F O O D
&
D R I N K
homegrown
HAPPINESS FARMERS WHO ARE MAKING THEIR LIVING OFF THE LAND AND LOVING EVERY BIT OF IT
TINY PLANTS, BIG PLANS
36
CHATHAM MAGAZINE
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETH MANN
enita Solanto’s journey to becoming
a farmer and launching Green Panda Farms is far from traditional – but then again, her produce isn’t average either. After graduating from high school in Moore County, Tenita served in the Navy as an electronic technician working on radars and satellite systems for four-and-a-half years. The education-driven curriculum of the Navy gave her the necessary skills to land a job with IBM in Research Triangle Park. After 10 years there, Tenita set out to start her own information technology business. The North Carolina Veteran’s Business Association supported her goal and invited