February 2008
Dear Gardening Friends,
Time really does fly when you are having fun and it’s hard to believe that 2008
marks the 21st anniversary of Gethsemane Gardens. When Jerry and I first “set
up housekeeping” here in 1964, the only other house visible to us was that of his
parents. The landscape has changed a lot in 42 years with the bulk of the changes
occurring in the last 5 years. New residential development and commercial
enterprises have changed Highway 150 so much that we have expanded the directions
to our nursery on the website in case you can no longer find the familiar landmarks.
Our newest neighbor that we have welcomed to the community is Northern
Elementary School which adjoins our property to the East. The school opened in January 2008 and will
itself become a landmark.
While we are certainly not against progress, we are concerned about the loss of farmland and feel
there is a need for balance. Approximately 100,000 acres of N. C. farmland/woodland are lost each
year to development. Did you know that the average age of farmers in North Carolina is 56? These
facts cause concern since agribusiness (which includes traditional farming as well as horticultural
enterprises) is the #1 industry in N. C. and accounts for 68 billion dollars in revenue each year. This
figure cannot grow or even be sustained if we continue to lose farmland and are not able to interest
our young people in agribusiness as a way of life. Do we really want to be dependent on other
countries for our food supply?
To this end, we will continue to explore ways for our small farm to remain a viable business. We have changed our format several times in the past twenty years in order to survive and without doubt, it will be necessary to do so again in the future.
Thank you for your support and friendship over the years. We sincerely appreciate your loyalty and will continue our efforts to make sure it is well-placed. We look forward to seeing you soon.
