Located on the 300-acre SAS campus in Cary, the 3-acre One Oak Farm is planted with roughly 180 varieties of herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables.
“Everything is edible,” said Alyssa Campo, the culinary farm manager. “It’s a little like Willy Wonka, but a farm.”
Campo and her “right-hand woman,” Miranda Murphy, run the farm — planting, weeding and harvesting nearly year-round. The bounty goes straight into the kitchens at Herons restaurant and the Umstead Hotel and Spa, supplying the chefs with local produce picked at the height of flavor and freshness. Sunflowers, zinnias and other cut flowers from the farm also appear in the hotel gift shop and throughout the facility.
“Some days are harder than others,” Campo said. “But for the most part, it’s really gratifying to know that two people can get it done.”
The farm was established nine years ago to supply the SAS cafes with fresh produce. Its mission changed over the years, and since coming on board two years ago, Campo has expanded the farm by about 50 percent and doubled One Oak Farm’s production.
When choosing plants for the farm, Campo says they consider what the chefs want and what nature will allow. While that encompasses many familiar plants native to this region, she also tests plants from other countries in similar growing zones. Japanese shiso, sometimes called Japanese basil, tastes of mint and licorice. Mexican papalo has a cabbage-like texture with a powerful flavor akin to coriander and arugula.
“The chefs allow play,” she said. “They’re willing to experiment.”
