After typing up a consultation report to send to a recent client, I thought, “there is a ton of great information in here that people would probably love to read”, so I had to share with you all. The following is from the most recent consultation Jeff did. …
All garden plants have a history with the various trails they took to find their way into our fields. The huge and mysterious continent of Africa, especially around Ethiopia, was home not only to our ancestors, but also the ancestors of many cultivated plants. This is where okra came from. History is obscure and uncertain,…
There are many reasons to grow a fall garden and cover crops, poetic as well as practical. “Don’t ever let a weed grow up and go to seed”, “your garden won’t harden with plenty of carbon”, “give back to the land and you’ll have plenty on hand”, “keep the garden growing by cover crop sowing”….
Microbes make good compost, compost makes lots of good vegetables, and excess vegetables make for good neighbors. I love my neighbors, and we love to give away vegetables. What are cooks to do when they retire? Dan the soup man often shows up with a jar of deliciousness, and then forages around the gardens for…
The following are excerpts from an article that came out in our local paper, The Macon Country Chronicle. The article features our internship program and the interns that we currently have, Tyler, Daniel and Chris. We thought you would all enjoy reading about why our interns are here helping to grow your food this year, along…
I love our CSA drop off, watching everybody explore and get excited about the vegetables. Recipes are swapped while filling up the bags and baskets, children bounce around and laughter abounds. Even though I’d like to be there, the magnetic pull of the farm keeps me here. Potato harvest had to happen, as hot, wet…
One of the best things we can do is give someone a job. I am pretty good at this, as anyone who has visited here for a while can ascertain. By joining the CSA, you have given me a job and I want you to know how grateful I am to have such meaningful work….
To till or not to till, that is the question. The no-tillsystem works well if the ground is well-tilled, otherwise it is best to till. Tilling works best the less you till, A rototiller tills too much, destroying soil tilth although it appears to make it look like good tilth. Tillonly until you can no-till,…
After last week’s local food summit, I have to amend an old saying. The way to a man’s and woman’s heart and mind is through the stomach. The chefs stole the show and the food was phenomenal. Although the many lecturers gave great workshops, the demonstration kitchen was always packed. People would rather be in…
Have you ever seen a hellbender? It is a two-foot long salamander that lives in the creeks that flow up to the Barren River. I’ve seen them twice, about 25 years ago, in the Long Hungry Creek. The state biologist and the curator of the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is looking for signs of hellbenders. We…