Cows, compost and community came together during the vernal equinox on the farm. I rented a compost tea sprayer, and we tackled the job of sprinkling horn manure over the approximately 100 acres of pastures, hay fields and gardens. Six to eight garden plots get it once or twice a year, applied with a whisk…
The potatoes want to be harvested soon, too. The green tops are browning, and after they are dead for two weeks the skins will be tough enough to handle without peeling off. Then we’ll plow them up and get them in the cellar. Summer squash and cucumbers are finally appearing in all their glory, thoroughly…
by Jeff Poppen Beautiful and extremely productive gardens have graced that land around my cabin for the past 16 years. They have been well documented on the Volunteer Gardener program, so many people who hadn’t been able to visit still got to enjoy them. These gardens, open to the public, are where my students learn,…
by Jeff Poppen The produce grown along the Long Hungry creek has become priceless-we don’t sell it anymore. The invaluable, farm fresh food is now free, and the folks who eat it cover the farm’s budget. You can’t buy vegetables from us these days, you have to join the club and support the farm in…
by Jeff Poppen I love the people involved in the Master Gardeners Program. Their curiosity has led them to take courses in horticulture from State University professors, and to help out in community gardening projects. I’ve lectured to master gardeners in many of Middle Tennessee. The extension agent opened up the meeting. They were planning…
by Jeff Poppen By mid-August I have changed my box of seeds. The last of the summer crops are planted, and it’s time for the fall ones. Although a few rows and beds of cabbage and lettuce are in to make transplants, I patiently wait until August 15 before I go crazy. The onion field…
by Jeff Poppen The garden changes unpredictably. I wanted to mow seven rows of drought-stricken cucumbers and beans, but save the nearby straightneck squash. By the time we got onions and potatoes up and I had the bushhog ready, the cucumbers and beans had arrived and the squash got mowed. With the Purcell garden putting…
Latest weekly writings from Jeff. What Would I Be Leaving Behind? Beautiful Spring Things
Published in the Macon County Chronicle – January 31, 2012 We have a new book, Barefoot Farmer II. I say “we” because of all the work done by the designer and typesetter, Victoria, and the illustrator, Linda. “We” also includes Kathryne, Gabby, and the rest of the Macon County Chronicle staff, who turn my weekly…
This year begins with an update to our website. A new look that we hope you’ll like. We’ll be making the transition in the coming days. Hopefully, the changeover to a new theme will go smoothly, so bear with us as we tweak and fiddle. Any suggestions to help us improve will always be welcomed. Alan and…
http://biodynamicsbda.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/downwind-downstream-and-downhill/ November 2, 2011 by biodynamicsbda By Karen Davis-Brown ©Long Hungry Creek Farm Imagine that you live in a paradise. Long Hungry Creek Farm is located outside the town of Red Boiling Springs, in Macon County, in the hills of north central Tennessee. It is one of the oldest (established in 1974) and largest (250…
VOL. 35 | NO. 34 | Friday, August 26, 2011 Green Business Young farmer leads while learning from the past By Hollie Deese Eric Wooldridge never intended to come back to the Bells Bend area of West Nashville after college. In fact, the 24-year-old thought it was the last thing he would do. But…
I stumbled on this blog called Portrait of a Farm, and found an interview with Jeff from last fall. I hope these guys don’t mind me posting their work on our site. Trav and Kacy did a nice job. Thanks guys! –Alan Wednesday, September 15, 2010 Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee: Jeff Poppen, Long Hungry Creek…
WCTE, public broadcasting in Cookeville produces a show called Live Green Tennessee. According to their website, their goal is “talking with our local Farmers, Gardeners, and Neighbors about how our agricultural heritage and local wisdom can help all of us lead greener, more prosperous and healthy lives.” They aired a segment on the Produce Place…