A Macon County proposal to create a self-sufficient “green” farm appears to be dead following an investigation by Carolina Journal.

The project’s developer, Kelley L. Bradbury, a Macon County woman, claimed to be seeking $15 million in public funds to develop what she called “North Carolina’s first all Green Eco-Community.”


The proposed 24-home project, named The Farme at Matlock Creek, is located on a 34-acre site in the Cowee community about seven miles north of Franklin. It contains a home, buildings, greenhouses, and other structures that supported an organic farm, operated by the current owner until she became ill a couple of years ago.

After learning of Bradbury’s criminal record and her lack of funding, the property owner’s listing agent notified CJ that the contract with Bradbury to purchase the farm had been terminated.

Bradbury served approximately five years in the Colorado prison system after pleading guilty to theft, forgery, and fraud charges. She was released from jail in 2002 and moved to Arizona. She previously told CJ that she had lived in Macon County for about three years.

Bradbury established Cowee Valley Organic Farme Inc. a year ago as a nonprofit to handle the development activities. Her husband, Timothy D. Roberts, and son, Morgan Block, are listed as principals of the nonprofit.

She has been trying to purchase the property for more than a year, even though her website creates the impression that her nonprofit actually owns it. For instance, the site posts a testimonial from a “future owner” and purports to have rooms available at a bed and breakfast on the site beginning May 2. The owner’s listing agent told CJ that Bradbury does not have access to the property.

CJ could find no evidence that Bradbury’s project was under serious consideration for any public funds. Bradbury claimed on documents obtained by CJ that she had grant requests pending with the U. S. Department of Energy and the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Representatives of those agencies could not confirm that they were considering any grant requests for the project.

Bradbury did not research fully the guidelines for the only grant request CJ was able to confirm. On Feb. 17, Bradbury submitted a request to North Carolina’s Golden LEAF Foundation for $3.3 million to purchase the 34-acre site for $2.6 million, using the remaining funds to make other improvements. The project title used for that request was, “The psychological and physiological effects of organic eating and healthy home living.”

On April 1, the foundation turned down her request. Golden LEAF President Dan Gerlach told CJ it was rejected because the foundation does not provide grants to purchase land, and that grants in the Open Grants Cycle cannot exceed $200,000.

Bradbury won’t discuss project

Recent attempts to discuss the project with Bradbury were unsuccessful. CJ reached Bradbury on April 26 by phone at her home, but when the reporter identified himself she hung up. An immediate follow-up call went like this.

Bradbury: “What do you want?”
CJ: “I want an update on your project.”
Bradbury: “Have a nice day. Thank you very much. Thank you for calling. Goodbye.”

One company Bradbury had asked to be part of her operation was T-A-D-S Renewable Resource Recovery, a recycling company based in Clyde. Owner Tim McCoile told CJ that Bradbury had approached him about providing recycling services to the project. He said he was under the impression that Bradbury owned or controlled the 34-acre site. He said he has not talked with her since March 22 and she had not returned five phone messages he has left for her.

Another partner in the project was Carolina Builder Services, a construction company based in Macon County that designed and was to build the 24 homes. That company did not respond to several phone messages left by CJ.

Most area residents were unfamiliar with the project until the Macon County News, a weekly and online publication, published a story about it in early February. The story did not mention Bradbury’s criminal record.

That story, combined with information posted on Bradbury’s website, led some skeptical local citizens to form an informal group named Cowee Community Concerned Citizens. The group’s spokesman Norman Beller told CJ that “her project was overpromised and under-researched,” and he didn’t see how it could ever attract any public funds.

Don Carrington is executive editor of Carolina Journal.