By Christina Ferreri - “Every action that I do today is not just about today, but for the generations ahead.”
Howard Allen has faith in the future. 200 years in the future, at least. “My thinking is for my grandkids, their kids, and their great grandkids.” When he was five, Howard’s father walked him through their home garden in Troija, Jamaica, past young coconut, breadfruit, avocado, guinep, and cedar trees. “I planted all these trees for you,” he told him. They were the trust fund of the family.
Faithfull Farms is built off the same principles of reciprocity and care. The farm came to Howard in a vision, a message from God, he says.
“This is a place of service, and all who come in contact with this should be served in some way,” Howard said. “The model that I was instructed to build was a sustainable model, which means that as we interact with the land, the soil should be better.”
The Life Church down the road granted Howard use of their 9-acres after he, his wife Ronniqua, and their two kids moved to the area, and Howard shared his mission.
On the two and a half acres that Howard manages, he grows with “climate smart” practices. Compost and woodchips are sourced locally, and Faithfull follows ‘no-till’ principles without a tractor in sight. After a final harvest, roots are left in the ground. Living roots house microbes, sequester carbon, and maintain soil structure.
There is a deep respect that Howard has for his crops, touching, smelling, and tasting all as he goes. He pulls up fragrant purple carrots that stain your fingers, sunrise-hued ground cherries, and crunches on crisp sashimi cucumbers. A rogue tomato plant grows in the compost pile, still bursting with rich fruit in mid-November.
His connection with food has evolved over the past decades. Howard worked as a culinarian and taught for 10 years as an adjunct professor at Alamance Community College. Before starting Faithfull, he worked for a year as the executive chef at Reverence Farm Cafe, a farm to table restaurant. “As a chef, I love simple foods and showcasing the food in its most authentic way,” he said. “Everything else [in a dish] is an accompanying taste.”
Faithfull Farms produce is at the Carrboro Farmer’s Market next to the often-raucous playground. Since 2018, Howard says he’s seen more newborns at the market than at the hospital. However, a 1,000 lbs. of his produce each week goes to Table, a non-profit organization serving children through nutritional support and education. Howard wants to grow more ground cherries for them- they were his favorite fruit as a kid.
According to PORCH (People Offering Relief for Chapel-Hill Carrboro Homes), 20% of children in North Carolina are food insecure. “[Table] feeds about 1,100 kids with 300 on the waiting list,” Howard said. “Those are relationships that we want to focus on intentionally building.”
Through it all, Howard seeks guidance from his religion. “Looking back at my whole story,” Howard said, “I see God’s hands in everything.” As he shifts into a more managerial position at the farm following a surgery, he prefers to consider himself as a “servant leader” instead of a manager.
The future of his farm, and of farming in Orange County, relies on a strong system of education. “I like to empower, give autonomy, and then offer support. People can either trip themselves or run to success.”
One of his farmhands, Ann Suk, started farming at Faithfull this past year. She has intentions of starting her own farm one day. Howard offered 150 feet of bed space, a small plastic tunnel, for her own experimentation. Her first crop was a lesson in failure. Her second crop, as Howard said proudly, is monster. The high tunnel is laden with fat green and blushing tomatoes, lush beds of sage and small bright Signet Marigolds. “If you sow that education and need into future farmers, then you can sow into the future,” Howard said.
“It’s not about money. It’s about how we empower and create fruit we might not see.”