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…
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…
The forces generating life processes are fast asleep underneath our snow-covered farm. Evidence of their previous activities reveal themselves in tree trunks and the anastomosis of the bare branches stretching skyward. Growth is not visible at this time of year, but the life forces involved are not inactive. When the winter sun’s angle to the…
I’m enjoying a relaxed spring, as the CSA has retired, and no longer requires the hustle and bustle that I’ve become accustomed to. We are still farming, though, we being Phil and I, both at retirement age, and Glyn at 84 and apparently a long way from retirement. We move slower, but efficiently and grow…
Ever wanted to meet the world-famous fermentation guru and author, Sandor Katz? Now is your chance to spend the day talking ferments, picking vegetables, and learning how to make kimchi and sauerkraut with Sandor himself! Arrival is at 9:30 am, then we will go around the farm at 10am picking all the vegetables you will…
The earth breaths a sigh of relief as a much needed slowdown of the economy takes place worldwide. Rivers are cleaner and air quality is up. For the first time in 30 years the Himalayan mountains are not obscured by pollution. The next step is to curb soil pollution by developing a healthy, local food…
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…
I love growing potatoes. They are a fun and early crop for us. This year we planted 1,500 pounds of seed potatoes on an acre below the orchard and another 500 pounds on the south side of Heady Ridge Road. Fifteen loads of beautiful, black, biodynamic compost were spread with the New Idea manure spreader….
You don’t have to understand chemistry to learn how to grow plants. The earth, rain, atmosphere and sun work together and you just need to plow, fertilize, sow, and tend the plants at the right time. But learning a little chemistry is necessary to learn how plants grow. In atomic theory, atoms are the smallest…
If you garden in Middle Tennessee, here are a few ideas to consider. In April, plant a few rows of Detroit Dark Red beets, an old fashioned, tried and true heirloom. We have learned to make a four inch wide furrow and sprinkle the seed in it, firm them in, and then cover lightly. Thin…
Please donate to our GoFundMe page here to help us rebuild! I left my cabin at 4:15 and stopped at Shrums to get some tractor parts and vetch seed. At that time, the barn was fine, and no one else was at the farm. Phil had gone home for the day and Anthony and Kristina…
Table to farm is the name we’ve given to September’s labor day event. Twenty folks from the staff of Husk restaurant spent the day at the farm. In light of the popularity of Farm to Table dinners, the importance of restaurants learning first hand how food is produced seems paramount. I was picking tomatoes with…
As observation is a key to learning, closely comparing a handful of rich garden soil with one from a worn out field can teach us a lot. The garden soil, with its additions of organic matter and minerals, will be dark and crumbly, while the worn out soil will be lighter in color and compact….
Written By: Jeff Poppen Photos by: Sherman Thomas – See more at The Lost Art of Farming Nashville’s local food movement celebrated it’s 7th annual Summit December 1, 2 & 3 at Montgomery Bell Academy. Chris, a MBA science teacher, had been to the previous 6 events and thought it would be great to bring…
In nature, as with life, everything is connected. Symbiotic relationships are ever-present. Grass is good for cows and cows are good for grass lands, bees need flowers just as the flowers need the bees, and fruits and vegetables need humans just as humans need fruits and vegetables. Eating plant-based foods helps to fortify the…
Situation Much of middle Tennessee crop land is misused or not used at all. The way crops are grown currently for exporting out of state is increasingly under scrutiny by scientists and the public alike for their questionable affects on the environment, the economy and our health. On the other hand, Tennessee’s cultural and economic…
Below in an excerpt from a garden consultation that Jeff did last week. Maybe it could help you gain some insight into your own backyard garden! Your garden needs humus, Find this black soil underneath where cows are fed and coat the garden area a few inches deep. I suspect a 50 pound bag…