Johnston County Student Grows With Local Farm

SMITHFIELD, N.C. – A Johnston County wildflower seed farm has become both a workplace and a classroom for University of Mount Olive senior Tyler Faircloth.

Faircloth began working at Garrett Wildflower Seed Farm in Smithfield when he was 15, hauling square bales of hay.

Over time, his responsibilities expanded to include seed cleaning, equipment operation, crop management and native seed production. He later completed a summer internship with the company, taking on a larger role in its day-to-day operations.

The work has given Faircloth years of practical experience in a specialized part of agriculture that few people see firsthand.

Garrett Wildflower Seed Farm produces native wildflowers and grasses used in conservation projects, pollinator habitats, wildlife restoration, wetland mitigation and roadside plantings.

Much of the seed grown in Johnston County eventually ends up in projects across the country.

“We’re trying to rebuild wildlife habitats,” Faircloth said. “Whether it’s pollinators, quail, wetlands, or native ecosystems, that’s really the purpose behind what we do.”

The farm is not a typical row-crop operation.

Some seed is harvested mechanically using modified equipment, while other varieties still have to be collected by hand.

“It’s a niche industry,” Faircloth said. “Not many people do what we do.”

Faircloth said that difference is part of what has kept him interested.

“I realized if you want to succeed sometimes, you have to do something different,” he said. “This is something that not everybody else is doing.”

Local Roots

Faircloth grew up in Four Oaks and said agriculture was always part of his life.

“I’ve always wanted to farm,” he said.

His connection to Garrett Wildflower Seed Farm also runs through his family. His grandfather and brother both work there.

“It’s always felt like family,” Faircloth said.

During the busiest parts of the year, he said he can work 60 or more hours a week while balancing his college responsibilities.

The long hours have not changed his interest in the work.

“I wake up happy to go to work,” Faircloth said.

Bringing College Skills Back To The Farm

Faircloth is a first-generation college student and said attending college was not originally part of his plan.

His employer and mentor, Don Lee, encouraged him to consider the University of Mount Olive.

Lee said he believed college would broaden Faircloth’s opportunities while building on the experience he had already gained on the farm.

“I wanted Tyler to experience college because I knew what it had done for me,” Lee said. “Education opens doors and broadens your perspective.”

Faircloth said his studies have exposed him to areas of agriculture beyond native wildflowers, including traditional row crops and plant science.

One of the biggest benefits, he said, has come through UMO’s Precision Agriculture program.

Faircloth has used what he learned in class to help with equipment calibration, yield monitoring and other technology used at Garrett Wildflower Seed Farm.

“The precision ag minor has been one of the biggest things I’ve brought back to the farm,” he said. “Learning how to calibrate equipment, understand yield monitors, and use technology correctly has been really valuable.”

For Faircloth, the experience has shown how classroom instruction can be applied directly to a working Johnston County farm.

He said the combination of college and hands-on experience has strengthened his interest in agriculture and conservation.

“We’re pretty much replenishing wildlife, and I just love that part about it,” Faircloth said.

After spending much of his teenage years and college career working the same fields, he said the farm has become more than just a job.

“It feels like my heart’s in each one of these fields,” Faircloth said. “Honestly, it’s an honor to work here. I’m ready to see what the future holds for us.”