a meal, and you don’t often hear that about a salad. We’re proud of it. It’s been a fan favorite for a while.”
46 Sanford Road, Pittsboro 919.533.6883, modernlifedeli.com
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Chicken Salad }
Lizzie’s Grill-N-Chill
No Southern town can hold its head high without at least one remarkable chicken salad, and there are plenty all over Chatham — from classic family recipes to sophisticated interpretations. One of the best you’ll find anywhere is the traditional Chicken Salad at Lizzie’s Grill-N-Chill, a friendly, local joint in downtown Goldston. There’s nothing fancy or pretentious here. No grapes or pecans. No gimmicks. Just a down-home chicken salad that’s among the best of its kind: slightly sweet with breast meat that’s so tender and finely cut that you’d almost describe the texture as “fluffy.” Elizabeth Lee — that’s “Lizzie” — found inspiration for her Chicken Salad while studying culinary arts with Everett Goldston at Chatham Central High School. Now, she prepares five to 10 pounds every day using chicken that’s fresh, never frozen, and serves it either as a salad plate or sandwich, which is one of her most popular items. Frankly, you can’t go wrong with either. And here’s an insider’s tip: Make sure you throw in an appetizer of Fried Pickles and a side of Homemade Chips. They’re just as good.
1989 N. Main Street, Goldston 919.898.9918, lizziesgrillnchill.com
Cobb Salad }
Carolina Brewery
Legend has it that restauranteur Bob Cobb, owner of The Brown Derby in Hollywood, was hungry late one night when he decided to throw some leftovers together. He found avocado, romaine, watercress, tomatoes, chicken, hard-boiled egg, bacon, blue cheese and dressing. Then, he chopped it all up and tossed it on a bed of lettuce. A star was born. The new Cobb Salad quickly premiered on his own menu and, 85 years later, it’s a blockbuster from coast to coast. Carolina Brewery’s take on the iconic dinner salad is the perfect low-carb indulgence with nearly all of its original cast. Only the watercress is missing — that’s no loss at all — and the Brewery’s tangy Dijon Vinaigrette adds a nice, contemporary note. It’s all served on a bed of greens mixing iceberg and baby red leaf lettuce, romaine, baby spinach, radicchio and baby red swiss chard. General Manager Dwayne Copeland says the Brewery’s Cobb Salad remains a hit because it’s recognizable, ingredients are fresh and the generous portion offers a real value. It’s an Old Hollywood classic that’s hearty and light with savory satisfaction in every bite.
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120 Lowes Drive, Suite 100, Pittsboro 919.545.2330, carolinabrewery.com
SNAPSHOTS life in chatham
bocce at the ‘games’
Proudly Partnering with Organizations and Residents in Chatham County for 10 Years
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railing late in the game, Patricia Jones steps onto a damp, sandy court holding one red bocce ball in her right hand and surveys what’s ahead. There’s one tiny, yellow ball, her target, with her opponent’s green ball just inches to the side and several of her own reds in between — and in the way. This isn’t so good. Somehow, Patricia has to slide her final ball between two of her own, knock away the green one and leave hers in place — without having a completely straight path and without pushing the yellow target farther away. After settling on a plan, she takes a step and launches her ball. It plops onto the sand and rolls. Almost as if it has eyes, the ball squeezes past two of the reds, following the sand’s uneven contours, knocks against the green and settles right next to the target. With one fabulous and unlikely shot, she wins the game. “How did that happen?” she asks, honestly surprised at her luck while others are admiring such exceptional skill. “I’ll never be able to do that again.” • • • This morning’s competition on the Fearrington Bocce Courts is “day five” of the Chatham County Senior Games, a spring festival modeled on the Olympic Games and organized by the Chatham County Council on Aging. The games kicked off with opening ceremonies at the Pittsboro Senior Center and conclude in a little more than one week with tennis at Carolina Preserve. In between, adults age 50 and older are competing in track and field, golf, swimming, football and softball throwing, basketball shooting, billiards, horseshoes,
croquet and something called cornhole, a fairly odd name for the bean bag toss you probably played as a child. There are even nonathletic events, billed as Silver Arts, that showcase skills in writing, performance, visual arts and various crafts. Local champions in athletic events may advance to the State Finals later in the year, and some choose to move on. But the vast majority participate for the exercise and camaraderie. In fact, many of the bocce athletes are playing for the first time ever, so officials stop now and then to explain the rules and answer questions. Senior Games can be intense at moments, frivolous at times. But one thing’s for sure: Everyone participating on the bocce courts is having a grand time — as are others competing at venues all over Chatham. Patricia Jones competes in bocce at the Chatham County Senior Games.
