Marking the 40th anniversary of North Carolina Small Farms Week in March, first-generation grower and military veteran Darius McKoy was named the 2026 North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year. Awarded by the Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), this prestigious honor recognizes McKoy’s rapid success, agricultural innovation, and unwavering commitment to his community.
McKoy’s journey into agriculture began just over three years prior, following an illustrious career in the United States Air Force. After serving seven combat tours—including two in Afghanistan and one in Iraq—McKoy sustained severe injuries. Battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other disabilities, a counselor suggested agriculture as a holistic alternative to heavy pharmaceuticals. Embracing the ethos that "medicine is in your nutrition," McKoy found working the land deeply therapeutic.
In 2022, he took over a former sheep farm of Sampson County, in Faison, NC. which had been farmed for nearly 78 years. He named the enterprise 12:03AM Farm, honoring his children by combining his 21-year-old son’s December 3rd birthday with his 15-year-old daughter’s initials. Facing a steep learning curve and starting without a tractor, McKoy relied on absolute resourcefulness. Equipped with just "a rake, a hoe, and a shovel," he utilized silage tarps over spans of eight to twelve weeks to naturally prepare individual plots for planting.
To bridge his knowledge gaps, McKoy aggressively pursued educational resources. He participated in the Air Force SkillBridge program, N.C. State Cooperative Extension’s Soldier to Agriculture internship, the Sustainable Vegetable Production Apprenticeship at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, and the Farm Foundation’s Young Farmer Accelerator Program. He also earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural communications and leadership from the University of Mount Olive and spent time volunteering with the Martin sisters, who were the 2023 Small Farmers of the Year.
Today, 12:03AM Farm is a highly diversified, sustainable operation specializing in organic vegetables, herbs, honey, and eggs. Echoing the 2026 Small Farms Week theme, Deep Roots, Strong Future, McKoy emphasizes that he is carrying a torch passed down by the land’s previous owners, James and Jean Joyner.
True to his collaborative spirit, McKoy shares his success with a vast support network. He actively pays it forward by using his farm to help other veterans heal, mentoring beginning farmers, hosting 4-H youth tours, and teaching university interns. His operation also features a unique demonstration workshop where visitors pick fresh produce and collaborate with an onsite chef to learn healthy cooking. Furthermore, 12:03AM Farm partners with The OOPS Foundation, a youth development nonprofit, to supply fresh produce weekly to more than 200 families across three counties. Looking forward, McKoy is working with a USDA architect team to build an onsite farm school, grocery market, and event center, cementing a lasting legacy of growth and service. Visit https://www.1203amfarm.com/ to learn more!
