tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60970640732432943502024-03-13T07:14:57.236-04:00Know Your FarmerThis is a weekly series for the 2013 season featuring stories about farmers and and other vendors of the Jonesborough Farmers Market. Learn more about our market at: www.jonesborough.locallygrown.netUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-60951666587045731582013-10-25T08:07:00.004-04:002013-10-25T08:08:09.169-04:00Ginny Wall: All Nature Sings<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cDb1vR5xhNA/Umpb7Jb3SrI/AAAAAAAAO0o/0ahONQM84ws/s1600/Ginny+in+her+herb+garden+(Medium).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cDb1vR5xhNA/Umpb7Jb3SrI/AAAAAAAAO0o/0ahONQM84ws/s320/Ginny+in+her+herb+garden+(Medium).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ginny Wall’s artwork brought her to the Jonesborough Farmers
Market the first year it opened and has connected her to the market every year
since.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wall and her husband Mike were newcomers to Jonesborough
when she got involved with the farmers market. They came to the area from <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>, by way of <st1:state w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:state>
and <st1:place w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:place>.
Mike found work – and continues to work – as an RN at <st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Johnson City</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Medical</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:placename> and Ginny
focused on her art career. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“The year the market opened, there was a promotion called
‘Art in August,’ ” Wall says. “I heard
about it and brought my watercolors and note cards to sell and I set up my
easel and painted at the market. It was a great place to paint and a wonderful
environment.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After that first year, Wall offered her painting “Market
Morning” for use in market publicity the next season. Every year since, one of
her pieces has been a part of promoting the market (see all of them, below). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wall has also created several
original paintings from market scenes. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“I have painted pictures of children drawing with chalk at
the market and of vendors like Skip Jones, who sold for Scratch Bakery, as well
as Curtis and Marilyn Buchanan when they sold lettuce,” Wall says. “There have
been lots of great subjects.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The economic downturn, however, redirected Wall’s artistic
path. “My career as an artist is wonderful,” she says. “I love painting and
teaching watercolor and I did it full time for 15 years, and I still paint
commissions … I decided to stop traveling [because of the economy] and now only
do local art shows, plus sell my artwork through my online Etsy shop <a href="http://www.allnaturesings.etsy.com/"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.allnaturesings.etsy.com</span></a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I gave away my art tents and directed focus to home – my
garden, local ministries, community work and making useful items from herbs.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So artwork is now sharing time with soap-making and
herb-crafting in Wall’s Jonesborough studio. Projects are in process
everywhere—bouquets of herbs hanging from the living room mantel, soaps curing
in on open shelves, products being carefully labeled. Yet in the center of the
workroom, Wall’s large drafting table and paints are still at the ready for
painting project. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wall started herb crafting with a friend some 20 years ago.
