• By Todd Luck
• Posted Thursday, April 2, 2026

Forsyth County farmer among finalists for Small Farmer of Year

Anna Anders, owner of Anders Family Farm in Tobaccoville, was recognized as one of three regional finalists for North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year Award at an awards ceremony held last month.

This is the 40th year Cooperative Extension at NC A&T has held Small Farms Week, which honors the contributions of small famers in the state and recognizes innovative farming techniques.

Anders Family Farm, located at 7495 Ridge Road, is a hydroponics farm, meaning crops are grown in water instead of soil. The farm, which is owned by Anna Anders and her husband Jesse Burr, grows crops year-round. They sell their produce at the farm, through their website and also to various clients, ranging from downtown restaurants to schools.

“We work very, very hard and we are glad to be a part of the community that we service with schools and restaurants and food hubs across the state,” said Anders at a Forsyth County commissioners meeting where she was recognized for being the local regional finalist.

The beginnings of the farm go back to Anders and her late husband Mark buying two acres of land, where they raised animals and grew crops in the soil. Mark, who also did well drilling and water purification, started experimenting with hydroponics. They bought a small green house in 2017 and built a homemade hydroponics system out of home guttering.

It was so successful, they bought a larger used greenhouse in 2019. Mark passed away in 2021 from COVID, but Anders kept the farm going. She went to classes and watched many YouTube videos to deepen her knowledge of farming. She used the resources from N.C. Cooperative Extension’s Forsyth County Center, working with Extension Agent Celine Richard, to help grow her farm.

Anders said she was humbled and honored to be one of the statewide finalists. The Small Famer of the Year award went to Darius McKoy and his 12:03AM Farm in Sampson County. Millboro and Co. Farm in Randolph County was also a finalist.