#EscapeWithNCAg is a year-long series that will focus on agritourism across North Carolina. Many farms, wineries and other agricultural businesses in our state offer events such as tours, yoga, educational classes, pick-your-own events and festivals, to entertain the public and teach them about our state’s number one industry. Each Thursday, we will feature a new site for you to visit with friends or family. Stay tuned and learn how to escape the stresses of life by diving into agriculture!
** This Farm is a Got to Be N.C. member **
We couldn’t host a series on agritourism without highlighting one of our states original agritourism destinations! If you escape to the coast of our state anytime during the year, you’re likely to hear the name Mike’s Farm in your travels. Since it’s inception in 1986, the farm has expanded from solely growing Christmas trees to a wide variety of produce. It has also become a highly popular agritourism destination for friends and families alike to enjoy. Today, the Lowe family grows pumpkins, strawberries, squash, cabbage, and many other spring vegetables.
Mike’s Farm learned the word “innovation” at an early age. What started in 1986 as a Christmas tree operation slowly expanded to incorporate a bakery, restaurant, barn event venue, gift shop and more! “Mike and I met in high school and always had a love for agriculture,” said Theresa. “What started here as a simple family farm has evolved through the years to not only become something that we love and enjoy as a family, but also a place that the community wants to be a part of and invest in. Our goal is to provide a family atmosphere that customers of all ages will enjoy.” In fact, Mike’s Farm is often referred to as one of the original agritourism farms because they began hosting events on-site long before agritourism was trendy or popular.
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- Mike & Theresa
Mike’s Farm started venturing into the world of agritourism in the 90’s by offering school tours and field trips, which they still provide today. Since then, the family has broadened the horizon of agritourism on the farm to feature a variety of events each year that welcome the public, including a Christmas light show, Easter egg hunt, pumpkin patch, and Spring Saturdays on the farm. This summer, they have been hosting a monthly dinner series to mix things up! June spotlighted the love of local products through a farm to fork dinner with Onslow County NC Cooperative Extension. July proved a groovy time through Shaggin’ at the Farm with the EZ Liv’n Band and southern homestyle cooking. The last dinner in the series is taking place this Saturday, August 5th, so don’t miss out!
An Evening of Magic and Illusion is happening on the farm this weekend with the Rockstars of Magic, Chris & Neal! “They have been performing shows in our barn for about 10 years now,” Mike said. “They also provide a good time and bring a lot of new faces out to the farm.” Enjoy a southern style buffet for dinner, featuring fried chicken, pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and vegetables before the show. Then sit back and enjoy the hour-long show that is full of jaw dropping surprises! The farm is offering both a matinee show at 1:30 p.m. and an evening show at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available online for $45 per adult and $29 per child aged 7-11 or $19 for children aged 3-6.
In addition to the special events that they host on-site each year, the barn and banquet room are available to book for private events, such as weddings and birthday parties, on their website. The barn currently holds up to 200 guests and the banquet room will comfortably seat 100 people. Both venues offer a beautiful and scenic atmosphere for a peaceful and fun-filled event. Find more details, including pricing and contract information, on their website under the Reserve tab.
Don’t miss the NC Products Barn upon your visit to Mike’s Farm! Added in 2019, the barn is packed full of local goodies from around the state, including wine, coffee, merchandise, and food items. They even have a stock of pottery from Seagrove! “Our goal is to eventually have something featured in our store from all 100 counties of North Carolina,” Theresa said. “We love showcasing all the local NC handmade or manufactured products our state has to offer, while teaching people how they are made & where they come from.” They also have a separate gift shop and bakery on-site with homemade fudge. If you buy one pound of fudge, you get another quarter pound free, so be sure to stop by!
“Seeing our farm become a tradition for families and watching the generations evolve before our eyes each year is incredibly rewarding,” Mike said. “Some couples will come on their first date here. We’ve had people get engaged on the Christmas hayride. Eventually, they bring their kids back to the farm and we become a destination where the family spends time together. We classify ourselves as a family tradition in all that we do, so to see that mission come to fruition makes all the hard or stressful days’ worth it.” Mike and Theresa’s daughter and son-in-law currently help on the farm as well and plan to one day take over to keep the tradition going.
In addition to fun events and shops, Mike’s Farm is also home to a variety of farm animals that love attention from visitors, including donkeys, cows, and goats. Start planning your trip today, including the summertime dinner this weekend, and show your support for one of our state’s founding agritourism destinations. We promise that you will not be disappointed!
