WNC Communities held the 32nd annual Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the WNC Agricultural Center — Davis Event Center in Fletcher. Longtime farmer, innovator and farmland preservation advocate Jeff Darnell was inducted at this year’s luncheon.
Each year, the WNC Ag Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose leadership, innovation and dedication have advanced agriculture and agribusiness throughout the region while preserving its rich agricultural heritage for future generations.
Beginning with just one acre in his mother’s backyard in Franklin, Jeff built what would become one of Western North Carolina’s most recognized and influential farming operations. Although he did not come from a farming family, he pursued agriculture through education, mentorship, determination and hands-on experience, funding his college education through scholarships while farming weekends and summers. After graduating with honors from Hiwassee College in 1979, he established Darnell Farms in Bryson City and grew the operation to more than 300 acres by the mid-1990s.
Recognizing the challenges facing small family farms, Darnell revolutionized how locally grown produce reached consumers. During the 1980s, he pioneered field-packing systems that improved product quality while reducing costs and developed innovative direct-to-consumer marketing strategies using local radio broadcasts and multiple distribution sites throughout Western North Carolina. These approaches helped strengthen the region’s agricultural economy and provided a model for other small farms adapting to changing markets.
Since 2016, he has served as the western field representative for the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, working with farmers across the region to protect agricultural lands through conservation easements. In that role, he has assisted with 54 farmland preservation projects, helping conserve more than 4,500 acres of North Carolina farmland for future generations.
Today, Darnell Farms continues as a thriving multigenerational operation led by Jeff’s children, Nate and Afton Darnell, carrying forward the family’s commitment to innovation, stewardship, education and community service.