Every year the N.C. State Fair thrills people of all ages and backgrounds from across the state for 11 exciting days. Fairgoers get the chance to enjoy exciting rides and delicious new foods. The State Fair is also a time to celebrate N.C. agriculture and the hardworking families who make it our state’s leading industry.
Farm Family of the Day, sponsored by Tractor Supply Co., is a program that recognizes one standout farm family each day of the N.C. State Fair. To honor these families’ accomplishments and contributions to North Carolina agriculture, they are awarded tickets to attend the fair on a day of their choosing, where they will be recognized through PA announcements and signs on the fairgrounds.
Today, the N.C. State Fair and Tractor Supply Co. congratulate Miracle Farm of Edgecombe County!
The farm is run by the first-generation farmers Meghan and Justin Phillips. The two of them both have backgrounds in law enforcement. Justin is currently a trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and Meghan formerly worked for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
The couple has been operating Miracle Farm for the past three years. They sell cut flowers such as tulips and daffodils during the spring and offer you-pick during the summer months. Additionally, Justin is an amateur wine maker, and the family sells his home-brewed wine at the farm.
Meghan shared that the family’s favorite part about farming would definitely have to be harvesting.
“Patience. Just like with anything patience is important. I hate to say that because it sounds so simple, but that’s what it is. You don’t plant a seed and immediately see growth, you have to wait and have faith.” This approach to their farming is reflected in the quality of the flowers they grow. The family is truly dedicated to the work that they do and they hope to encourage other small family farms in the area.
In the local community Miracle Farm works to make a difference through gifting flowers to the share the love of Christ. In 2023 they gifted all of their flowers for free, making deliveries all over Nash, Edgecombe, Pitt, and Halifax counties. Many people visit the farm not just for their beautiful flowers but also for the farm’s peaceful atmosphere and amazing views. Additionally, they make it a point to keep the farm’s online presence strong to help encourage engagement.
The Phillips family is eagerly looking forward to the State Fair this year. They try to make attending a yearly tradition and they look forward to seeing everything the fair has to offer.
“This will be the first time that we’ve visited the State Fair since starting our farm so it will be interesting to visit and see it from the eyes of a farmer. Being able to see the effort and love behind everything that is grown in our state,” Meghan shared. They’re excited to look at the exhibits around the fairgrounds and learn more about N.C. agriculture.
Going into the future, the family hopes to be able to continue to grow their farm, however they’re looking for ways to balance that growth with the close-knit community which they’ve created on the farm now.
“I really want to grow, but I never want to lose the unique smallness that we have,” Meghan said. Many of the surrounding farms in the area are much larger and the Phillips family takes pride in being able to hand sow and harvest every seed.
Congratulations to Miracle Farm! Look out for our next featured farm family tomorrow!