Emily Peters & Patrick Linkous: Stoney Slope Farm

By Kasey Jones

In her early twenties, Emily Peter’s nursery job involved working with pesticides and wearing a lot of protective gear to do so. Peters began to wonder, “If I have to put on this much protective wear to spray this on plants, then how safe is it for me to actually eat those plants?”

Since that time, Peters and her partner Patrick Linkous have been growing their own food at Stoney Slope Farm using natural methods, and selling the excess at area farmers markets. 

“We just wanted to know where our food came from. There’s a real detachment that people have now with food and when people go to the grocery store, they aren’t thinking about how its grown.” said Linkous. “It’s important for us to be confident in what it’s grown with and how it’s grown.”

Linkous, who is originally from the Knoxville area, and Peters, who grew up in the Johnson City area, met through a mutual friend.  They are now in the fourth season of their produce partnership. Both have a passion for growing food naturally and educating others about what it means to eat naturally grown foods.

Stoney Slope Farm is located on the farm that was Peter’s childhood home in Gray, Tenn.  She and Linkous raise an assortment of produce that includes: lettuces, squash, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, beets, carrots, peas, okra, beans, corn, sweet potatoes, peppers, radishes, melons, berries, spinach, herbs, as well as cut flowers.

 “We’ve been able to turn my childhood home into what I always thought it could be,” said Peters.

“I took a botany class in high school and that was really what set all of it off. I’ve always loved plants and flowers and growing things,” said Peters.  That love, combined with her years of nursery work and first-hand experience with chemical pesticides, has informed her conviction about growing food with care.

Linkous shares Peter’s love of gardening naturally.  “I’ve done gardening in different capacities for probably 10 years off and on in different places,” said Linkous, “but never so much for the market as we have in the past four years. I’ve grown up around it. My grandfolks had gardens and I used to help them when I was younger. It’s been a part of me to do the naturally grown. It’s something we’re really passionate about — to not apply chemicals and things of that nature.”

Locally grown is also important to Peters and Linkous.  “We realized that a lot of the area farmers markets don’t always have the actual people who grow doing the selling,” said Peters. “The Jonesborough Market is where we found our home because everything that is sold here has to be grown by the person who grows it.   This keeps it local.  We only live about 11 miles from Jonesborough, and considering that some food travels thousands of miles, 11 miles is really close.”

Peters and Linkous’ ¾ acre garden is ever expanding. They are working to incorporate more fruit trees and berry bushes into their plantings. Linkous describes these plants as “an investment.” While it will take about four or five years for the trees and bushes to produce fruits or berries, the plants will last for a number of years, so they will not have to replant them each year.

In spite of the fact that their garden is continuing to grow, Linkous and Peters continue to maintain it using all-natural methods.

“There’s a lot of hands-on work,” said Linkous, “picking insects off by hand and coming up with creative ways to manage pests. It takes a lot of time between the weeding, watering and the harvesting to come to the market. It’s a labor of love, but we get so much back from the customers and the support we find at the market.”

Natural pest conrol:  Kaolin Clay Insect Deterrent 

Here is one the natural pest control methods used by Stony Slope farm:

Kaolin Clay is a naturally derived clay. Linkous and Peters mix the clay with water in a pump sprayer. The mixture creates a film that can be sprayed over plants. (Linkous and Peters order Kaoliln clay from Johnny’s Select Seeds). 

The clay particles may attach themselves to insects, which agitates the insects as well as creates an environment that is unsuitable for laying eggs. The spray generally discourages insects from eating the plants.   Rain rinses the film off of plants.

Recipe:  Sautéed Baby Squash with Basil and Feta

This simple preparation yields delicious results in a versatile side dish. Use pattypan squash or substitute four cups of thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash. You will find all ingredients but oil, salt and pepper at the Jonesborough Farmers Market!

From Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups baby pattypan squash, halved (about 18 ounces)
• 2 cups sliced leek or mild onion (about 2)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add squash and leek/onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in salt and pepper. Transfer squash mixture to a serving platter. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.