Pharaoh and The Hogan Family
What do an Egyptian pharaoh and the Hogan Family have to do with food? In fact, what do they have do with each other?
Rameses is in the Ten Commandments with Rameses every Easter, and Easter is time for eggs and large family brunches….
Sandy Duncan was in The Hogan Family, the 80s family sitcom, but I don’t think she is part of the Duncan Hines family….
And the Hulk is in The Hogan Family. Big muscles, big protein….
No. I’m talking the fabulous Hogan Family of Carrboro, NC. THIS Hogan Family has farmed Hogan’s Magnolia View Farm for over 240 years. It started in 1757 (yes, before there was even a United States of America).
Rob Hogan is a 9th generation farmer (read that, 9 generations!!) and his wife Ann Leonard operate this farm which raises cattle for grass-fed beef and locally raised wheat without the use of herbicides or pesticides.
I volunteered one spring day during the Piedmont Farm Tour and met these gracious, down-to-earth people and their lovely children. The Hogan Family is truly a part of the community–neighbors, friends, family dropped by all day, chatting, sharing, laughing. It was obvious that people are drawn to the Hogans for their warmth and for their genuine concern and stewardship of the land and protecting the rights of family farms. Beyond selling their beef and wheat, they also take care in supporting healthy eating. On their website are recipes and articles on the health benefits of grass-fed meat and grains.
They also support local businesses, such as partnering with and sourcing locally-sourced wheat for a new bakery, Box Turtle Bakery. I met Abraham Palmer, the founder and owner and baker of Box Turtle, a kind-hearted entrepreneur who works in IT by day and out of his passion for baking, understanding the science behind wheat and supporting local movements, has started to build an in-ground wood-fired oven in his backyard to bake his venture. Box Turtle specializes in wheat products and Abe has a nuanced understanding of what wheat works with what product (hard red winter wheat for honey-wheat yeast bread versus hard red spring wheat for sourdough pretzels). I tried his unleavened flatbread made of the Hogan’s soft-wheat and…oh…wow…I didn’t know unleavened flatbread could taste so good.
Wherever you live, support your local farmers and bakers! If only we could have more generations of people like the Hogans and Abe Palmer.
Oh, and Rameses? Since 1924, the UNC mascot, Rameses has lived with the Hogan Family. (Rameses is in blue; on the right is his wife, Tulip).
Everything DOES have to do with food.
Category: Featured Articles: Food Politics, Food Politics, Travel & Culture, US & Canada
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With a flair for spontaneity, pizzazz, creative excellence and her own unique sense of aesthetic grace and perspective, we have our very dear friend, Belinda (or B, to some of us). Although an incredibly accomplished professional and career woman, B’s down-to-earth approach and demeanor transcends all scenarios, communities and people. She manifests, in her day-to-day, the essence of the word “Zomppa” as demonstrated by her extraordinary commitment to creating sustainable and positive change for us and future generations to come. She’s asked for a dog every year since she was five. Check out Belinda’s work on global education research and coaching: www.hummingbirdrcc.com or more about her portfolio www.belindachiu.com.Comments (2)
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Sites That Link to this Post
- Planting the SEEDS | Zomppa | October 11, 2009
Belinda…you have outdid yourself…I loved this piece…who could have thought about the link!!!