“Working with herbs and essential oils is something I’ve done since 1992,” she
says. “Making natural products for use in my home is important to me, so I
returned to that.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wall calls her nature-based business “All Nature Sings,”
using a line from a hymn she has loved since childhood, “This is My Father’s
World.” (</span><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is my Father’s world and to my listening ears, </span></i><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres.)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her traditional lye soap recipe incorporates natural
moisturizing oils, essential oils and herbal infusions, from herbs she grows in
her backyard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The process takes patience and careful timing. First, Wall
creates a liquid soap that she pours into a rectangular silicone mold where it
sets. Then, she cuts the large block of soap into bars and allows it to cure
for at least four weeks. “I make a small batch recipe and it can be tricky to
plan ahead for demand,” she says, “considering that each batch will have to
cure for several weeks before I can label it and bring it to </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-475uzlURjmM/UmpdtWz7jNI/AAAAAAAAO1c/C_qQRW6ozeE/s1600/Cutting+Lavender+Soap+(Medium).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-475uzlURjmM/UmpdtWz7jNI/AAAAAAAAO1c/C_qQRW6ozeE/s320/Cutting+Lavender+Soap+(Medium).jpg" width="287" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> market.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wall loves the history and tradition of soap-making. “It
amazes me to think that someone figured out that combining ash and oil would
make something you could wash with,” she says. “Soap-making and many of the old
heritage crafts are so valuable. To work with what you can grow or harvest from
the woods and fields to make a useful product is of great value and also very
satisfying.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It can also be expensive. “I used to wonder at the prices
for handmade soap, until I started making it again,” Wall says. “The cost of
producing something natural can be high. Some of the essential oils I use in my
soaps can cost over $70 per ounce. I know exactly how many drops are in that
bottle and how many drops are in my recipe … You don’t want to waste a single
drop.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Other ingredients come from her backyard organic garden:
herbs such as comfrey, fennel, lavender, chamomile, mints, lemongrass, lemon
verbena and rosemary. “Each year,” she says, “I plan to add more beneficial
herbs to my garden.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Experimenting with different scents and infusions is a large
part of Wall’s natural artistry. She likes to see what people choose, which
soaps they are drawn to, which ones they buy again and again. “I was a bit
surprised to see that my patchouli and lemongrass soaps were some of the most
popular,” she says. “Of course, lavender still seems to be the overall
favorite.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to Wall’s all-natural scents, she is also
experimenting with original designer scents. Those are made by custom-mixing
commercial fragrance oils with essential oils to get the just the scent she’s
looking for, such as one she calls “Fireside.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to painting, gardening and soap-making, Wall
enjoys making music and volunteering in the community. She has volunteered at
the market’s information booth; is active as a singer/musician at Tri-Cities
House of Prayer; and volunteers at the <st1:placetype w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Jonesborough</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Senior</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:placetype>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whether it’s connecting with a customer at the market,
singing, teaching watercolor, leading a Bible study or sharing a painting, Wall
feels fortunate that she has found a niche in Jonesborough. “I have been very
lucky,” she says, “to use my God-given gifts in a way that connects me with
people.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***********</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> A look at the market's posters through the years, all with Ginny's artwork:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2009</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OEXbKvZdy-M/UmpcYcc4vGI/AAAAAAAAO1A/31Yz9OtiBWg/s1600/2009+Market+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OEXbKvZdy-M/UmpcYcc4vGI/AAAAAAAAO1A/31Yz9OtiBWg/s320/2009+Market+Poster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2010</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q86iURjxFU4/Umpcb_M6pDI/AAAAAAAAO1Q/UPFi-wo7tEg/s1600/2010+Market+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q86iURjxFU4/Umpcb_M6pDI/AAAAAAAAO1Q/UPFi-wo7tEg/s320/2010+Market+poster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2011</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5JX7uzpAAbM/UmpcUnuxauI/AAAAAAAAO0w/YMbLdEQXCgQ/s1600/2011+Market+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5JX7uzpAAbM/UmpcUnuxauI/AAAAAAAAO0w/YMbLdEQXCgQ/s320/2011+Market+Poster.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2012</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mX-iHliFgX0/UmpcXWRvIPI/AAAAAAAAO04/y5AQRV4oxmo/s1600/2012+Market+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mX-iHliFgX0/UmpcXWRvIPI/AAAAAAAAO04/y5AQRV4oxmo/s320/2012+Market+Poster.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2013</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xpOSxhlx1RY/UmpcagiPfwI/AAAAAAAAO1I/QE_NDTcJlrI/s1600/2013+Market+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xpOSxhlx1RY/UmpcagiPfwI/AAAAAAAAO1I/QE_NDTcJlrI/s320/2013+Market+Poster.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-46418833897542375942013-10-17T11:46:00.001-04:002013-10-25T07:52:28.771-04:00Earth Thyme Natural Cleaners<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Kdh2MzBvZs/UmAF43bkWYI/AAAAAAAAOz4/xFI3D7nXm0c/s1600/(V)+Joni+Pritchett+holds+an+in-progress+and+finished+Earth+Thyme+product.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Kdh2MzBvZs/UmAF43bkWYI/AAAAAAAAOz4/xFI3D7nXm0c/s320/(V)+Joni+Pritchett+holds+an+in-progress+and+finished+Earth+Thyme+product.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Joni and Charlie
