Across the Carolinas Articles

From the mountains to the coast, you’ll find members of the First Bank team working hard to make the community a better place.

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All First Bank Team Giving Extraordinary Hometowns Small Business Stories

Business Spotlight: Ryan and Jenny Haskins of Archdale Drug Video

Business Spotlight: Archdale Drug Ryan Hoskins, owner of Archdale Drug, had always wanted to run his own small business. He tells us his story of how he started Archdale Drug and what local business means to the community. 3 min read

Where Your Locally Spent Dollar Goes [Infographic] An illustrated look at what happens when you spend a dollar or two in your hometown. 1 min read

A mother and her baby daughter pick fresh strawberries from their garden on a warm late summer morning at their home. Shot in Washington state.

Bringing Home the Veggies You’re all ready to buy local and eat local, but where to start. Have you ever considered a CSA? It might sound like a new financial or insurance product, but rest assured, this acronym is all about fresh food grown or raised right near your neighborhood. 4 min read

Can craft stay craft even at large scale?

Crafting a Future: Part Two In this second part of the series on small-scale manufacturing in the south, we wonder whether craft can really stay craft, even as it grows. 2 min read

Crafting a Future: Part One We have been reading a lot about profitable DIY-ers—those who turned hobbies into successful thriving companies. So we set out to answer this question: could small-scale makers have big impact? 4 min read

The First 80 Years of First Bank As we close 2015, we take a look back at the first 80 wonderful years in First Bank’s history, from 1935 when we opened as the Bank of Montgomery in Troy, North Carolina to our expansion across three states. 1 min read

Community Partners: Relay for Life and the Montgomery Square Branch More than a decade ago, the staff at First Bank’s Montgomery Square branch in Troy, NC, began partnering with the local Montgomery County Relay for Life organization. 2 min read

Farmer with wooden box full of ripe vegetables

Cool Crops for Chilly Days: How to Plant a Fall Garden, Part 2 To get the inside dirt on gardening goodness, we talked to Julie Thompson-Adolf, who is a master gardener, South Carolina resident, and owner of Garden Delights. Below, in part 2 of this series, she shares some additional tips and tricks to stay green all winter long. Planning and Planting for Spring Vegetables aren’t the only plants to consider for your fall garden. “Fall is for planting, and it is a particularly good time to plant trees and shrubs,” says North Carolina gardener, Helen Yoest, author of Gardening with Confidence and Plants with Benefits. “This autumn, I’m adding 5 more highbush blueberries for my Raleigh garden, along with another fig tree.” Have a smaller space? With newer, dwarf varieties available, fruit trees and bushes can grow in containers on a balcony or patio, perfect for land-challenged homeowners. Along with fruits and vegetables, fall is an ideal time to add to the herb garden. “It’s also garlic planting time in my area,” says Yoest. “I plant starter bulbs in whisky-barrel containers.” Yoest also recommends buying garlic bulbs for planting purposes, as store bought garlic is typically treated with a growth inhibitor, preventing the bulbs from sprouting. Rebecca McKinney, Executive Director of the South Carolina Organization for Organic Living, agrees that fall is the perfect time for alliums. “Perennial alliums are my favorite vegetables,” she says. “I especially love perennial leeks and Egyptian walking onions. Although they take a little more effort than true perennials, if you manage the planting and spacing of the bulbuls, you’ll always have a steady supply.” Immediate Garden Gratification While planting garlic and leeks requires patience until harvesting next summer, you can enjoy almost immediate gratification by creating a beautiful, edible container filled with quickly maturing crops. Use the container design principle of “thriller, spiller, and filler.” Rainbow Swiss chard or Tuscan kale provides an eye-catching, tasty “thriller”—plant it in the center of the container. Add a variety of lettuces around the chard or kale as the “filler.” Lettuce is available in many beautiful colors and textures, such as the heirloom ‘Forellenschluss,’ with its red speckles on bright green leaves. ‘Tom Thumb’ peas serve as a “spiller,” with their dwarf vines, pretty blooms, and crisp pods. To add 4 min read

Cool Crops for Chilly Days: How to Plant a Fall Garden, Part 1 To get the inside dirt on gardening goodness, we talked to Julie Thompson-Adolf, who is a master gardener, South Carolina resident, and owner of Garden Delights. 3 min read

Shop Local: the Significance of a Growing Trend How do small businesses actually impact our communities? Is it really better to “shop small” instead of simply heading to the nearest big box retailer? We’ve asked the experts so that you can make an informed decision with every purchase. 4 min read

Recipes from Our Neighborhoods, Part 2 In celebration of the fall season, we’ve pulled together a few family recipes. Here, you’ll find a few sweet treats and sides to pull out in time for the influx of company in the weeks to come. 3 min read

Bowl of hot delicious corn and red chilli chowder garnished with cream and fresh parsley

Recipes from Our Neighborhoods, Part 1 There’s just something about that first snap of cold air in the fall. It feels like a mixture of a visit from an old friend and an invitation for discovery of something totally new. 3 min read

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