Owner-Farmers of New Ground Farm, Pembroke, NC

The 26-acre farm has been in Millard’s family since the 1930s and five generations of Locklear’s have lived on the farm. Millard was born and raised on the farm and began farming it again at scale in 2015 after a career away from the farm. Millard and wife Connie grow a wide array of vegetables including peas, sweet corn, kale, collard greens, tomatoes, squash, peppers and eggplant. They sell many of their crops directly to the NC University system and UNC Pembroke. Millard and Connie are part of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and integrate the values of their Lumbee heritage to the way they farm. They have also transitioned the farm into a non-profit organization focused on educating the community about sustainable farming.

Connie & Millard Locklear and began production in 2011. New Ground Farm is dedicated to the agricultural activities involved in the production, packing, and marketing of various produce including blueberries, blackberries and other assorted vegetables and farm fresh eggs. They also have value added products, such as homemade jellies and jams, chow-chow, pepper jelly, homemade soaps, pottery and many more products. New Ground Farm is committed to the production of safe and high-quality foods. They subscribe to the principle that the appropriate method to accomplish this is to minimize the microbial, chemical, and physical contamination of produce at all points of the production process. It is their goal to produce premium-quality fruit/vegetables using good agricultural practices to maximize quality and productivity.

Why are collards special?

Collards are our ancestral food!

What’s Your Favorite Way To Eat Collards?

Boiled!

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