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Game On chatham’s distillery takes its shot
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hough its transformation is well underway, Pittsboro remains the quintessential small, Southern town. At times in the evening, you can walk through the traffic circle downtown without dodging a car or even seeing one. And thanks to state law, you can’t buy a cocktail or even a glass of wine at Sunday brunch until the clock strikes noon. So, Pittsboro is the perfect location for a brand-new distillery, right? Absolutely! insists Chris Jude, co-owner and head distiller at Fair Game Beverage Co., one of the state’s new distilleries and the only one in Chatham. “We’re focused on small, local businesses and we’re working with farmers in our region, really trying to be a part of the local foodshed,” he says. “Pittsboro is not a large, bustling metropolis, but it has a tourist economy, there’s a great agricultural scene with small farms and vineyards, and we’re a stone’s throw away from the Triangle, so we can work with all of those restaurants and bars.” He makes a compelling case, and apparently it’s an argument gaining traction well beyond Pittsboro, in other locales from Manteo to Murphy. The Game Plan Distilleries are a rapidly growing and increasingly influential business across the Tar Heel State. Just a decade or two ago, there were no distilleries at all. Now, the
North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, which regulates the industry, lists 46 active permits for distilleries statewide, nearly all issued in the last three years and most of them in the last two. That includes Fair Game, which received its full permits in January 2015. We’re not talking about massive operations like Jack Daniel Distillery, the nation’s oldest with a barrelhouse holding 1 million gallons of whiskey. Instead, North Carolina is home to smaller, craft distilleries, like Fair Game, that usually produce a few specialty spirits in limited batches, often taking advantage of local ingredients and niche markets. “That’s true; we’re having an absolute explosion right now,” says Scott Maitland, vice president of the North Carolina Distillers Association, a nonprofit promoting craft distilleries. “What we have is the opportunity to use local ingredients and create world-class products, and that’s going to make a big impact.” Chris saw opportunity in a location on Lorax Lane surrounded by a vibrant agricultural scene, placing him close to the kind of high-quality ingredients he needs to develop a portfolio of specialty spirits. Local sorghum cane is transformed into Fair Game No’lasses, a beverage very similar to rum, but not created from sugar cane. Fruit for their popular Fair Game Apple Brandy is brought in from North
Chris Jude, head distiller at Fair Game Beverage Co., pours a glass of Ferris Red in the distillery’s tasting room. The fortified wine received a gold medal last fall at the Asheville Food and Wine Festival.
THE RING TOSS Muddle 1 wedge of lime in a shaker. Add: 1.5 oz. Fair Game No’lasses 1 oz. Cappelletti Aperitivo 1 oz. Orange juice Shake and double strain into coupe glass. Garnish with lemon peel. Courtesy of Michael Maller, Mateo Tapas, and Chris Jude, Fair Game Beverage Co.
