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Farming is not a one-man operation.
It takes the involvement of an entire family, and sometimes the community,
to get the job done.
(l-r Gary, Manuel, William, Helen, Yolanda)
OUR FARMING BUDDIES
To bring you the best in locally grown produce, Wise Farms partners with many
North Carolina farmers
including, but not limited to, the following:
Brock's Produce
Warsaw, NC
Bunce Brothers
Stedman, NC
Burch Farms
685 Burch Road
Faison, NC 28341
Starrlight Farm
Mount Olive, NC
Cox Farms
547 Dobbersville Road
Goldsboro, NC 27530
David Roberts Family Farms
Benson, NC
Johnson Peaches
1180 N. US Hwy. 220
Rockingham, NC 28379
Lewis Farms
3500 NC Hwy. 133
Rocky Point, NC 28457
2991 Providence Church Road
Climax, NC 27233
In 1961 William married Helen Brock, of Newton Grove, and they made their home in Dobbersville where they raised two children, Patricia and Gary. For 33 years William worked at North Carolina Natural Gas in Goldsboro. Farming was his weekend job as he tended the fields with his dad, growing squash, cucumbers, tobacco, corn, wheat, soybeans, and raising pigs. In 1980 when William's uncle, Lehman Darden, parked his tractor and retired from farming, William purchased 20 acres of his farm to keep it in the family. Helen ran the homefront and worked at Piggly Wiggly before retiring to co-manage sales at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh. When not working they like spending time with family and friends, shopping together, and singing and making music. William enjoys his new dog, Maggie Mae, and Helen enjoys chattin' it up on Facebook, reading and watching TV.
Gary is the farmer. A graduate of NCSU he taught economics for three years at Southern Wayne High School and farmed during the summer months. He married Teresa Williamson, of Mount Olive, in 1994, and they made their home in Dobbersville. She graduated from Barton College and was an elementary school teacher in Goldsboro until they both left teaching to oversee the family farm on a full-time basis. For the past 13 years Gary has been farming everything from acorn squash to zucchini on land once owned by his grandfather, Ivey Wise. On the days when he's not at the farm you can find him at the Market alongside his parents, or out delivering fresh produce for The Wise Choice. Gary loves playing his guitars and cooking on the grill; Teresa loves rescuing abandoned animals, and reading the classics. Together they share their country farmhouse with their 3 dogs, Ruby, Max, and Shelby.
Patricia and husband, Randy Lait, of Newton Grove, live in Garner. Randy is Senior Director of Hospitality Services at NCSU, where he graduated in 1983. Patricia graduated from Hardbarger Business College in 1983 and throughout her career has worked in the financial industry as administrative assistant, office manager, and accountant. She was a full-time homemaker and mother for 10 years and is now employed at Retirement Plan Services in Cary. Their daughters are Audrey, a junior at NCSU; Emily, a freshman at NCSU; and Jennifer, a 4th-grader at Aversboro Elementary. For the record the Laits are not the farmers, but that doesn't mean they don't appreciate the value of locally-grown produce and the work that comes with it. Patricia and Randy have partnered with Wise Farms to co-manage and promote The Wise Choice. They enjoy family time together playing the Wii, watching Jennifer's soccer games, shopping, and golfing.
