Gary Steiner is proud to be a farmer. He’s even prouder to be a farmer in Henderson County. He grows an array of produce at his farm, Bee-utiful Farm and Garden, which is lush and has sheep, cows, pigs and even a greenhouse, tucked away on farmland in a little neighborhood outside Hendersonville.
When he started farming with his wife, Abigail, more than 10 years ago, it was a part-time thing. The pair mainly farmed out of their garden. Now, they have a community-supported agriculture business where they sell produce boxes to dozens of neighbors, and they sell honey, plant boxes, produce and more at the Hendersonville Farmers Market. He’s also on the county Farmland Preservation Taskforce, one of many throughout the state that wants to keep farmland in the hands of farmers.
While the Blue Ridge Mountains may not be known for agriculture, Henderson County is the largest farming county west of Interstate 77 in North Carolina, measured by the total value of crops and livestock…