chatham living 2016 13
SLOW RIDE 1.5 oz. Fair Game Apple Brandy 1 oz. Fresh pressed apple juice .5 oz. Cinnamon and sage infused simple syrup .25 oz. Lemon juice Combine all ingredients in a bar glass, add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass and serve with sliced apple, maybe an orange twist, perhaps a piece of sage, or whatever you like. Courtesy of Justin Peregoy Cocktail Chef, Oakleaf
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Carolina orchards. And tobago peppers infused into The Flying Pepper, their brandnew vodka, are purchased from local farmers, including one who actually started growing tobago peppers on the Fair Game property. Months before its initial release, The Flying Pepper was creating a buzz among mixologists tapped into Fair Game. One local bartender was already imagining how the spicy, new product could be used to create some innovative recipes. Easy access to fresh, sustainable ingredients wasn’t the location’s only attraction. Chris also liked the unusual facility available in Pittsboro — a building on the edge of town and deep in the woods that was constructed in the mid ’80s to produce metal alloys for the military. One room near the back is reserved for distilling; its focal point, an old-style, alembic still handmade in Spain. Chris says this type has been around for about 500 years and works best for the rums and brandies he creates. During an evening tour, the still is, well, still, but there’s activity across the room as another machine filters some of that pepper vodka that was creating a stir before it hit the market. If only the bartender could be here
now. In another room, there are a dozen and a half oak barrels, maybe more, some large, some small, all containing spirits from Fair Game’s small-batch production going through the aging process. Chris and his three-member staff also produce fortified wines by distilling a finished wine into brandy before blending a small amount of the brandy back into the original wine, a process that reduces the sweetness and elevates the natural fruit flavor. Though Fair Game has been selling wine for less than two years, its Ferris Red port-style wine won a gold medal last fall at the Asheville Food and Wine Festival. Its Tipper Scuppernong, billed as a “tribute to the official fruit of the Old North State,” was awarded a silver medal and Peach Tipper, the company’s first unfortified wine, received a bronze. Other rooms in his main building house a corking operation and business office, but it wasn’t the square footage or even the actual location that made this place so appealing. It was that connection to military contracting: The walls were built to be explosion proof. In other words, it’s an ideal structure for a distillery. “It is kind of overkill,” Chris
admits. “But it’s a nice, safe spot to be working with flammable liquids. It’s a good production space for what we’re doing.” On the Menu Though the company is new, Fair Game has built quite a loyal following. Its website lists more than two dozen retail locations selling Fair Game wine, the closest ones being Vino Wine Shop in downtown Pittsboro and UnWined a few miles south of town, though Chris says there are more that haven’t been added to the online list. And their spirits have made their way onto cocktail menus at some of the state’s top restaurants. One of them is Oakleaf, a farm-to-table restaurant in Pittsboro that appears regularly in The News and Observer’s annual list of the Triangle’s best. Justin Peregoy, cocktail chef at Oakleaf, is a big fan of Chris and what he’s creating at Fair Game. For last fall and winter, Oakleaf featured Slow Ride, a crisp, fruity cocktail loosely based on the traditional Sidecar. Justin’s version combines Fair Game Apple Brandy
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with fresh pressed, local apple juice, a cinnamon- and sage-infused simple syrup and lemon juice. It is the kind of drink everyone can enjoy, Justin says. It’s sweet, tasty and deceptively light — hence the name. Justin names his signature cocktails using music themes, and one line in a song by the English band, Foghat, captures the slowsipping allure of this flavorful mix: “Slow ride, take it easy.” Using local products fits the farm-totable approach behind Oakleaf, but that’s not why Justin uses Fair Game for his autumn cocktail. The reasons: It’s popular, and it’s good. “In the past, we’ve used calvados from France, a world-famous spirit,” he says. “And it turns out we have somebody making something equally as good right down the street.” Into the Future As Fair Game continues to grow and define itself, people are starting to discover its charms. The novelty of a craft distillery in Pittsboro has attracted curiosity seekers who venture into the woods to see what all the fuss is about. To accommodate
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SNAPSHOTS life in chatham
selling history
B
Justin Peregoy
