If you’re looking for farm-fresh vegetables, fruits and more, you don’t have to go far from Topsail Island.
An abundance of local fruits and vegetables are minutes away from Topsail Island. As you plan your next shrimp boil or clam bake, you’ll find all the ingredients your need close to home from pick-your-own-berries to tomatoes and beans to ice cream and baked treats. Come along on a farm tour on and around the island — from Maple Hill through Snead’s Ferry and south of Hampstead. There’s something tasty at every stop.
Andrews Produce
From mid-April through Labor Day, the Andrews family provides local fresh fruits and vegetables at the north end of Topsail Island. Andrews has been a Topsail Island tradition since 1975. The business is family-owned and operated, and the Andrews are year-round residents of Topsail Island. They offer farm-fresh produce daily as well as homemade ice cream, fruit sorbet, house-made boiled peanuts, farm-fresh eggs and a huge variety of preserved goods including jams, salsa, chow chow and pickled beets. They also have produced two volumes of Andrews Produce Cookbooks.
Open daily 9 am to 6 pm, seasonally
8904 2nd Avenue, North Topsail Beach
(910) 200-9455
Facebook.com/andrewsproducetopsailbeach
Bear Ridge Farms
If you want local produce delivered by the farm during your vacation on Topsail Island, Bear Ridge Farms is your choice. Or visit the farm store in Maple Hill, a delightful ride northwest of the beach.
They deliver a VSA (Vacationer Supported Agriculture) bag to Topsail Island through People First Tourism. They also have a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box that has pickup locations in Sneads Ferry and Jacksonville.
The farm store in Maple Hill carries fruits and vegetables, 90 percent of which are grown by the family and the rest coming from local farmers. According to locals, their strawberries are some of the best around. They have hanging and potted plants in the spring and pumpkins in the fall. The store carries grass-fed beef, cheeses, jams, jellies, local honey, salsas, vinaigrettes, local bread, ice cream, local eggs, butter, cooked collards, boiled peanuts, glass bottle drinks and ciders.
Open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 5pm in spring, summer and fall. Closed on Wednesday in the off season.
5930 N.C. Highway 50, Maple Hill
(910) 289-1621
bearridgefarmsinc.com or facebook.com/BearRidgeFarm
Hometown Harvest
Hometown Harvest in Sneads Ferry, just north of Topsail Island, is a small family farm that grows and sells fruits, vegetables, cut flowers and plants. They also have eggs, honey, a wide variety of baked and preserved foods as well as soaps, candles and local crafts. Each month during peak season they host a vendors market of local arts and crafts.
Open Tuesday through Thursday 10 am to 4 pm in the off-season and Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm from mid-May through December.
145 Virginia Lane, Sneads Ferry
https://www.facebook.com/hometownharvest.sf
Carol Sue Farms
Another local farm known for its berries, Carol Sue Farms has a lovely new farm stand between Surf City and Hampstead. You can’t miss the classic farm truck near the entrance. Nonie Morris and her husband, Jeff, opened their you-pick strawberry and blueberry farm in the spring of 2013, then moved to their current location last year as the Hampstead Bypass will go through their old location. They have blueberries for sale, brought in daily from their other farm. They also sell local honey, preserves, plants and hanging baskets, and cups of ice cream custom-made from their berries.
Open Monday through Friday 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 12:30 to 4 pm
19874 U.S. Highway 17 N., Hampstead
(910) 520-6629
facebook.com/carolsuefarms or carolsuefarms.com
Eden’s Produce
Eden’s Produce has a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in a large farm stand at the corner of U.S. Highway 17 and Sidbury Road. Eden’s Produce has been run by the same family for the past 82 years. They sell a variety of fruits and vegetables that are well known for their freshness and taste. From the earliest offerings to mid-season melons and fall veggies, their convenient crossroads spot offers ample parking.
Open 8 am to 6 pm daily in season
10171 U.S. Highway 17 N., Wilmington
facebook.com/Edens-Produce-824469170931504
Humble Roots Farm
For the very freshest in produce, Humble Roots Farm offers pick-to-order through their online store. Orders placed by 1:30 pm on Friday are available Saturday through Tuesday. Orders placed by Tuesday at 1:30 pm are available Wednesday through Friday. They grow most of what they sell with a few seasonal exceptions. They have a wide variety of products including pastured pork, chicken, eggs, 40 different types of crops, beef and honey. They are most known for their high-quality pastured meats and eggs and their fresh salad mix that lasts for weeks in your fridge. Humble Roots offers both spring and fall CSA programs
(910) 538-3728
humblerootsfarm.com/csa or facebook.com/HumbleRootsFarm
You find them at the Wilmington Farmers Market every Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm
Poplar Grove Farmers Market
Each Wednesday on the grounds of Historic Poplar Grove Plantation, you will find one of the area’s largest and longest running farmers’ markets. The market hosts farmers, plant vendors, curated artists and crafters and culinary cuisine producers. In October the market switches over to Saturday in order to allow those that don’t have the flexibility to visit the market mid-week to come out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather while supporting their local small businesses.
Both the Wednesday and October markets host a large number of vendors and diverse products. You can pick up your fresh vegetables, fruits and meats, baked goods (including vegan and gluten-free options), jams and jellies, local honey, fresh eggs, marinades, spice mixes, natural health and wellness products, dried teas, wonderful paintings, pottery and jewelry and more.
Poplar Grove Farmers Market is on the grounds of a former peanut plantation. Visitors can attend the farmers’ market and then tour the historic 1850s manor house and lower grounds (home to an animal rescue, agricultural museum and gardens) supporting a local nonprofit organization to continue conservation, education and preservation of an important historical site.
Wednesdays 8 am to 1 pm from April 13 to September 28, Saturdays in October
10200 U.S. Highway 17, Wilmington
(910) 998-3322
poplargrove.org/farmers-market or facebook.com/farmersmarketpoplargrove
