Dear Members of the Agricultural Review Board  

Wake County,

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and consider my request for bona fide farm recognition for our property at 3521 Banks Road in Raleigh.

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I wanted to write to you in a personal way so you can understand not just what I hope to grow here, but why this land means so much to me. I am a single mother with 10 years of farm experience, and my dream is to preserve this historic property as a farm rather than see it turned into a housing development.

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This land has a real farming story behind it. The farmhouse is more than 130 years old, and this property was originally a farm owned by the Chambers family. I can provide documentation from the deed showing that hogs and produce were once sold from this land, and later became a horse farm. To me, that history matters, and I feel deeply called to be a steward of this property and bring it back to life as a working farm.

 

My father is the owner of the land, and he set it up as an LLC, but my father and I are the owners behind this property and the vision for its future. This is very much a family effort, and for me it is also a deeply personal calling. I have spent the last 10 years working in farming, and I know firsthand the labor, commitment, and patience it takes to build something real from the ground up. 

 

Prior to my divorce, I farmed full-time in Johnston County on a family farm, where my former husband and I built and operated ALLIS Farm. We grew produce, salad greens, sweet potatoes, flowers, and specialty crops and sold through local markets including Moore Square, Clayton, and Zebulon, as well as to restaurants in the Raleigh area.

 

Over the past year, I have been getting to know this land, restoring the old homestead, and slowly putting the pieces in place for a real farm operation. I also seasonally work with Weston Farms a Magnolia Company, and I stay closely connected with other farms in the area. We have already hosted a workshop in the barn using Weston Farms products, and we are also relocating koi to our pond from their pond that is drying up.

 

Because the land is under 10 acres, my current focus is on horticulture. We are putting in several long row down by the street for vegetable and flowers. On the upper ridge away from the walnut tree will be our orchard. 

To help clearly show both the work already underway and the vision for the future, I have outlined the current farm activity and planned next steps below.

 

What is already in place

•    31 chickens are currently established on the property, with egg production already underway.

•    Herbs for teas are being grown now, along with flowers, okra, and other seasonal crops near the house and greenhouse.

•    More than 5 varieties of willow are currently being grown for weaving and future folk-school style instruction.

•    The homestead, barn, and surrounding farm areas have been actively restored and prepared over the last year for agricultural use.

•    Relationships with nearby farms are already in place, including work with Weston Farms. Growing Okra and hydrangeas for wreath production.

•    Koi are being relocated to the pond from a neighboring farm pond that is drying up.

 

Plans for the farm after bona fide recognition

•    Continue growing a horticultural farm centered on seasonal flowers, herbs, teas, fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops.

•    Plant 240 saffron bulbs this fall as part of the farm’s expansion.

•    Expand egg production over time.

•    Open a farm stand to the public in the lower field using the old running school bus currently being reviewed through zoning for conversion into a farm stand.

•    Offer farm-grown products through the stand, including flowers, eggs, herbs, teas, seasonal produce, and other items grown on the property.

•    Create a public you-pick flower operation in the lower field.

•    Establish a pumpkin patch in the lower field.

•    Open the barn more fully in the future for farm-based community and educational use.

 

Educational vision for the property

Banks Road Elementary is located at 10225 Chambers Road in Raleigh, very close to this property.

 

Planned farm uses

•    Use nearly all of the open acreage for farm production, while leaving about two acre of forest undisturbed.

•    Continue building a horticultural farm focused on flowers, herbs, teas, fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops.

•    Plant 240 saffron bulbs this fall as part of the farm’s expansion.

•    Expand egg production over time.

•    Open a farm stand to the public in the lower field using the old running school bus that is currently being reviewed through zoning for conversion into a farm stand.

•    Offer farm-grown products through the stand, including flowers, eggs, herbs, teas, seasonal produce, and other products grown on the property.

•    Create a public you-pick flower operation in the lower field.

•    Establish a pumpkin patch in the lower field.

•    Open the barn more fully in the future for farm-based community and educational use.

 

Educational plans for the property

Banks Road Elementary is located at 10225 Chambers Road in Raleigh, close to this property. As the mother of an eight-year-old son, I know how important it is to get children off screens and into the soil, where they can learn in a real, hands-on, and meaningful way.My hope is for this farm to become a place where children and families can reconnect with the land through education, creativity, and agriculture. Those plans include:

•    Offering after-school classes that help children get excited about growing food and understanding where their food comes from.

•    Teaching children creative ways to use what they grow through simple farm-to-table, herbal, and hands-on experiences.

•    Creating agricultural education opportunities that reconnect children and families with nature and food production.

•    Opening the barn for folk-school style classes rooted in long-forgotten rural skills and creative traditions.

•    Offering basket weaving and weaving instruction, supported by the willow varieties already being grown on the farm for that purpose.

•    Building a place that encourages stewardship, creativity, and healthy connection instead of screen dependence.

 

What I want you to know most is that this is not just an idea to me. Farming is in my blood. I have lived this work, I am actively building this operation now, and I am committed to restoring this historic property into a functioning farm that can grow food, flowers, knowledge, and community.

 

Thank you for the work you do to protect and preserve agricultural land in Wake County. From the bottom of my heart, I am grateful for your consideration, because supporting farms like this means more than approving land use. It means helping preserve the rural character, history, and future of places that still have the potential to feed people, teach children, and keep the agricultural spirit of this community alive.

 

I appreciate your time, consideration and support as I continue restoring this land into a working farm. My hope is that this property can stand as a small example of what preservation looks like when land is loved, worked, and shared with purpose. 

 

Thank you again for your time, your care, and for helping protect the kind of land that still carries the heart of Wake County agriculture.

 

Jannelle Mimms 

Owner of Banks Grove

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