LOYD GENE LEWIS

Loyd Gene Lewis was born in Cleveland County and lives in Fallston, N.C. His farm is a family-run operation which grows produce primarily sold at the Lincoln County Farmer’s Market, Shelby Farmer’s Market, and at a roadside stand near the Lewis farm.

Loyd inherited his 30-acre parcel of land from his father, a farmer who raised beef cattle and swine, and grew wheat, cotton, corn and hay on 400 acres. Lewis’s seven siblings also inherited plats of land, but they do not farm their land.

Lewis worked for Fiber Industries in Shelby for over 34 years and farmed on the side.

At the time of the interview, he had been farming full-time for about eight years. He grows a variety of produce during most of the year except December and January. His crops include Heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, a variety of lettuces, squash, Irish and sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, collards, peas and okra.

He also keeps bees to help with pollination and to make honey to sell. He and his wife and several of his grandchildren spend many hours doing the chores that the farm requires. Occasionally he uses Mexican workers.

Lewis employs the assistance and support of the Lincoln County and Cleveland County Agricultural Extensions to solve problems and to experiment with new crops. Lewis utilizes many modern farming methods, including crop rotation, irrigation, fertilizers, mulch plastic, and sod planting. He is not an organic farmer. He took the interviewers on a walking tour of his farm, which included one of his two irrigation ponds, a visit to the bee hives, and a tomato grader demonstration.

Lewis says farming is a lot of work, but he loves what he does and “there’s money to be made if you don’t mind working.” He says demand for his produce is high, and he will continue to farm for as long he is able.