Greensboro Daily Photo

Tobacco: All Rows Lead to the Tobacco Barn!

Tobacco has been such a big part of the history of Greensboro, Guilford County, and North Carolina. Peak production in Greensboro was the 1890s.  P. Lorillard was the nation's oldest tobacco company when they built a manufacturing plant in Greensboro in the mid-twentieth century. Back when we would spend a lot of time in east Greensboro, we remember smelling tobacco being prepared and always tried to guess the flavors being added- chocolate was the easiest to identify. You could smell it from Lorillard all the way over to Dudley High School. In the 1980s, the local tobacco industry really fell on hard times. By 1989, Greensboro passed the most restrictive smoking ordinance in North Carolina.* In the 1990s, it was the state's top cash crop, but Guilford County is not in the top ten tobacco growing counties. 

We don't want to encourage smoking by any means; however, it is important for people to recognize the crop and recognize the role it has played in shaping the local economy. As you can see in the above tobacco field on Highway 150, it grows well in sand. This is a hardy crop that has been well tended. It is always fun to see a crop, pull of the road, and get a few photos. With all of the construction happening locally and land is selling for such a premium, continuing to farm any crop is quite a commitment. Would you recognize a field of tobacco? Study this one and then keep your eye out. This week, we've got you seeking out a new bakery, searching for purple LED lights, and now tobacco fields. Stick with Greensboro Daily Photo and we will lead you to interesting places!

Happy Wednesday. What will tomorrow bring?

 

*reference here and and here for more information.

Augustino Gusto Bakery: Inside the European Bakery

We had such a great response to yesterday's post of the exterior of Augustino Gusto Bakery, we thought we'd add in interview. The bakery is small, but they pack so much goodness into the small space. It is hard to fathom how they bake so many different items. They make everything from scratch and bake it in house. We'd love to see their grocery list! The bakery is located at 2508 New Garden Road East, behind the BP station and just north of the Greensboro Science Center. Augustino Gusto has only been open since March 2020, but in the last year and four months they have amassed quite a following. Remember, they are only open on Wednesdays from 9:30 am- 5:00 pm, but the good news is that's tomorrow.

If you cannot make it out to the bakery, they also set up at the Greensboro Farmers Market on Yanceyville.

Augustino Gusto: European Artisan Bakery

Augustino Gusto Bakery is located at 2508 East Guilford College Road, right behind the BP Station Perhaps because they are only open two days a week (Wed. and Sat.), but they are extremely busy when open. The above photo shows the line at 11:00 am on Saturday. And by 11:00 am, they had sold out of almond croissant, kalamata olive bread, sauerkraut rolls, and more. On Saturday, we arrived at 9:05 not realizing that they didn't open until 9:30. There was already a couple waiting in line and, as we were leaving to run some errands, they told us not to get back too late as things sell out quickly. 

Something we noticed while waiting in line is how people talked to each other. Perhaps it is a southern trait, but people were talking as if they were old friends. The man in front of us built custom homes, used to live in Hilton Head, and has traveled extensively. The woman in front of him used to live in Savannah. So, this line was filled with people from all walks of life, but they had one thing in common. They tried this bakery and became loyal customers. While it may look like a house on the outside, on the inside, the sights and smells are exactly those of a European bakery. Saturday, they added a ricotta pie, so there is always something new and interesting to try.

Happy Monday, start planning ahead to visit Augustino Gusto Bakery on Wednesday to support a local business and to have some authentic European pastries. Two. More. Days.

Carraway United Methodist Church

Carraway United Methodist Church is located on 16th Street at Fairview, in what used to be the heart of the mill district. In 2013, there was an article about the church, highlighting their successful Saturday hot dog sales. The cornerstone dates the church at 1938. Carraway UMC has worship at 9:30 am on Sunday and Sunday school at 10:45 am. It is a church within a church. On Sundays Iglesia de Dios Punto de Redención has Sunday school at 2:00 pm and church services at 3:00 pm. 

Carraway UMC is a dynamic church with meetings taking place other days of the week. On the day we were on site photographing, a youth group must have just finished a meeting as they had congregated on the side street where they had parked their cars. It is always nice to see teens socializing in person and not relying on social media. Hopefully, they will be out for today's services, too! Have a happy Sunday!

