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7 <br /> The Story of our Farm <br /> by Ann Snipes <br /> Our family legacy began in the era of George Washington. Thomas Brewer who was <br /> born in 1793 a descent of Sackfield Brewer (1729 - 1810) obtained this parcel of land which <br /> was 570 acres through a land grant in 1760. From that, he came to own over a square mile of <br /> what is downtown "Orange Grove" <br /> His son Thomas Brewer Jr gave acres of land first to the church which has been the family <br /> church since this time. Cane Creek Baptist Church was founded in 1792 and many area families <br /> are of direct descent from the founding fathers including my family. In the 1800s our great, great <br /> grandfather, Alfred Snipes Sr purchased the land after marrying into the Brewer family, from his <br /> brother-in-law. It consisted of the home place, which at one time was the largest combining <br /> Federal and Greek Revival styles antebellum homes in the Orange County area. It consisted of <br /> 734 acres which were maintained by the family until today. This area is now known as Anilorac <br /> Farms and was incorporated in 1983 and designated a Century farm in 2018. The farm was <br /> named Anilorac which is Carolina spelled backward since every member of the family is a die- <br /> hard UNC fan. <br /> Our grandfather James Mason Snipes, Sr inherited the farm and worked the land <br /> alongside his sons, James Mason Snipes Jr, Charles Snipes, and grandsons Billy and Dan. The <br /> only surviving member of this team is Dan who still lives on the farmland with his wife. His <br /> children have built homes on farmland and reside in the area as well. Betsi resides in the home <br /> place which at one time housed the male school teachers for the Orange Grove Academy <br /> built-in 1897. He acquired this home and 55 acres of land at 18 years old. <br /> Our family has been involved and interested in conservation for as long as they have <br /> existed. The land was our lively hood and therefore great respect has been instilled in how to <br /> best utilize and value this commodity. All decisions we make have always been about how this <br /> will impact the land and the neighbors who have equally long histories in this area. <br /> In the mid-90s it became apparent at the death of our father and brother that continuing <br /> to operate as a dairy farm, which milked and grew crops for 350 cows twice a day, was no <br /> longer feasible. The operation was immense and the family was aging so the decision to stop <br /> the dairy operation was made. It was a very sad time but was probably one of the better <br /> financial decisions at the time. However, the land remained as well as the iconic silos with the <br /> UNC Tarheel prints marching across the top. Once again, we are facing the aging of family <br /> members and have decided that some of the lands will be designated for sale so that others can <br /> share this beautiful area. <br /> Childrenhood was optimal and we enjoyed playing outside alongside our cousins and <br /> neighbors. We biked and horseback rode and played over all this land. We had everything we <br /> ever wanted but also learned very early that work and play went hand in hand. We helped in the <br />