Smiths work to preserve orchard life in Catawba
“Some people are dreamers and some people are doers. All my life, when I wanted to do something, people showed up to help. God may not have given you the ability to see things like we do, but he gave you hands. People helped, and now I see them pointing to things they helped with. They were part of the process, and they take ownership of that.”
One hundred years ago, peach trees dominated the landscape of Catawba Island. Peach farming was a lucrative enterprise that not only generated income for locals but inherently created a natural paradise of blooms and shoreline.
Over the last several decades, development has slowly altered the make-up of the Catawba peninsula. Condos replaced orchards and locals looked for other, more efficient and dependable ways to make a living. Today, only three peach farming families remain on Catawba.
Among them are Quintin and Donna Smith, who took on fruit farming as a retirement project. They purchased an old orchard, named it Quinstock Farms, and planted a variety of fruit trees and a grape vineyard. Something magical happened as their hands darkened with old dirt and grasped branches pruned from young trees: Their hobby became a vision.
When the Smiths entered the world of farming, they also stepped into the history of Catawba, where they gained a deeper understanding of the importance of orchards to Catawba’s historical foundation and current character. As they watched land slowly transform from soil to concrete, Quintin and Donna longed to find a way to preserve the orchards for future generations.
Quintin Smith
Brewing up a recipe for success
Their plan was strong. They purchased more land, transformed it into a natural, working paradise reminiscent of long-ago orchards, and built Twin Oast Brewing in the midst of it. Their son, Cory Smith, was a successful home brewer, and Twin Oast created a platform for his work and his parents’ vision.
The Smiths’ concept was to create an interdependence between the land and the brewery that would last for generations. Customers would come, they hoped, for the food and beer but would return because of the serene atmosphere.
Today, customers can eat inside the elegant restaurant, or they can enjoy their meals outside in view of rolling hills of lush grass, flower fields visited by brightly colored birds, and the fouracre orchard that Quintin and Donna tend all by themselves.
“We thought it would be a good way to have synergy between the brewery and farm,” Donna said. “After we’re gone, Cory would hire someone to keep up the farm because of the customers’ expectations for the ambiance.”
Locals are grateful for the work Quintin and Donna put into their dream. They see and appreciate the impact the Smiths have had on the Catawba landscape. As Donna drives the tractor up and down the rows of fruit, she sees people smiling and pointing to the beauty of the blossoms. As Quintin refills the Quinstock fruit stand, people often stop and thank him for all that he
and Donna have done.
‘Some people are dreamers and some people are doers’
“They hated what was happening to the land,” Quintin said.
Some of those locals had a hand in the creation of the Smiths’ businesses. When they began expressing their dreams for the land, offers to help poured in and the Smiths were the ones who were grateful.
“Some people are dreamers and some people are doers. All my life, when I wanted to do something, people showed up to help,” Quintin said. “God may not have given you the ability to see things like we do, but he gave you hands. People helped, and now I see them pointing to things they helped with. They were part of the process, and they take ownership of that.”
The Smiths may need to place a lot of faith in that ownership in the future. After three years of working toward their dream, they are seeing it slip away. They have discovered that, when they eventually are no longer able to care for the land, there may be no one to take their place. Cory will be too busy managing the brewery, and of the three peach farmers on Catawba – all of whom are over 60 –– none have children who want to farm.
Workers are difficult to find. Farm work is hard work, and the economic policies which sprang from the pandemic made employees scarce.
“Even now, when Quintin and I are still here doing the work, we can’t find help,” Donna said.
Future uncertain for the peach tree landscape
What does that mean for the future landscape of Catawba? It may mean the last peach tree could be pulled from the ground in the next generation. It may mean the fruit crop history the Smith’s stretched into the present will be laid forever in the past.
Whatever happens to the land, the Smiths will still leave a legacy. The orchards may disappear, but the memories locals make amongst the beauty of Twin Oast will remain for years to come.
The handprint of community collaboration will still be recognizable at the brewery. And years from now, when researchers study the farming history of Catawba, they’ll read about a couple who kept that history alive for just a little longer.
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.