everyone, Chris started offering distillery tours where guests can learn about the facility, see where the spirits are crafted and even gawk at barrels stacked four rows high into the ceiling. He also opened a tasting room across the courtyard from the business operation. Picnic tables outside are busier during the warm summer months, but the attractive bar is open all year long (though not every day of the week). The venue gives a growing number of locals and tourists a place to get together, enjoy a beverage and try some of the handcrafted selections produced just steps away. Even by craft distillery standards, Fair Game is a small operation. They currently produce fewer than 10,000 bottles of wine and about 5,000 bottles of spirits each year — a number small enough that every label includes a batch number recorded by hand. But growing customer enthusiasm has the company making plans for the future. Fair Game has been working hard to expand the tasting room and tours to attract even more people, and there’s also a calendar of special events. Most of all, they’re building an enthusiastic following by pouring plenty of care and attention into every bottle. “We definitely didn’t explode onto the scene and take over, but we’re seeing a lot of growth,” Chris says. “We’ve only had our wines for a year and a half and our spirits for six months, so it’s been exciting to see folks learn about us and get into it. Our goal is to create world-class spirits and wines.” Based on the reaction of regular customers and cocktail specialists like Justin at Oakleaf, Fair Game is well on its way. ❙❚
illy Wilson enjoys meeting folks, which is one reason he fits in perfectly at Farmers’ Alliance. The general store in Siler City has been selling everything and welcoming friends for more than 127 years. Yes, you read that right. When the store opened in 1888, Benjamin Harrison upset Grover Cleveland to become the 23rd U.S. President. And the flag flying over the White House had just 38 stars. It’s hard to imagine that much here has changed. Billy spends a good part of his day cutting slices of hoop cheese in a small grocery toward the back of the store. Packed all around him are shoe polish, nightgowns, old-school toys, cast iron skillets, cowboy hats, seeds, bug spray, clothes pins, oil cloth, figurines and the always-popular pinto beans. Downstairs, there’s even more. Mainly bib overalls and boots, which are some of the store’s best-selling items, especially since they carry larger sizes that can be hard to find. There’s even one pair of blazing-hot-pink cowgirl boots, which jump out from the dark leathers on a table at the bottom of the stairs. So, what doesn’t Farmers’ Alliance sell? At first, interim store manager Ken McPherson looks perplexed. Then comes a moment of insight. “We don’t sell plowshares and things like bolts,” he says. “We used to carry them, but the hardware, we just can’t be competitive and it doesn’t sell anymore.” Billy says the store’s legacy may be serving as a gathering place for locals. One customer stopped by this Saturday morning to drop off a pie for “the guys” who hang out in chairs across from the vintage hoop cheese cutter. They pass time sipping Coke from the drink machine or
joe brewed under a handwritten sign that announces some sort of coffee honor system.
Not long before lunch, as WNCA’s Dial-a-Deal plays throughout the store, radio station owner Barry Hayes drops by to check out the selection of loose bag candy for his grandchildren. Well, that’s why he came in. But like everyone else, he ends up hanging around to discuss local issues. Before you know it, he’s been there a lot longer than planned. Before he leaves, Hayes explains why Farmers’ Alliance is so special. “It’s really one of a kind,” he says. “It’s unique, and people come from far and wide to go to the Farmers’ Alliance store. Right now, it’s probably the biggest attraction downtown.” Another handwritten sign on the wall offers additional insight: nobody
leaves here a stranger.
Billy Wilson cuts a half-pound slice of hoop cheese at Farmers’ Alliance.
chatham living 2016 19
glass menagerie
a photo essay by hannah hunsinger
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Jonathan Davis’ studio in rural Chatham is not the tranquil retreat where you might expect to find an artist. It’s noisy. And hot. And strewn with bits of shattered glass. Amid the clutter and under his ventilation system’s loud drone, the artist stands behind a torch spewing bright-orange flame — where he heats, cools, turns, twists and blows into a long glass tube, transforming some ordinary material into a breathtaking work of art. chatham living 2016 21
Using just the force of his own lungs, Jonathan blows into one end of a narrow glass tube and the orange bulb inflates like a balloon. “It’s more your cheeks really. As long as the glass is hot, it doesn’t require a lot of force,” he explains. “As it cools though, you have to apply more pressure to get it to form.”
