Meet Zach Fountain of Grey Heron Farms LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Fountain.

Hi Zach, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up on our family farm in West Cary, where our family has been farming since 1865. Traditionally, we have grown sweet potatoes, corn, tobacco, hay, pumpkins, and apples. In high school and college, I started a roadside farm stand on our farm selling vegetables and locally made candles and soaps while studying at North Carolina State University. During this season, I wanted to be a chiropractor. Still, I started taking Horticulture courses which quickly birthed a love for landscapes and using plants to beautify any space. Fast forward to 2022, I had a successful career in the multi-family property management industry, but I longed to get back to my roots and a simpler way of life. Couple that with an unending desire to be an entrepreneur, and I knew it was time to leap. Now the question was, what would I farm? Cary is certainly different from where you would think of a farm operation being located due to the exponential growth. I knew that whatever I grew would need to be something of higher financial value than your standard crops that have been historically grown in North Carolina. That is when I knew cut flowers and nursery flowers would perfectly marry my love for Horticulture and farming. Last but certainly not least, what would I call it? We have a bird (a grey heron) that has made itself at home at our ponds for years, so it only made sense to make him the mascot and call the operation Grey Heron Farms LLC.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Farming has not been an easy road, but it has been rewarding. All entrepreneurs face similar challenges of being all things accounting, marketing, CEO, etc. However, when starting a new farming operation, you also spend a great amount of time creating and building the infrastructure of your operation. In my case, to extend my growing seasons and increase the amount of space where I could plant meant that I needed a high tunnel similar to a greenhouse. I have never built a structure that was not made of Legos, so there were a lot of lessons learned in choosing and constructing this high tunnel. I knew that you must be able to push yourself past your self-imposed limits, learn as much as you can, and lean on friends and family to help you accomplish the goal. I would also be remiss if I mentioned the great struggle for any farmer, weather. The 2022 season brought a lot of rain, making it challenging to work in the field while working full-time. At the end of 2022, and now into 2023, we have also seen a lot of rain which makes not only getting the outdoor work done but also the remaining muddy conditions, which can be incredibly challenging when you need to prepare your fields for planting.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a cut flower and nursery flower farm (bouquets and potted options) located in a rapidly growing area where most farms have been sold for development. An active farming operation in Cary is unheard of in 2023. We specialize in cut flowers, but we also offer landscape design planning and just started to add potted flowers and nursery plants soon. While located in Cary, we will also be a Guest Vendor for 2023 at the Fuquay-Varina Grower’s Market, working with local retailers to do special events and regular in-store offerings.

Let’s end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
What matters most to me is having the freedom to direct my life instead of being tied down to a corporate job where I am expected to be in an office from 8 to 5. I want the freedom to explore every possibility this life offers and surround myself with a like-minded community. In so doing, I want to provide top-quality products to our community and advocate for our farming community here in the greater Triangle area. I also wish those who think farming is impossible to reconsider. There are many great resources to learn how to farm, where to get financing, how to start your operation, and so on.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.greyheronfarms.com
• Instagram: @greyheronfarms
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/greyheronfarms

Image Credits
Joshua Dellinger