Pope Farms in Knightdale, NC, is a small family farm that has been owned and operated by the Pope family since 1954. The farm produces fresh meat, eggs, and produce. Cattle and hogs are raised on the pastures, and hay is grown for the winter. Hens lay fresh eggs daily, available for pick up at a self-serve station on the front porch of Pope Country Store. Seasonal produce is grown, including corn, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and sunflowers.
The farm is a member of the Wake County Farmland Preservation Program, a program dedicated to conserving and protecting Wake County’s farms. Wake County currently has about 700 farms. The Preservation Program works to ensure permanent protection of the farm lands for future generations.
The farm is also a Harvest Host for RVers. We visited in early April.
Pope Farms County Store
Upon arrival, we stopped at the Pope Farms County Store to check in.
After a warm welcome, we headed to the barn area to fill up our water tank. We chatted with one of the owners about the family history of the farm. Next, he guided us through the farm to our campsite near the back part of the property. We took note of the barns and buildings along the way.
Pope Farms Harvest Host Campsite
As we drove towards the campsite, soon the pasture area turned into woods.
Our campsite faced a lovely pond with turtles and birds. There was a picnic table, chairs, and a fire pit. It was a surprisingly peaceful setting, even though the farm is not that far off the main road.
After settling in at the campsite, we decided to walk back to the pastures to visit the cows.
As soon as we cleared the woods, in the distance we saw several belted galloway cows grazing in the pasture alongside a few donkeys.
We quietly approached, and the white-belted cows noticed us. They looked a bit curious.
They stared, probably wondering if we were bringing food. The baby calf was so cute!
We continued our walk past the pastures back to the County Store, this time to purchase fresh meats, eggs, and local honey. However, the eggs had sold out earlier that day. The owner instructed us to return the next morning to the self-serve station where fresh eggs would be available. We agreed.
In the meantime, the cows had moved to the area behind the store. We visited once more before meandering back to the campsite.
As we started to make dinner that evening, an unexpected visitor arrived. It was the owner delivering fresh eggs to us at the campsite! We were delighted!
The evening was perfect for camping as temperatures cooled off into the low 60s at night. We did not need an electric hookup or a generator. Our camper batteries provided more than enough power for us to run the essentials. We enjoyed a peaceful night at the campsite. Thank You Pope Farms!
For more adventures at Harvest Hosts, check out our visit to the Yadkin Valley in North Carolina and our Snowbird Trip to Florida:
Stop by the Gift Shop: