Segment 3, June 1st, 2024

Many different things happened at the turn of the 19th Century.  One of those things occurred in the small village of Matthews, NC, in 1900.  That is when Renfrow’s Hardware opened.  Current owners, David & Mary Beth Blackley have been at the controls since the mid-1980s.  David joins host of the Carolina Outdoors, Bill Bartee, to talk about the changes that have occurred in Charlotte & additions to the business of the Hardware store.

Show Highlights:

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• Matthews has gone from a farm town to suburbia but agriculture is still a large part of the community
  
• People appreciate growing their own food & Renfrow’s is a part of the education of the new generations
  
• Renfrow Farms came online in 2011 as a part of the family
  
• There are more chickens in Charlotte than there were in the past two decades
  
• Youth are helping lead the charge of urban farming & are shopping at Renfrow’s.
  
• Canning, Dehydrating, freezer containers interest is growing each year
  

Things You’ll Learn by Listening:

Chicken Run happens in the warm weather months usually on Thursday when people line up to pick up their new chicks at Renfrow’s Hardware in Matthews.

David Blackley is a Storyteller alum from the sponsor of the Carolina Outdoors, the local Charlotte outfitter, Jesse Brown’s.  His story: Growing Up with Renfrow’s .

If you plan on travelling remember to take comfortable footwear & wear sun protective clothing.