Discovering NC Agriculture is a social media series focusing on N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Originally started in 2025, this series has been renewed to run for another year! Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun recipes to try, hear from local chefs who use that product, and other unique commodity facts throughout the series. We look forward to helping you better understand some of our N.C. commodities and how they impact your everyday lives!
Whether you grow up on a farm or marry into one, agriculture has a way of getting into your blood and sparking a passion. Jamie Carrick, co-owner of Sunnybrook Farms, didn’t grow up in the agriculture industry, but fell in love with it after marrying a farmer’s daughter. Today, farming is the honor of his life as he grows cotton, soybeans, corn, wheat and raises beef cattle alongside his family at Sunnybrook Farm in Richfield.
Sunnybrook Farm has been under family operation for over seven generations with Jamie’s wife, Jennifer Carrick, being the seventh generation, and their son Tanner, the eighth. “This farmland has been in the Brooks family since before the Civil War,” said Jamie. “It was named Sunnybrook Farm in 1938 after Jennifer’s grandfather, Spurgeon Brooks, who was a pioneer in the dairy industry for N.C. Agriculture.” From its inception until 1998, Sunnybrook Farm raised dairy cattle and a few row crops. “The legacy of this farm was built by Jennifer’s family, including her grandfather, Spurgeon, her father, Butch, and her uncle, Jed,” Jamie said. “They are some of the best farmers, in my opinion, in the world, and it’s been a pleasure to learn from them through the years.” Butch, Jennifer’s father, continues to work on the farm full-time today, and Uncle Jed recently retired in 2025, but continues to live near the farm so he can help when needed. “We couldn’t be where we are today without their hard work, as well as the work and dedication of the family members before them,” Jamie said. “I can’t take credit for the success of the farm today, but I can honor their legacy and do my best to further it in the years to come.”
When the dairy dispersed in 1998, Sunnybrook Farm changed their primary focus to row crops, apart from a few beef cattle. “My wife, Jennifer, and I met in high school and fell in love while in college at UNC Chapel Hill. She grew up right here on the farm, and I started full-time on the farm in 2000,” Jamie said. “As a child, Jennifer had a lot of experience working on the farm helping milk the cows and drive tractors. She always knew this farm would be a part of her future.” From then until now, Jamie has fallen in love with farm life and enjoys working alongside his wife, Jennifer, son, Tanner, and father-in-law, Butch, every day. “I didn’t grow up on a farm, but I married into one,” he said. “It’s the only real job I’ve ever had, and I truly couldn’t see myself doing anything else.” Although they have handled many crops through the years, soybeans currently are the top crop produced at Sunnybrook Farms, with 1,200 acres being grown this year.
Soybeans are a solid rotational crop grown on many farms across our state. Additionally, they are a lower maintenance crop than other popular row crops, like corn, and provide a lot for our state’s agriculture industry, especially animal agriculture. “North Carolina ranks fifteenth in the nation for soybean production, which means that our soybean farmers play a significant role in the national soybean market,” Jamie said. “From animal feed products and soy sauce to a new soybean oil foam used to fight fires, soybeans support our state’s economy in a variety of ways and touch our lives every day.”
Prior to soybean season each year, Jamie and his family have all of their fields soil sampled through the NCDA&CS Agronomic Services Division. “Soil testing shows us the health and nutrition in the ground across all of our fields,” Jamie said. “This information allows us to alter the rates of fertilizer, sulfur, pot ash, and other nutrients that soybeans need based on the soil nutrition in each area, also known as variable rate application.” Sunnybrook Farm plants and harvests two types of soybeans each year, early beans and after harvest beans (aka late beans). In fact, Jamie and his family are getting ready to start planting early beans this month! “Early beans typically run from April to October in the fields,” he said. “With early beans, we plant around 120,000 seeds per acre, as opposed to the 140,000 seeds per acre we plant with late beans. After planting, we scout the plants throughout the summer with partnered companies and agronomists, fertilize when needed, pray for the right amount of rain and wait for harvest time.” Late beans are planted directly following wheat harvest in June and are harvested in November, sometimes early in the month and other times around Thanksgiving depending on the weather. “We do not irrigate or till any of our crops here on the farm, but we do keep a close eye on our soybeans all year long to protect them from diseases, like soybean rust, and pests, like deer,” Jamie said.
Deer are the number one challenge for soybean farmers, especially in Jamie’s part of the state where the population continues to grow. “The first two leaves on a soybean plant make all the difference,” said Jamie. “If a deer eats those first two leaves off a soybean plant, it won’t grow or sprout anymore. The plant simply dies, which means less of a harvest for farmers.” When it comes to disease management, Jamie’s family utilizes drones to spray over top of the beans to get rid of weeds sticking out of the canopy, as well as protect the seeds in the ground from being run over by tractors and other farm equipment. “We work with a drone company that comes in when we need disease management,” he said. “They do a great job of applying the needed products in a way that is safe for both the soybean crop as well as individuals on and around the farm.” Once soybeans are harvested from the fields, they are either sold directly to customers, depending on the current market price, or they are stored in grain bins until they are sold. “The commodity markets often act adversely to the stock market, but we monitor the markets every day to watch for the best soybean prices and sell at those times,” Jamie said. “It can be challenging, but it’s also a lot of fun and generates a lot of pride.” All soybeans grown and harvested at Sunnybrook Farm are sold to animal feed companies across our state and beyond.
In addition to full-time farming, Jamie also serves on both the N.C. Farm Bureau board and the N.C. Soybean Producers Association board. “I represent farmers in our area of the state, including Stanley County, Rowan County and Union County,” he said. “We also educate the community on the importance of soybeans grown in our state through school visits and other events throughout the year.” For the N.C. Soybean Producers Association, Jamie acts as the Chair of the Communications Committee, where he assists Communications Manager Faith Case with marketing materials and outreach events across the state. “Many people, especially children, don’t understand what soybeans are or why they are such an important crop for our state,” Jamie said. “Through the work of the NC Farm Bureau and the NC Soybean Producers Association, we help to educate people on the crop itself and how it touches their lives every day through the meat they eat, the condiments they use, and even common household items.” Be sure to follow NC Farm Bureau and the N.C. Soybean Producers Association social media channels to stay up to date on the latest information surrounding the soybean industry and upcoming events across the state.
Working on a Bicentennial Family Farm for over 25 years, Jamie has a lot of advice for the next generation of farm workers that he learned from his father-in-law, Butch, and other family members. “It’s a tremendous honor to be a part of this industry and the legacy here at Sunnybrook Farm,” he said. “I encourage all young people to learn everything they can about agriculture and find ways that the industry speaks to you. Get established with farmers across the state, and if you’re interested, ask to work with one in your area. This industry has a lot to offer, and we need strong individuals to carry it into the future.” We are so proud of the legacy that Spurgeon, Butch, Jed, and all the other founding members of Sunnybrook Farms have created in our state’s agriculture industry. We look forward to watching Jamie, Jennifer, and their future generations continue to build upon it in the years to come!
