Meet the Farmers

Liana and James founded Sliding Rock Farm in 2024 on land that is cooperatively-owned among several friends. We focus on agroecological land management, an approach that considers the holistic relationships present on the land.This way, we can produce healthy food for our community while also strengthening the ecology of our landscape.

We also have a strong emphasis on forest management, and believe that farmers should consider their woodland as a critical component of their working farms.

Liana Stachowicz

Liana is the muscle of Sliding Rock Farm, where she brings over 5 years of farming experience to the table.

Liana started her farming journey in 2020 moving from farm-hand to manager around several farms in the North Carolina piedmont. She was increasingly inspired by perennial food forests, market gardens, and rotational grazing systems. Liana is looking forward to stewarding this landscape long term and seeing the changes over time.

Her farming practices are focused on soil health, which includes incorporating animals through rotational grazing, organic practices, and no-till growing. 

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com
Photo by Abdou Chettah on Pexels.com

James Smith

James is a self-proclaimed generalist with a wide range of skills and interests that come into play on the farm. With a background in chemistry and environmental sciences, along with professional experience with the EPA and Croatan Institute , James brings a rigorous scientific background and land management experience to Sliding Rock Farm.

James focuses on sustainable forest management, operations, partnerships, and general farm support. His work on the farm helps inform his work at Croatan Institute, where he helps farmers across North Carolina implement conservation practices, gain access to capital, and transition their land to be managed more ecologically.