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SNAPSHOTS life in chatham
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community lunch
ong before guests start arriving, the tiny kitchen at St. Bart’s is controlled chaos. Working on two stove tops and one stainless steel island, eight volunteers chop, mix and stirfry. Others are already washing dishes, and Chef Geoff Seelen, who recently was a line cook at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City, is now hovering over one of the stove tops, sampling a red sauce. Created eight years ago by St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Pittsboro as an ecumenical outreach, this free, weekly Community Lunch welcomes anyone who walks through the door on Thursday at noon. That includes local leaders as well as some who are struggling to find their next meal. People from all walks of life volunteer — very few have ties to the church — and people from all walks of life eat. That includes a good number of regulars, who appreciate the fellowship as much as the meal. About 10 minutes before noon, while the meat loaf is still baking, volunteers and early arrivals form a large circle around the main dining room. “How’s everybody doing?” begins the chef. Someone asks about one of the regulars who’s missing today. “She’s doing really good,” says another. “But she’s going to a lot of doctors appointments.” The chef lists today’s menu, which sounds more like one of those highend restaurants where he used to work. Traditional Meat Loaf with Bell Peppers and Tomato Gravy. Braised Kale. StirFried Bok Choy. Arugula Salad with Roasted Beets and Citrus Vinaigrette. Frittata. Today, everything was donated by local farms — not only the produce, but
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even the ground beef and the eggs in the frittata. In fact, Community Lunch is run entirely on food and cash donations; some guests put money in a tip jar to help, but that’s not expected or even mentioned. After a few final announcements, the group claps and prays … and eats. About 20 guests are in line when lunch begins, but more arrive and well over 100 are served by the time it concludes an hour later. At the peak, the main room is buzzing with activity — as are two adjacent rooms and a courtyard, where many are enjoying a picnic. Karen Ladd, who has organized the lunch for eight years, says it’s grown steadily, but remains largely misunderstood. “It’s not a soup kitchen and it’s not a restaurant,” she says. “It’s something completely different. I want it to be like a party. It’s got to be fun. When you give it that energy, it comes back.” Chef Geoff Seelen serves a plate at Pittsboro’s Community Lunch.
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Green for the Future O
rganic. Sustainable. Green. However you want to describe it, environmental sensitivity is becoming more mainstream than ever before. Trendy, even. That wasn’t the case many years ago when Central Carolina Community College started going green on its Pittsboro campus. The college was way ahead of the curve and probably few at the time completely understood how much that direction would transform the college. Or even define it. An emphasis on environmental responsibility made perfect sense in Chatham, a rural community leavened by artists, advocacy groups and small family farms — some key early constituents of the movement from its inception.
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Jeff Gannon CCCC Green Building Instructor and Construction Curriculum Developer
Of course, what being “green” even means is up for interpretation. For CCCC, it rests on the notion of sustainability, which is yet another one of those slippery terms that can be tough to grasp. Broadly defined, it means to use something without destroying it. In other words, the way of doing business remains viable over the long haul —it can be sustained — without causing harm. Andrew McMahan, CCCC’s building technologies chair, acknowledges that any practical definition is up for debate. But for the college, what it all boils down to is being good environmental stewards. Apparently they’ve achieved success. Many have hailed CCCC as a pioneer in sustainability, and that includes the American Association of Community Colleges. Four years ago, the association presented CCCC its Green Genome Award, which honors community colleges nationwide that have been leaders in sustainability and the green economy. The college was recognized for best practices in sustainability program development and
Provost Mark Hall, in the upper right photo, stands next to solar tubes used to heat water on CCCC’s Pittsboro campus, where sustainability forms the foundation for academic programs, from left, in agriculture, biofuels and green building.
