GOLD HILL — Working Lands Trust (WLT), a state-wide land trust dedicated to preserving working farms and forests, recently announced the appointment of four leaders to its board of directors, among them Rowan County flower farmer Jessica Long.

A release from Working Lands Trust said that Jessica Long (Rowan County), the owner of Church Creek Farm, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in local sustainable agriculture. 

“Having transitioned from a 13-year nursing career to revitalizing a century-old farm that specializes in cut flowers, Jessica exemplifies the spirit of community-driven agriculture that WLT champions,” the release said.

Long is excited about the opportunity to be so involved in a cause that she is passionate about. 

“I am big about land conservation and farmland,” Long said. “We are losing farmland by the droves. I got hooked up with Mikey (Fulk, Working Lands Trust executive director) . I loved what Working Lands Trust was about.”

Long and Fulk had know each other before this latest alliance. 

“When she was telling me about Working Lands Trust she said this really goes with your vision and values. Would you come on board?” Long said. 

Long is ready to hit the ground running. 

“We just had our first board meeting,” she said. “I will be voting on land conservation and really trying to get it out there on social media, pushing it to people who don’t understand about land conservation. A lot of people don’t know what (Working Lands Trust) does so it’s really about helping to spread the word.”

Long’s life has a lot of moving pieces at the moment, but she is just grateful to be where she is. The 35-year-old suffered a stroke in January and had heart surgery on April 2. Still, when the Post contacted her for comment on Thursday, she was outside working. She simply loves what she does and her business trajectory is only going up. 

“(Church Creek Farm) is a flower farm in Rockwell and we supply it to the Salisbury Farmers Market,” Long said. “We also do wholesale customers.”

The Rowan County Farm just reached an agreement with national ramifications. 

“I just got a call about a month ago and Duluth Trading Company contacted me and now they are seeking a partnership with us to carry some of stuff in their stores,” Long said. “Getting a contract with Duluth Trading Company is a huge deal especially for a farm like ours.”

If you told Long where she would be a few years ago she might not have believed you, but burned out with her nursing job and expecting a third child, she changed plans.

She had been growing produce herself and helping with Bread Riot but realized that the local produce market was saturated, so she turned her attention to flowers. 

A previous encounter with a patient in the hospital confirmed that flowers were the way to go and it also provided her with their motto, “Smiles on stems.”

“She was unresponsive,” Long said. “I took her flowers one day and when she woke up, she called them smiles on stems.”

With her personal business blooming, and health setbacks in the rearview, Long knows more than ever she is doing what she is meant to be doing. 

“I just feel like I am called to do this,” she said. “I have a big faith in Jesus. He has called me to do it.”

Long is also working with the Salisbury Farmers Market as the organization’s treasurer. The market opens for the season on Saturday at its downtown Salisbury location on East Kerr Street.

In addition to Long, Working Lands Trust also welcomes Edward Hunt, Jasmine Locklear and Dewitt Hardee, all of whose diverse experiences and deep commitment to agriculture will bolster the organization’s mission to preserve North Carolina’s vital food and fiber industry for future generations.

Hunt, of Robeson County, serves as the sustainability coordinator at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub at UNCP, and offers a unique perspective on addressing regional disparities through his collaborative work with various universities and agricultural organizations. His role highlights the critical intersection of sustainability, economics and food security.

Locklear, also of Robeson County, serves as the Agriculture Education and Special Projects Coordinator with the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship. Jasmine, an advocate for agricultural education and indigenous farming rights, joins the board with a rich background in horticulture and policy. Her tenure with the USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations and her work on protecting sacred sites underscores the importance of inclusive stewardship of working lands.

Hardee, of Johnston County, currently the Agriculture Programs Coordinator for N.C. Grange, previously directed the N.C. Agricultural Development & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. A lifelong resident of Johnston County, he along with his family manage a 100-acre family farm. Hardee joins the board with a life long career dedicated to ensuring N.C.’s agricultural industry continues and thrives.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a distinguished group of agricultural leaders to our board,” Fulk said. “Their expertise and broad understanding of what N.C. is facing in terms of working lands loss will be instrumental in guiding Working Lands Trust in its mission to protect our food and fiber industry for generations to come.”