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Correll  Farms

A NC Century Farm

-   ABOUT US  -

Talton, David, Cheryl & Josie

A Little Farm History

In the late 1880s, Martha Correll, a widow with a young son, purchased land so that Franklin would have an inheritance. That simple act of love was the beginning of our family and farm. Franklin Correll married a lady named Josie and they had 8 children. Their youngest child, Eubert Talton (E.T.) inherited the farm.

​E.T. was born May 20, 1905; as the youngest child, he cared for his parents and the farm while several siblings had to go away to war and others were married and moved away. E.T. was dedicated to the land and his family, and over the years he made changes in the operation to make sure it could sustain his family. He was also very concerned about conservation and keeping the land a working farm. In 1938, the farm became a Grade A Dairy. He saw this as a way to adapt and have a continuous revenue source. 

E.T. and his wife Sadie Sharpe had two children, Samuel Edgar in 1943 and Eubert Talton in 1944. Growing up on the farm, Sam & Eubert learned the importance of family and stewardship.

As teenagers desiring spending money, their dad suggested they grow a crop of tomatoes.

That decision helped set the course of the farm for many years to come.

In the late 1970s, with the retirement of E.T., Sam & Eubert changed the farm to Correll Brothers Farm and continued to work together growing field corn, soybeans, tomatoes, and dairy cattle.

The family were partners in Rowan Milk Transport and produced several crops of tomatoes each year.

They served on many local, state, and national agriculture boards and committees to help improve soil and water conservation, milk marketing, tomato varieties, and much more.

In 1996, Sam’s son, David, graduated from NC State University with a BS degree in Animal Science and returned to the farm full time. In the next few years, the dairy flourished and was recognized as one of the top milking herds in the Southeast. In 1997 David married Cheryl McCoy, a fellow NC State alumna. 

Farming is a business that must evolve and change in order to remain sustainable. One of these major changes happened in 2001 when Sam and Eubert sold a tract of land. The 100 acres of land was not connected to the farm originally purchased by Martha, and they wanted a clear path forward for the home farm to remain in the family as a working farm. The sale of this land changed the farm from Correll Brothers Farm to Correll Farms, LLC, and created a partnership between David and his parents. Eubert semi-retired but has remained an integral part of the operation. As the US dairy economy continued to decline, in 2005, a decision was made to sell the dairy herd. This was not an easy decision for David, as most of his life had revolved around studying and working with dairy cattle. However, as a father and husband, he knew he had to make decisions just as his great-grandfather had to ensure that the farm could sustain and remain in business.

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In 2015, David was honored as one of the

Top 10 Outstanding Young Farmers in the US

and in 2019 the farm was recognized as the

Conservation Farm Family of the Year 

These are just two of the many recognitions the farm has received over the years.

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Today, David & his wife Cheryl operate the farm, and their children Josie & Talton are the 6th generation.of Corrells to live on the land. Currently, they raise over 100 varieties of vegetables, several types of potatoes, melons, all kinds of tomatoes, and a flock of laying hens that produce colorful and delicious eggs. 

We are in the 11th year of our Old Fashioned Home Delivery service, selling at several farmers' markets, working with food hubs, and with Fresh List to supply restaurants with local products and

wholesale tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes.

​​David follows in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and uncle before him

and has worked diligently to improve and sustain the farm.

David has served on and continues to serve on numerous boards that work with agriculture at the local and state levels. Currently, he is the VP of the Rowan Farm Bureau Board, serves as the Agriculture Manager for the

Rowan County Fair Association, and serves on the Salisbury Farmer’s Market Board. Cheryl is always working to advocate for agriculture and is currently elected to serve as a Soil & Water Conservation Supervisor for the Rowan District. She is also a member of the Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and served on the Historic Salisbury Foundation Board of Trustees. Together the family creates the Got to Be NC Ag display at the county fair, works with FFA students, hosts school field trips and groups at the farm, speaks about the farm and the importance of agriculture, and much more.

As the 6th generation attends college, we hope that they will consider returning to the farm to continue the tradition, but ultimately that is up to them. No matter their decision, our farm will never be developed.

Our farm is protected under a Conservation Easement for perpetuity.

We can’t think of a better way to honor the traditions of the past and advocate

for farmland preservation in our community and beyond

David on  The Queen's Garden-an Oral History of the Piedmont Foodshed

Talton's first Farmer's Market- 

June 2006 - Salisbury NC

2013 at the farm

2016- Fort Macon, Atlantic Beach NC

2018 - Cove City, NC

2022- New Bern, NC

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