Located south of Charlotte, NC, in Fort Mill, SC, Tega Hills Farm LLC has been providing microgreens, lettuces, herbs, and other specialty produce to restaurants, country clubs, and individuals in the Charlotte area since 1999. We use controlled environment agriculture techniques along with various hydroponic systems to provide year-round local produce to our customers.
History of the Farm
In the early 1970s, the original owner of Tega Hills began growing hydroponic tomatoes in 2 greenhouses located on the property. He established a relationship with Reid’s Grocery Store in Charlotte, NC, and the sale of “Tega Hills Tomatoes” became a much-anticipated annual spring event for many years. In the early 1990s, the original owner sold the farm to Judy Wiles, who continued his growing methods and sales to Reid’s Grocery as well as individual customers who would stop by the farm each weekend for bags of tomatoes.
When our family bought the farm in 1999, we continued to grow tomatoes, but we also experimented with raising lettuces, herbs, cucumbers, zucchini and other kinds of vegetables in various hydroponic systems. Using controlled environment techniques allows us to provide a year-round supply of lettuces and microgreens to local customers.
History of Us
Mark grew up on a family farm in Southeast Ohio. Working alongside his father, mother and younger siblings, he learned to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops; operate and repair tractors, pumps, and fans; build houses; and create plumbing systems and troubleshoot electrical systems. All these skills and experiences, along with his education in Outdoor Education and Religious Studies, uniquely qualify him to keep the farm running and well-maintained while creating a working environment where the next generation can learn essential job skills and how to work as a team to achieve a common goal.
Mindy grew up in Northeast Tennessee, on the edge of her grandfather’s farm. Every summer, she worked with her family (both parents and 5 siblings!) to plant, cultivate, harvest and preserve a bountiful garden that provided food for their family throughout the year. Coming from a family of mechanics, teachers, and entrepreneurs, she learned to organize and plan. Combined with her education in Business, English and Education, she has taken on the operations end of the farm, overseeing bookkeeping, planting, cultural work, harvesting, and order fulfillment for restaurants and retail sales.
Aaron, Sarah, and Martha have grown up on the farm. They have all been an essential part of the farm, and we can’t say enough “thank yous” to them.
As a family farm, we are thankful for the opportunity to live where we work, to work alongside each other and our children on a daily basis, to cultivate long-term relationships with our customers and employees, and to provide our neighbors and friends with high quality produce.
Where We Are Now
After more than two decades of growing and delivering fresh produce to the Charlotte community, Tega Hills Farm has closed its commercial operations. While we are no longer selling microgreens, lettuces, or herbs, the knowledge and passion we’ve built over the years haven’t gone anywhere, they’ve simply taken a new direction.
Aaron, Sarah, and Martha, who literally grew up between the greenhouse rows, have channeled their lifelong experience into a new mission: helping everyday growers work smarter, not harder. Through hands-on reviews, practical guides, and honest recommendations, they share the tools, systems, and techniques that can genuinely make a difference in the garden, from labor-saving irrigation setups to efficient hydroponic kits designed for the home grower.
Their goal is simple: whether you’re tending a backyard plot or managing a small operation, you deserve to spend less time struggling and more time enjoying the harvest. After all, that’s what farming taught us, the right tools in the right hands can make all the difference.
Follow along as the next generation of Tega Hills continues the tradition, one grow tip at a time.