North Carolina farmers introduce Heirloom Provisions –
THE source for sustainable Southern farm & artisan food, available nationwide
Farmers Jamie DeMent and Richard Holcomb have begun shipping orders nationwide through their online store, Heirloom Provisions (www.heirloomprovisions.com; @HeirloomProvis) – the first collection of its kind, offering the most sought-after sustainably made Southern organic farm and small-batch artisan provisions. From heirloom grains, fresh and cured pastured meats and NC seafood, to jams, innovative nut butters and Southern farmstead cheeses and artisan breads, Heirloom Provisions works with over 50 growers and many more producers throughout the South to provide a haven for foodies and health-conscious consumers alike.
“We began Heirloom Provisions in response to the calls we field from around the country every week from customers who want our grass-fed pork and heirloom turkeys – and ultimately, want access to the rich agriculture we have in the South,” explained Holcomb, who began the 55-acre Hillsborough farm, Coon Rock Farm (www.coonrockfarm.com), a decade ago, and as a result, sells to multiple farmers markets and has 500 subscriptions to their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.
“It’s always been our mission to grow and share our farm’s food and way of life with as many as possible. In the past few years, we’ve come to realize how many really don’t have direct access to high quality food – much less reliable, and affordable sources for it that can be found in one place,” he explained. The hard work – meeting the farmers and artisans, visiting their farms and creameries, and sourcing unique specialty ingredients that all Southerners crave – had already been done. This, coupled with Holcombs’ entrepreneurial software background, made them the ideal duo to forge ahead with the first comprehensive online source for sustainable Southern farm and handcrafted food.
“And there’s never been more interest in the South, its food and foodways,” explained DeMent. “We’ve tapped into home cooks everywhere who’ve heard about Anson Mills and Edwards Ham, for instance, and love that they can get it in one delivery. Even recent visitors who have fallen in love with the South, and don’t want to live without sorghum molasses or Steen’s Cane Syrup. Not to mention the homesick North Carolinians who know what real buttermilk tastes like, and crave Chapel Hill Creamery’s Calavander but can’t get it elsewhere.” Heirloom Provisions is a resource for them all.
Heirloom Provisions is also a destination for gifts – offering Videri’s ‘bean-to-bar’ chocolates, La Farm Bakery’s artisan breads, handmade pastas, a trio of Southern farmstead cheeses and buttermilk bundt cakes, as well as Recipe Kits for home cooks with dishes like Soy Sorghum Beef Short Ribs, Braised Pork Shank, Sausage & Arugula Quiche. Delicious Southern-inspired gift giving is a simple click away.
Holcomb and DeMent have a proven track record as a trusted resource for high quality food. In addition to owning Coon Rock Farm, they also own a farmer’s market home delivery service – Bella Bean Organics (www.bellabeanorganics.com) – whose recent expansion to NC, SC, VA, MD and DC received praise in Garden & Gun and The Local Palate, as well as a 4-star modern farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Durham, Piedmont (www.piedmontrestaurant.com), helmed by Chef Ben Adams.
“We’ve invested blood, sweat and tears in finding sustainable sources that we trust, so it’s become a mission of ours to share them with a larger audience and sing their praises,” explained DeMent, whose relationships with the food community have been forged at farmers markets, their Durham restaurants’ back door, and among travels.
Heirloom Provisions, based in Durham, NC, is able to meet the demands of a hungry customer base. “We’re fortunate to have so many small and specialized growers and artisans throughout the region,” explained Holcomb, “which enables us to offer an extensive selection in every category to fulfill customers’ needs.”
For more information, please visit www.heirloomprovisions.com; follow @HeirloomProvis on Twitter and Instagram, and Heirloom Provisions on Facebook.
Jamie DeMent was raised in Eastern North Carolina. As she saw the family farms of her youth disappearing and industrialized farming taking over, she searched for ways to revive the simplicity of eating healthy, locally grown food. After completing her degree in Southern History and African American Studies at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill where she was a Morehead-Cain Scholar, she was a Legislative Aid on Capitol Hill, then Director of Special Projects for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. DeMent joined Richard Holcomb at Coon Rock Farm in 2006. Today her days are spent planting, harvesting, cooking and selling products from her farm. She is also a guest lecturer at UNC and Duke University, and teaches cooking classes at Southern Season. Follow DeMent @SustainableEats and @HeirloomProvis for a peek into farm life, and for her farmhouse and family recipes.
Richard Holcomb received a B.S. from the University of South Carolina and an M.S. in Computer Science from North Carolina State University. He helped start several technology companies including StrikeIron, GadgetSpace, HAHT Commerce and Q+E Software. Richard is an active venture investor and has served on the corporate boards of several public and private technology companies. He has served on several public advisory boards including the NCSU Graduate School Board of Advisors, the North Carolina Electronics and Information Technology Association, the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, NCSU Engineering Entrepreneur’s Program Advisory Board, and is a former appointed member of the North Carolina Information Resource Management Commission. During his career, he has won several awards including the 1993 Ernst and Young Technology Entrepreneur of the Year for North Carolina and the 1996 Business Leader Top Gun Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2004 the farming ways of his youth beckoned, and Richard purchased Coon Rock Farm in Hillsborough. In the same year, he has partnered with Sarig and Nancy Agasi and Jamie DeMent to open Zely & Ritz (now closed), named one of the “Top 20 Best Organic Restaurants in America” in 2005. Holcomb also owns Bella Bean Organics and Piedmont restaurant.
Coon Rock Farm (www.coonrockfarm.com) began in 2005 as a sustainable family farm providing garden crops and pasture-raised antibiotic and hormone-free chicken, eggs, pigs, lamb and goats. The farm’s 55 acres is nestled along a bend in the Eno River just outside Hillsborough, NC. The farm concentrates on “sustainably taking care of the land while letting it take care of us.” The soil is fertilized by the animals through intense rotational grazing, cover cropping, and composting. No chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides are used. Already a fixture in local kitchens, Coon Rock Farm produce, meat and eggs are known throughout the Triangle thanks to its’ participation in area farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs. Coon Rock Farm is located at 1021 Dimmocks Mill Road, Hillsborough, NC. Follow @CoonRockFarm on twitter and instagram, and Coon Rock Farm on Facebook.
Bella Bean Organics (www.bellabeanorganics.com), the online farmer’s market specializing in fresh, locally grown, sustainable and organic produce, meats, eggs and artisan specialty foods, has serviced the Piedmont region of North Carolina with home delivery service since 2009, and in May 2014, expanded their farm-to-door weekly deliveries throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. Follow @SustainableEats on Twitter and Instagram, and at Bella Bean Organics on Facebook.
Piedmont restaurant (www.piedmontrestaurant.com), located in the old Nash Car Dealership in downtown Durham, NC, features Chef-Partner Ben Adams’ adventurous, seasonal cooking. Foods raised, harvested and caught in North Carolina are intensified using avant-garde cooking methods; classic dishes are reimagined with an inventive spirit. The results are at once comforting and inspired – and reflect the bounty of the Piedmont region. Craft cocktails, local beers and a versatile wine list complete the modern farm-to-table experience at Piedmont. Piedmont is located at 401-B2 Foster Street, Durham, NC; 919-683-1213. Follow @PiedmontDurham on Twitter; @PiedmontRestaurant on Instagram, and Piedmont Restaurant on Facebook.
Press Release