Deer Valley Farm is a 20-acre trout and vegetable farm located in Greenhill, NC. The farm raises rainbow trout in their beautiful mountain stream-fed pond. Additionally, the farm grows organic vegetables in a hoop house and raised beds.
The farm is owned by Bob Young. He is a graduate of NC State University and worked as a chemist and contractor before becoming a farmer. Bob is a current Rutherford County Barn board member who has served for 8+ years. He has seen the growth of our local farmers market from a small group gathering around tailgates to our current spot in Forest City. As a farmer, he has touched many lives, including a few you will see around the market, like our President and Market Manager.
Deer Valley Farm raises rainbow trout that are purchased from Cantrell Creek Trout Farm. After reaching the farm, the trout are fed a high-quality feed that’s formulated specifically for rainbow trout. It usually takes their trout a few weeks to a few months to reach the desired size, depending on the size when delivered, whether it will be packaged as frozen or smoked, and demand.
After enough trout reach the desired size, the farm’s crew fishes out the trout to be processed using a cast net. The rainbow trout are processed on the property by hand in the farm’s fish house. The crew carefully gut, filet, pin bone, and clean the trout to ensure a bloodless and boneless final product.
The trout are also smoked on the farm. After processing, filets are chosen to be sold as fresh or smoked trout. The fish chosen to be smoked are submerged in a carefully concocted brine and left to soak for several hours. Last but not least, the fish are transferred to the smoker and are smoked.
You can purchase Deer Valley Farm’s trout when visiting the market by dropping by what we call the “vendor table”. The vendor table represents many different vendors, but you will be able to identify it by the large wooden rainbow trout.
In addition to selling high-quality locally raised trout, Deer Valley Farm fights food insecurity in Rutherford County. They help the food insecure by giving away EVERYTHING they grow. Crops are chosen based on the needs of local food relief organizations. They have donated lettuce, tatsoi, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes.
This work is made possible by organizations like ASAP, Rutherford County Extension, and Rutherford Barn’s Dale Young Pantry Fund. In 2021, with the help of these organizations, the farm’s small paid crew, and dedicated volunteers, they were able to donate approximately $20,000 of produce to local food relief organizations. The organizations that received donations included the Washburn Community Outreach Center, Grahamtown Team Community Center, Rutherford County Veterans Services, Adaville Baptist Church, and more!
If you would like to contribute to Deer Valley’s efforts you can donate to the Dale Young Pantry fund via check or Paypal , or you can reach out to our team about how to volunteer on the farm (no experience required).