implementation. “We do a really good job in what we’re trying to do,” says McMahan. “With sustainable programs, we’re still talking about niche markets, there’s no doubt about that. But the college is out in front.” Green In the Curriculum CCCC began its journey in 2008, when the college launched an innovative biofuels degree, one of the first in the nation. During an era of higher gasoline prices and limited sources for crude oil, the idea was to tap into an emerging industry dedicated to turning corn, soybeans and other crops into a renewable source of fuel. Times have since changed and the economics have, too. With the entire industry struggling,
the full curriculum is no longer offered, though the college does maintain a fivecourse certificate program. But that early foray into sustainability helped launch other academic programs that remain a vibrant part of the campus scene. The college offers a program in Sustainable Technologies focused on alternative energy and green construction. There’s another in Sustainable Agriculture designed to help farmers produce food that renews resources, rather than depletes them. Then there’s a strong sustainability theme running through Culinary Arts and the Natural Chef Certification Program developed and offered in Pittsboro. All three provide instruction emphasizing sustainability, but each goes one step further with some innovative project that demonstrates how those principles can be put into practice. CCCC was the first community college in the nation to have its own organic, sustainable farm — a five-acre parcel on the Pittsboro campus that was ranked the 14th-best student farm in chatham living 2016 25
America last year by Best College Reviews, an online journal ranking college and university programs. The farm has forged a close relationship with Natural Chef Café, a farm-to-table restaurant located across campus and run by culinary students. Open twice a week during the semester, the café features locally grown foods prepared with sustainable practices. For construction students, it’s a project simply known as “the cottage,” a tiny house constructed each year to give students handson training in sustainable technologies. The cottage is an example of what McMahan calls “high-efficiency building.” That construction version of sustainability involves constructing a traditional structure, but in a way that uses less material to build and requires less energy to operate, resulting in lower power bills over the life of the home. Students begin the cottage every fall and finish in time for it to be sold at auction during the summer. Jeff Gannon, who teaches green building at the college, says it gives his students a chance to stay on top of the latest industry trends in a rapidly evolving field. “In our cottage, we’re building it so it’s solar panel friendly, since we don’t know exactly where the cottage will end up. But the owner can plug into an off-grid system or an on-grid system. The design is such that the cooling loads are lighter and use less energy than a conventionally built cottage. So, we pay attention to the details. “It doesn’t always cost more to use these technologies, but by using them you can reap the benefits.” Green Across the College Being green is not just an emphasis in a few degree and certificate programs; it’s the way CCCC does business. When it was time to expand the Pittsboro campus and build a new library, college officials did something unusual and creative. Knowing that the county library also was running out of space and looking for somewhere to expand, the college agreed to a joint venture. The two were combined into the Chatham Community Library, a state-of-the-art, on-campus facility that contains more than 40,000 books, a full range of other media, 40 computers, independent study rooms and the list goes on. Mark Hall, provost of CCCC’s Chatham Campus, says the library clearly provides a wealth of expanded resources for students 26 chatham living 2016
Mary Beth Bardin works in the hoop house on CCCC’s five-acre, studentrun farm. The operation in Pittsboro is entirely organic and helps students apply principles of sustainable agriculture.
