Medicinal plant farm business inspires Alabama couple to educate, advocate

This story is part of a partnership between the Montgomery Advertiser and the Living Democracy program at Auburn University. Now in its 13th year, the program disperses students across rural Alabama to spend 10 weeks learning more about the inner workings of the community and writing about what they observe.

ELBA ? The “miracle tree” put Greg and Carol Lolley on the path to becoming medicinal plant farmers. Today, the couple owns Mayim Farm, the headquarters they use to grow, promote and educate others about the powers of medicinal plants.

It started with moringa oleifera, also known as the “tree of life,” a plant native to Southeast Asia and India. According to the Lolleys, moringa leaves in many forms can be used to nourish skin and hair, treat swelling, protect the liver and fight foodborne illnesses.

“About 20 years ago, we started being cognizant of what we ate, what we drank, and what we put on our bodies,” Greg Lolley said.

He grew up in Enterprise and spent every summer as a child with his grandfather while learning what it took to grow crops. He also developed a passion for sustainable farm practices.

Carol Lolley, originally from Georgia, moved to Enterprise when she was in the sixth grade where she later met Greg. He was working as an avionics technician when he decided to pursue his passion for farming full time. “This was a total departure from anything I had done in my regular work career,” he said.

They moved from Enterprise to land outside of Elba in 2011 where they established Mayim Farm. At first, they grew vegetables that they sold at farmers’ markets to make a living.

That is until a Jayme Oates, director of Farmscape Solutions, a nonprofit designed to help farmers be successful, connected them with Auburn University.

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Auburn University was then conducting trials on medicinal plants to find one that could be grown in Alabama. This plant ended up being turmeric, another medicinal plant from Southeast Asia.

After this connection, the Lolleys changed their primary crops from vegetables to medicinal plants like turmeric and moringa. As they sold their products at farmers markets, the couple also aimed to educate customers on the medicinal use of plants.

Today, the Lolleys said moringa is the primary plant they grow because it contains all 23 amino acids, which Greg Lolley said makes the plant very versatile.

As their farm continues to evolve, he said their primary profits come from selling their products, from powders to teas, online at Mayim Farm. Greg Lolley said the couple constantly tests new formulas and combinations to create beneficial teas and extracts.

He said the market for medicinal plants is growing so it can be a good decision for farmers “given the correct circumstances.” He explained that a critical step is determining if there is a market for the product. He added that his biggest challenge is pest control “if you do it like we do with absolutely no pesticides or chemical sprays.”

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With their roots now firmly planted, the couple is finding time to expand their educational outreach. Currently, they share their knowledge through Operation Grow, a training program for military veterans focused on the health and employment benefits in agriculture.  Operation Grow is offered in partnership with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries and the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Lolleys, committed to sustainable farming practices, also serve on the Auburn Commercial Horticulture Advisory Panel and work with Alabama Water Watch as certified volunteer testers.

Their mission to educate and advocate continues to expand. Recently, the couple traveled to Washington, D.C., to support GusNIP, a U.S. Department of Agriculture hunger and food security program.

Although they have big picture outreach goals focused on issues such as food waste and hunger, they continue to work on the local level to educate others on the benefits of medicinal plants.

Despite their efforts, Greg Lolley said many are still skeptical when it comes to products such as turmeric. He said this may be because of stigmas against household remedies.

He explained some people once associated household remedies with being poor, which made people want to have pharmaceuticals. “If you had a tea that your grandma picked and dried and made a tea, there was a stigma around it," he said.

Carol Lolley said she believes part of the stigma comes from opposition to change. She added that not all herbals are for everyone but “don’t write all of these things off if you don’t want to try them or learn about them.”

Customer by customer, the Lolleys have developed loyal clientele and friends who support their work as both farmers and advocates.

“They contribute a lot of wisdom for sure,” said Jake Pendleton, a friend of the Lolleys. Pendleton said he often brings his children to the farm because the Lolleys “are really able to teach” about farming techniques and medicinal plants.

Those interested in visiting the farm or keeping up with the homesteading and herb events the Lolleys host each year can find more information on the farm’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mayimfarm/.

Elisha Oyola, a Living Democracy student at Auburn University, is living and learning this summer in Elba, Alabama, as a Jean O'Connor Snyder Intern with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. The nonprofit program, coordinated by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, prepares undergraduate college students for civic life through living-learning experiences in the summer.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama couple grows medicinal plant farm business