And in the beginning, there was Gryder

We purchased our farm from Francis Gryder in 2006, but the story begins a long time before then. In the late 1800's, a Gryder living up above Shelby, NC fell in love with a girl. Her father ran him out of town. Mr. Gryder went as far as his money would take him which just happened to be Rock Hill, SC. He began working for a local farmer who owned a large tract of land. Fast forward 10 - 15 years, Mr. Gryder purchased the land from him starting a legacy that would continue through the Gryder generations. Slowly parts of the property were sold off, until it was widdled down to a 27.75 acre tract with the house built by Roy Gryder Sr in the 1950's. The house was built from wood harvested off the farm and milled down the road, a bit of history that helped Allen fall in love with the place. Of course, the beautiful rolling land, acres upon acres of pasture, pond, and two huge oak trees in the back yard didn't hurt either.

Today a whole new family and a whole new generation are farming the Gryder land. We still have a long way to go to get the farm up and running as it once was, but we are off to a good start. Five cows graze the abundant pastures. Chickens freely roam the land keeping us constantly stocked with a supply of fresh eggs. The garden, although not much, provides well for our family. We are thankful for all the years, hard work, and love the Gryders put into this land.