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and county patrons, but the decision had plenty of environmental benefits as well. Most importantly, only one library needed to be built and its overall environmental footprint is much smaller than two libraries would have required, preserving both land and resources. To raise the ante, the college invested in some of those green building approaches that it teaches in the Sustainable Technologies curriculum. The new library was angled to take advantage of natural sunlight and solar tubes on the roof collect energy that heats water used throughout the building. Rainwater is captured and wastewater is processed as “greywater,” a nonpotable form of water that is reused to flush toilets and irrigate some of the campus grounds. When a classroom building was needed for the Sustainable Technologies curriculum, it was a no-brainer to apply the same green principles once again, this time adding a vegetative roof to provide extra insulation and reduce stormwater runoff. Display monitors keep track of the building’s operation. And even the furniture is green —made of recycled materials that are local, nontoxic and renewable. As the college’s emphasis on sustainability
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LEADING GREEN IN CHATHAM CCCC Continuing Education offers an Ecotourism Certificate, the first offered anywhere in the North Carolina Community College System. The Chatham Community Library, Sustainable Technologies Center and Siler City Center are LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for sustainable design and construction. “Central Carolina Community College is a pioneer in the teaching of sustainable agriculture among community colleges.” (Best College Reviews, 2015)
grew, the effort evolved into Green Central, a clearinghouse for information on sustainability courses, a continuing education program in ecotourism, various college projects and other environmentally-oriented initiatives. Why is all of this so important? Hall notes that being green helps the bottom line with advantages like lower energy costs. And that’s essential. But there’s something more. “To some degree,” he says, “it’s just the right thing to do.” Green for the Future Doing the right thing does have its benefits. The provost believes CCCC’s dedication to sustainability has helped the college raise its visibility in a way that makes it easier to attract quality students, enhance its prestige and entice partner organizations like North Carolina State University and Abundance North Carolina, a sustainability nonprofit that holds an annual conference on the Pittsboro campus. It also has enriched the community beyond the campus gates. Having a respected, local educational institution take a national leadership role in the green economy helps the county, as a whole, by making it more
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SNAPSHOTS life in chatham
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attractive as a destination for families and businesses. And, with businesses come jobs and greater opportunity. Hall says the kind of green projects the college has pioneered over the years are no longer an emerging trend; they’re becoming mainstream and people everywhere are looking for seasoned leaders and practical training in how to make it all work. That puts CCCC in a particularly strong position as the world catches up to the college. Lyle Estill helped create that early biofuels program and, as founder of Piedmont Biofuels and author of several environmental books, remains a leading voice regionally in the sustainability movement. He believes the focus on being green has set Central Carolina Community College apart. “CCCC was a pioneer in its sustainability practices,” he says. “Its biofuels program was one of the first in the country and its timing on its library made it unique on the continent. I would say that it still leads when it comes to Natural Chef paired with student farm. And its green building program, which ships a tiny house every year, is also extremely rare. “I think the emphasis on sustainability at Pittsboro’s CCCC campus is a big draw for our community.” ❙❚ 30 chatham living 2016
uestion: Who living in western Chatham was not marching in Siler City’s annual Christmas parade? Answer: Only the hundreds of people lining the three-quartermile route to watch. And given the dense column of onlookers spilling off the curb and into parking spaces along Chatham Avenue, there couldn’t possibly be anyone left at home. It seemed like everyone was here — and perhaps every thing as well. High school bands. Antique tractors. Campaigning politicians. Vintage autos. Flatbed floats packed with happy, waving children. Even the chicken mascot for one high-profile biscuit chain. Oh, and big trucks. Lots and lots of big trucks. A good hour before the parade began, one family of nine sat on a high curb at the corner of Chatham and Raleigh, the children bundled tightly in puffy coats and spinning some sort of flexible tube filled with rainbow lights. But when a sea of noise and flashing blue lights started flowing toward their perch, the entire family jumped on their feet to greet the parade, the smallest one even nailing an elaborate and impressive dismount from her stroller. The spectacle began with a bunch of those big trucks. In this case, what had to be every fire, rescue and police vehicle for miles in every direction. Clearly, this was the safest spot in all of Chatham. Then came the full procession — all passing under a throng of angels, lighted Christmas decorations clinging to telephone poles as if they were staking out their own high ground to view the festivities. About 40 minutes after the flashing blue lights made their way through the intersection, Santa finally arrived — and
that’s when all of the children erupted, waving as hard as they could. And The Big Guy waved back, even pointing to some of his more exuberant young fans. Organized by the Chatham Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by about 18 local businesses, the annual Siler City Christmas Parade is one event that draws the entire community. Tonight, that included a good number of adults sporting bright red Santa hats and children munching on cotton candy sold by vendors zigzagging across the road pushing racks of snacks built onto shopping carts. And everybody went home happy. “That was a good one,” said one member of the Siler City Police Department as he removed barricades allowing the crowd to head back home. “Don’t know about you, but I’m already looking forward to next year!” Santa Claus took time out of his busy holiday schedule to serve as guest of honor at the Siler City Christmas Parade.
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