Poplar Ridge Farm, LLC

The 25 year development of Poplar Ridge Farm as an organic Community Supported Agriculture farm is a unique extension of the owners personal adult lifestyles and career studies. The owners have been athletes involved in the organic food movement and advanced nutrition concepts since their teenage years! One of the owners, Marianne Battistone, was a health and fitness contributing editor to SELF Magazine and Conde Nast publications from 1980 to 2018. Marianne has been in private practice in NYC and a lecturer, since 1978 to present. She is a dance educator and therapist that specializes in injury prevention, treatment and care of dance and athletic injuries. She and her husband, Philip Norwood, a tri-athlete, always wanted to own a farm and learn to farm the land sustainably. In 1994, when Philip began working in Charlotte, NC, they chose to build their farm in Sandy Ridge Township, Union County, NC, just 24 miles south of Charlotte.

We were a small family-owned and operated USDA Certified Organic farm. We became one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture farms in North Carolina. We supported the Charlotte metropolitan area, families and restaurants, with organic flowers and herbs for 25 years. Twice a week we offered a on-farm farmers market for our local families. Our selling season was approximately 34 weeks, broken down into two seasons, a 22 week summer season and a 10 week fall/winter season. We specialized in unique varieties of produce, herbs, and flowers. We also offered recipes, tours, and special events such as farm to table dinners featuring fresh from the farm produce, local chefs, and guest speakers.

Our intern students were from environmental study and agricultural departments and Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute. Interns were able to earn college credits through their collaborative studies.

In March 2021, our farm, now operating privately under a different name, was sold to one of our long time CSA families.

In 2023,Poplar Ridge Farm LLC., is operating as an agricultural organization that donates its time and plants to school yard programs and local community groups.