The Fabulous Tomato Greeter at the Greensboro Farmers Market

Saturday is fresh produce day whether you are at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market on Yanceyville Street, at the market on Sandy Ridge, or at all the farms and produce stands in between. The produce is glorious right now. The above photo is of a very articulate young woman who is a senior at Guilford College. She volunteers at the farmers market just to give back to the community. Unfortunately, we didn't get her name. Next time we see her, we will ask. She was handing out flyers of upcoming events, and encouraging people to head over to get a BLT sandwich.

Today is a good day to head out for produce. Rain is not predicted until 4:00 pm, and, if it comes, it shouldn't last long. If you like sports, the 2021 Masters Short Course National Championships are still going on at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. If you go watch, the pool is so nice, you will feel like you are at the Olympics. Whatever you decide to do, have a great day!

Schiffman's 2021

Schiffman's is currently open in Friendly Center at the former Pier 1 location.  In August, Greensboro's oldest and most established jewelry store will reopen in its original Friendly Center location. The above photo shows the exterior letters just before they were installed on Wednesday. By Wednesday afternoon, they were already in place, bringing the remodeling one step closer to completion. The store has expanded, building into the former Build-A-Bear space. The new store is rumored to be the nicest jewelry store in the southeast. They will have jewelers on site, will be able to repair Rolex watches on site, and will have amenities and events that will make it quite the upscale destination.

We stopped by yesterday and spoke to Ben, and he assured us that the downtown store will remain open as a jewelry store and as the main office. Schiffman's has been in downtown Greensboro since 1893.  In 2011, we  were fortunate to have the opportunity to feature Tony Schiffman, Jr.. Tony died in 2015 at the age of 76, suffering from Parkinson's (obituary, here). He would be so pleased to know the business is growing under the helm of his three sons. If you like fine jewelry and want to shop local, Schiffman's is a fabulous option. Let's hope they remain open for another 128+ years... in Friendly Center AND downtown!

Happy Friday. Time to get out and explore!

The Gary Maverick Band

Have you had a chance to see any live music this summer? Whether the answer is yes or no, you should consider heading over to Mac's Speed Shop tonight for a bite to eat and some fabulous entertainment by The Gary Maverick Band. If you like good, upbeat rock and roll music, you will enjoy this local group. The above photo was taken when they played at Oden Brewing last Saturday night. Saturday night was a rainy evening in Greensboro, but no rain is scheduled for today. They will be there from 7:00- 10:00 p.m. Usually, they play multiple sets with Daniel Sheffield drumming part of the time and Artimus Pyle drumming the other. Both are outstanding percussionists! Good singing, good music, and great lighting!

 

The Ever Creative Angela Cook

Today, we're featuring Angela Cook (standing) who moved to Greensboro in 1988 to attend college and has been an active community member ever since. She worked as an educator for 16 years, and, over the past 12 years, Angela has worked with her husband to build Cedar Hill Physical Therapy & Wellness Center. While she loves working at Cedar Hill, her passion is art and creativity. For a long time she has been looking for a way to work in the field of art and to hone her own artistic talent. In the above photo, she is facilitating a creativity class where participants worked on thinking positively about their artistic journeys. Angela is holding a couple of canvases with positive and uplifting words related to her personal artistic journey. 

Last December, just after her 53rd birthday, and in the height of the pandemic, Angela signed up for a class at The School at A Space for Conscious Living. The class was based on Julia Cameron's book "It's Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond." Angela says the twelve-week course was exactly what she needed to reignite her creative spark. As the end of the course drew near and not wanting the discussions to end, she asked her friends if they would be interested in reading the book. She set up a Facebook group and named it Creative Souls. The Greensboro Public Library ordered a set of the books and Angela's group has been using it over the summer.* As her group read the book and worked through the tasks, Angela found the discussions intriguing and meaningful. She came to realize that creativity is more than the production of art. Creativity can lead us to being more insightful; and empathetic; to be better problem solvers, and to do our best work. This fall, Angela will start a program to become certified as a creativity coach. Last Saturday's creative painting session was very successful; a great indication that Angela will have a great career ahead of her. And in three months, her online group has grown from six to forty five! Best of luck, Angela!

*a set of 15 is available for Greensboro book clubs to check out.