People Make the Place: Faces of Martin County is a storytelling series highlighting a few of the people who help shape the character of our community. Through their experiences, work, and connections to Martin County, each feature offers a closer look at the people behind the places that make this area feel like home.
Our next feature is the James Family of James Family Farm, a multi-generational farming family with deep roots in Martin County. Located in Jamesville, the family farm has been cultivated by generations of the James family for nearly 200 years. Today, the family continues that legacy through sustainable farming practices, community involvement, and a commitment to serving local residents through initiatives like the Martin County Farmers Market.
Read more from the James Family below as they share their story, their connection to Martin County, and what continues to inspire their work in the community.
“What do you think makes Martin County such a meaningful place to be part of?”
Home, Family & Community are the first things that come to mind when Martin County is mentioned!
For Malcolm, it’s home – where he was born & raised. Malcolm and his family are the definition of Martin County strong! They know how to do everything under the sun!
For our family, Martin County is a place filled with meaningful connections and memories. I’m from NY, a true city girl! My aunt (mom’s sister) married a gentleman from Malcolm’s neck of the woods, leading me to spend my summers in Martin County from about ages 10–16. As the years went on, I looked forward to spending my summers here “in the country,” where I met the man I’d later marry and some of my best friends in life. No coincidence that after living a military life with my dad (NY, KY, CO, MD, VA), I ended up right back here, where my summers were spent growing up.
“Can you tell us a little about James Family Farm & what inspired your family to begin this journey and continue it through the years?”
James Family Farm is about a 14-acre parcel of land in Piney Woods, NC (Jamesville) that has been farmed off and on by the James Family over the past 200 years. Malcolm decided in 2021 that since the elders in his family weren’t physically able to continue farming, he’d pick up the torch and modernize/simplify some practices at the same time.
He couldn’t just sit and watch the land that his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles had farmed his entire life just… die. Now it’s thriving. We’ve added a vineyard, a bee sanctuary, and a pollinator flower garden as well. We’ve also hosted on-farm classes.
“Your family has become a familiar and valued part of our community through local agriculture and involvement with events like the Martin County Farmers Market. What has it meant to you to build those relationships and connect with residents over the years?”
When we began farming for profit, we were solely wholesale, supplying a food hub that focuses on food deserts and rural areas in Eastern NC and distributes produce throughout the region.
After we were granted USDA funds to obtain a greenhouse, high tunnel, solar pumps, and irrigation system (we are completely green and solar-powered, with no electricity or running water), we were able to produce more.
We then began attending classes and workshops, working closely with NC A&T and NC State University’s Agricultural Science Departments. Soon, we desired to serve our own communities, so we signed up for local farmers’ markets both in Wake County and, most certainly, where the farm is actually located – Martin County.
One thing we pride ourselves on is always representing what we call “The Home Team.”
We had no idea how far we’d reach or how large our network would become once we stepped off the farm and into the community, but it means everything to us. We look forward to continuing to strengthen the community overall, beginning on our little farm.