The Plant: A Magical Permanent Farm Picnic
Tucked away in the east side of Pittsboro, North Carolina, down a short path into the countryside, you will find a curious set of signs. The first one reads “Lorax Lane,” with a “Trespassers Welcome” sign next to it. Then comes a big “Welcome to the Plant” sign with nearly 20 local business logos underneath it. As you move down the road, you will find a parking area that leads to a cluster of buildings that looks like a magical permanent farm picnic.
“People come to Lorax Lane and always say, ‘How did I never know this was here? What is this place?'” said Tami Shwerin, owner of The Plant, who also calls herself an Experience Creator. “Of course, we want people to know about us, but it’s quite magical with the amount of trees.”
What is The Plant?
The Plant is a budget district located in rural Chatham County, North Carolina, filled with local businesses, including a brewery, mead, clothing store, art gallery, food trucks, among others. The property that is now The Plant was originally used as a flower farm, and its claim to fame was the farm that supplied flowers for President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. When the flower farm closed, the property was repurposed as a Cold War aluminum smelting plant that made parts for fighter planes.
Shwerin and his partners bought the property in 2005, about ten years after the smelter moved, with the goal of making biodiesel. “My husband was starting a biodiesel cooperative at the time, so we took over half the buildings to make biodiesel,” Shwerin recalled. “And the other two we filled with other sustainability-minded companies. Then a farmer came and set up a farm on the site, and we started planting native plants.”
The site’s diversification proved important to The Plant, which evolved into an eclectic group of like-minded companies that aim to support local businesses and foster entrepreneurs. It has a fun-filled atmosphere that includes children’s games, art, native plants, and people walking around to enjoy it all.
Tour of The Plant
One Saturday in early spring, The Plant was brimming with new energy. Gloria Rodriguez of Lily Den Meats was preparing a new deli space in one of the buildings. “We’re going to have our soft, soft opening,” he said excitedly. “[We] They are going to sell meat, yogurt, eggs, some ceramics, and other local products.”
Outside, Mackenzie Withington was getting his farm’s food truck ready for the lunch rush. “We own a small family farm in Goldston,” he explained. “And we recently opened a food truck to help sell our product in a different way. It’s great. We love it here at The Plant. It’s a great community.”
Right next to one of the main buildings, Michelle Thomas was cutting the ribbon for the grand opening of her candle business, Essence 4 U. With a small crowd of friends and family around her, she cut the ribbon, raised her arms high in the air, and said, “We’re open!” before wiping away her tears and making way for the first round of her clients.
Fostering Local Businesses
Shwerin says power is pretty common at The Plant, especially on weekends and Thursdays when the Pittsboro Farmers’ Market is open. “Everyone here is a mom-and-pop business, and they just kill themselves to make it work,” she said. “I wish people understood how hard it is to run small businesses like these, including all of the property.”
Fostering local businesses is part of The Plant’s secret to success. “We’ve been here so long, and we have a lot of deep relationships with people because we’ve built businesses together, done projects, or helped people’s families,” Shwerin said. “We are very lucky to be able to call so many people or have them call us. I think it gives us an advantage.”
Conclusion
The Plant is located at 220 Lorax Lane, Pittsboro, and is open seven days a week, although the hours of each business vary. It’s a magical permanent farm picnic that fosters entrepreneurs and supports local businesses while also providing a fun-filled atmosphere. The site’s diversification from biodiesel to food and beverage has enabled its continued success, attracting people from all over North Carolina.
To make The Plant a success, it takes a community of like-minded people willing to work hard to make it happen. Supporting small businesses has proven to be an effective way to keep a community thriving. The Plant is a prime example of how fostering local businesses and creating a fun-filled atmosphere can attract people from all over.
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On the east side of Pittsboro, down a short path into what feels like country, you come across a curious set of signs. A street sign reads “Lorax Lane”, with a “Trespassers Welcome” sign next to it. Then there’s a big “Welcome to the Plant” sign with nearly twenty local business logos underneath.
As you head down the road, seemingly deeper into rural Chatham County, a small parking area gives way to a cluster of buildings that looks like some sort of magical permanent farm picnic.
“People come to Lorax Lane and always say, ‘How did I never know this was here? What is this place?’” said Tami Shwerin, owner of The Plant, who also calls herself an Experience Creator. “Of course we want people to know about us, but it’s quite magical with the amount of trees.”
The Plant is a bit difficult to explain. It’s an isolated budget district filled with local businesses including a brewery, mead, clothing store, art gallery, food trucks, and more. There are children’s games, art, native plants and people walking around to enjoy it all, which gives it a permanent festive atmosphere. But there is also a shared spirit around supporting local businesses and fostering entrepreneurs that adds to the unique feel of The Plant.
“I tell people it’s a mix of Willie Wonka and Dr. Seuss,” Shwerin said, “with a touch of sustainability and local business.”
The property that is now The Plant was originally used as a flower farm, and its claim to fame was the farm that supplied the flowers for President John Kennedy’s inauguration. When the flower farm closed, the property was repurposed as a Cold War aluminum smelting plant that made parts for fighter planes. Shwerin and his partners bought the property in 2005, about 10 years after the smelter moved. His original goal, he says, was to make biodiesel.
“My husband was starting a biodiesel cooperative at the time, so we took over half the buildings to make biodiesel,” Shwerin recalled. “And the other two we filled with other sustainability-minded companies. Then a farmer came and set up a farm on the site, and we started planting native plants.”
That diversification proved important to The Plant. After a brief streak of prominence in biofuels, the industry shifted towards electric vehicles. And The Plant shifted into food and beverage, eventually evolving into what it is today: an eclectic group of like-minded companies.
One Saturday in early spring, The Plant was brimming with new energy. Gloria Rodriguez of Lily Den Meats was preparing a new deli space in one of the buildings.
“We’re going to have our soft, soft opening,” he said. “[We] They are going to sell meat, yogurt, eggs, some ceramics and other local products”.
Outside, Mackenzie Withington was getting her farm’s food truck ready for the lunch rush.
“We own a small family farm in Goldston,” he explained. “And we recently opened a food truck to help sell our product in a different way. It’s great. We love it here at The Plant. It’s a great community.”
Right next to one of the main buildings, Michelle Thomas was cutting the ribbon for the grand opening of her candle business, Essence 4 U. With a small crowd of friends and family around her, she cut the ribbon and raised her arms in high. she the air and she said, “We’re open!” before wiping away her tears and making way for the first round of her clients.
Michelle Thomas celebrates the ribbon cutting of her new business, Essence 4 U, at The Plant in Pittsboro.
Shwerin says power is pretty common at The Plant, especially on weekends and Thursdays when the Pittsboro Farmers’ Market is open.
“Everyone here is a mom-and-pop business, and they just kill themselves to make it work,” he said. “I wish people understood how hard it is to run small businesses like these, including all of the property.”
Fostering such local businesses may also be part of the plant’s secret to success.
“We’ve been here so long and we have a lot of deep relationships with people because we’ve built businesses together, done projects or helped people’s families,” Shwerin said. “We are very lucky to be able to call so many people or have them call us. I think it gives us an advantage.”
The plant is located at 220 Lorax Lane in Pittsboro. It is open seven days a week, although the hours of each business vary.
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