Meet Elise from Elysian Fields Farms! ~ Women in Ag

Elise Bortz, Founder of Elysian Fields Farm

According to the USDA, 31% of farmers are women, and these women-farmers have an economic impact of nearly 12.9 billion dollars. Elise Bortz of Elysian Fields Farms is one of these bad-ass women farmers, right here in Orange County, NC. When I went to visit Elysian Fields, I found Elise,her business partner Beth Myers, and her team hard at work in the rain. They were harvesting produce for the next day’s Carrboro Farmers’ Market. I admire Elise - she’s a pleasure to talk to, a hard worker, and she’s built her business from the ground up. Her passion is apparent as she told her story and gave me a close look at her crops fresh out of the ground.

Elise has built Elysian Fields Farms over 19 years, starting when she was 25. With her uncle acting as a bank, she bought some land and set-up a 25-person CSA as well as sold at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market once a week. Since then, she’s expanded to a 175-person CSA for Spring/Summer and Fall, and sells at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market, to Weaver Street Market, and restaurants.

They farm on a total of 7 acres and grow almost any vegetable you can think of including: Radishes, Salad Greens, Arugula, Tomatoes, Eggplants, Squash, Cucumbers, etc.

What’s Elise’s favorite crop that she grows? “Our carrots! We have nice, sandy soil, that allows our carrots to grow long and big. We’re kind of known for it, and it’s on our logo!”

Currently their 2019 Summer/Spring CSA is full, but you can email elysianfieldsfarmnc@gmail.com to be added to their announcements list to be on a look out for 2020! Make sure to check out their farm fresh vegetables at Weaver Street Market and at restaurants including The Lantern in Chapel Hill, NC.

For more information about Elysian Fields Farm, visit their website: https://www.elysianfarm.com/

Sources:

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/United-States-Womeninag.pdf