Wintertime, the down time for a vegetable farmer without a greenhouse, finds me in the forest repairing barbed-wire fences. While there, I meander off with my trusty loppers and cut poison ivy vines at the base of the trees they are snaking up. The revelation that this obnoxious plant did not thrive as a woodland…
Growing high quality CBD Cannabis is no different than growing high quality fruits, vegetables, and other produce. We start with the soil, and this begins the preceding fall. Our fields, such as this one we are growing CBD Cannabis in, receive an annual application of biodynamic compost at the rate of 40 tons to the…
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 Southeast Biodynamic Association was formed after our first annual conference in 1987. Realizing the value of shared experiences and observations, we agreed to gather together regularly, we think we are celebrating our silver anniversary, but our accounting may be off. Harvey Lisle called us the rebels, and insisted we hold our…
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…
I found some youtube videos of Crazy. Enjoy!
Written by Jeff Poppen Tuesday, April 26, 2011 The light green of spring usually brightens me up, but I must admit to a sadness. Among other things, my friend “Crazy Owl” died. You may have met him, gray old fellow with a long beard. He was born in 1927, a long time ago. His family…
Crazy died at 8:10am on Monday, April 4th, 2011, after announcing his impending death about 10 days prior. Jeff offered to take him to hospital, and Crazy promptly refused, which didn’t surprise anyone. His knowledge of plants and Chinese herbal medicine, and his subsequent generosity and desire to help people, is a real loss. Many…
Written 10/28/10 Dad had a table at the end of the driveway where we offered vegetables for sale. A shoebox collected the money that folk would leave when they go their corn, beans or whatever. It was the honor system. When questioned about people taking without paying, Dad just shrugged his shoulders and said they…
Successively sowing summer squash seeds surely secures a supply of squash and a successful season. We start in May and two months later planted the last three rows. Little ones are sprouting up as the old ones bite the dust. There are many kinds of summer squash, but none as early and prolific as Early…
Pole bean need to be staked. We’re growing two varieties this year, Kentucky Wonder and the Purple Variety that Ed and Margaret gave us many years ago. I like picking pole beans because I don’t like the bending over that bush beans require. Along the garden’s deer fence is a good place to grow them….
Summertime in Tennessee brings forth the favorite fruits of the earth. Tomatoes and swee corn quickly follow on the heels of beans, squash and cucumbers, and the melons are swelling. So what am I doing out in the garden with lettuce and cabbage seed? We are planting the fall garden, now, during the middle of…
A great crop of garlic graces the garden shed. Tied in bunches and hung from nails in the rafters, it creates quit a sensation. Although the sight is on to behold, especially for garlic lovers, the aroma really stands out. Each clove of garlic, sown in the fall, makes a bulb. They are planted six…
By July, we try to hang up the hoes and make much use of mulch. The benefits of mulching are similar to hoeing; it controls weeds and conserves moisture. But mulch has the added asset of bringing carbon into the garden. In June, I like to see clean rows of vegetables. The summer crops like…
Farms are for people. Soils, plants and animals all play their role in agriculture, but the human social aspect is at the heart of it. The farm offers a safe place to live in freedom, experience nature and develop responsibility. The welfare system which takes care of some people’s needs was not necessary in a…
The subsoiler breaks up the hard packed soil that lies beneath the surface. It’s shaft is two feet long and the shoe is two inches wide. When I decided to try to reclaim the flood damage fields, subsoiling seemed appropriate. First of all I had to remove rocks, fill in holes and even out the…
There has been a lot of hoeing going on around here. Miles of rows have been planted, and the inevitable weeds are sprouting along with the crops. It is important to loosen up the earth next to the emerging seedlings so they can breathe. Short chipping motions cut the soil up and a quick pull…
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 some way. Like…