Flavor NC | UNC-TV

Lots of farms have fish ponds, but not a lot of farms take that fish pond and turn it into a high tech low impact sustainable fish farming operation. That’s exactly what the Taylor family did on their family farm in Cedar Grove. We’ll find out what makes their tilapia operation unique then head into the kitchen at Pazzo Restaurant in Chapel Hill to turn that tilapia into mouthwatering dishes.

Becoming a farmer doesn’t always require investing in lots of lands and equipment. Sometimes it only requires a little ingenuity, a few greenhouses and some water. We’re off to LL Urban Farms in Wake County to see how two old friends turned an idea into a successful Hydroponic farm.

What would your dinner plate look like if there were no pollinators at work in our farm fields? Nothing like it looks today, that’s for sure. Pollinators account for as much as one third of the food we eat. In this episode we’ll find out what makes these bees, butterflies and wasps so important and find out what we can all do to keep them healthy and busy on the farm.

A chicken is a chicken is a chicken right? Wrong if those chickens are a special breed known as Poulet Rouge naked neck chickens. We’ll find out what makes this European transplant to North Carolina’s Piedmont so special and turn that boring basic chicken recipe on it’s ear with Chef Sean Fowler of Mandolin Raleigh.

No matter how you pronounce them, pecans are a staple of the southern table. We're off to Sampson County to meet one of our state's most successful pecan growers, then into the kitchen at Plates in Raleigh for some inventive pecan recipes. They're not just for pie anymore!

What's small, round and ranks as one of our top ten wild harvested seafoods? Clams of course. We're off to Sneads Ferry and a lesson in clamming the old fashioned way with fisherman Tom Burgess. Then it's into the kitchen with award winning chef Keith Rhodes of Catch in Wilmington.

There’s a whole lot more to a pumpkin than a spooky Halloween face. We’re off to Currituck County to pick a passel of pumpkin and just maybe change the way you think of pumpkins for good once Lisa and restauranteur Daniel Pennington of Pass the Salt Café are done. Scallops with pumpkin risotto sound good? There’s a whole lot more to a pumpkin than a spooky Halloween face. We’re off to Currituck

In this episode we head for the North Carolina mountains and apple country. From Jonagold to Granny Smith and McIntosh you’ll find them all growing strong in Henderson County. We’re off to Skytop Orchard for a lesson in apples 101, then into the kitchen with Chef Stuart Partin

They say the military marches on its stomach, and if so, then the forces stationed in NC are marching strong! We’re off to Wayne County to see how our two biggest industries – agriculture and the military are working together to help tar heel farmers. Then it’s into the mess hall to get a taste of what our Marines favorite dishes. Trust us, this ain’t your daddy’s mess hall anymore!

Lots of NC farmers are turning from tobacco to tomatoes, corn, beans and a whole world of fruits and vegetables. In this episode host Lisa Prince heads to Franklin County to visit Vollmer Farms and sample their pick your own blackberry operation. Then it’s into the kitchen with Chef Trey Cleveland of Top of the Hill Restaurant in Chapel Hill for a lesson in inventive blackberry recipes.