Pritchett, Jen Williams and Kris<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Shaffer<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>all knew each other as students at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Science</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Hill</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">High School</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
A decade later, they are closer than ever, brought together by a natural,
common purpose.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
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<span style="background: white;">“We didn’t know it back in high school, but as
adults we all became very ‘green,’ ” says Joni Pritchett. “We recycle, follow
vegan diets. We’re concerned about the environment.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">They also shared an interest in cleaning with natural
products. “The four of us had each tried about every earth-friendly cleaner
available in the store, and we weren’t satisfied with any of them,” Pritchett
said. “They were ‘natural’ but they still had long ingredient lists with
complicated chemical names and we wanted something simpler.”</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">The four friends had all been experimenting with
making their own household cleaners. They each had some recipe ideas as well as
the knowledge that making household cleaners wasn’t hard, but it could be
time-consuming. They decided to perfect their recipes, make large batches
and go public.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Earth Thyme debuted at the Jonesborough Farmers
Market in 2012 with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>four products, including cleaners and
air fresheners. The company now sells eight different products online, on
Etsy.com and at the Natural Foods Market in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Johnson City</st1:place></st1:city><b>.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">When they were looking for the right package for
their product, their green creativity again came in to play. At the time, green
glass was not recyclable in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Johnson
City</st1:place></st1:city>, so they wondered if they could use a
post-consumer green glass to sell their green product in an even greener way.
“We found out that we could sterilize the bottles [to 270 degrees] and then fit
them with a new spray attachment,” Pritchett says.<span class="apple-converted-space"><b> “</b></span>They work great. We also offer
a discount if you bring the bottle back.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">As the name suggests, thyme is used, which they
harvest from their personal gardens as long as they can, is an ingredient in
all Earth Thyme products. When their gardens are done,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Earth Thyme sources locally from farmers markets in the Tri-Cities area.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">“Our recipes are all our own,” says Pritchett.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In addition to
thyme, key ingredients are vinegar, fruits, herbs and essential oils. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“We put three key ingredients together that we call the ‘triple
threat’ to bacteria,” says Pritchett. “<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Thyme has a long history of use as a medicinal plant
to ward off sickness. It has been used as an antiseptic for thousands of
years in Roman, Greek and Indian medicine. More recent research has found that
there is a volatile oil in thyme called Thymol that acts as an antiseptic and
disinfectant.</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">White vinegar is a common household cleaning agent.
Because it is acidic, it can dissolve mineral deposits from glass, coffee
makers and other smooth surfaces. Vinegar has been reputed to have strong
antibacterial properties. One test by <i>Good
Housekeeping's</i> microbiologist found that 5 percent vinegar is 90 percent effective
against mold and 99.9 percent effective against bacteria.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Citrus is also acidic and provides antibacterial and antiseptic
properties.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">To make the products,
the friends gather in their workshop, in Joni and Charlie’s garage. To ensure
the best quality, the quartet makes small batches of one product at one time. “So
we would do all glass cleaners first and then multi-surface cleaners and so
on,” Pritchett says. “We usually will make a batch of each product per time we
are together to make the most of our time. When we all work together on the
same product, we get them done much faster and more efficiently than if we were
all working on separate products.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The hardest part of being in business together is coordinating schedules
around their other jobs to find time to work together, Pritchett says. “But
once we’re together and products are being made, we’re laughing, joking and it
doesn’t really feel like work,” he says. “It is something we all really enjoy
and are passionate about.”</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Meet the members of Earth Thyme and learn more about their products at
the Jonesborough Farmers Market on Saturday Oct. 19.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-46732038016008534252013-10-08T20:29:00.000-04:002013-10-08T20:29:30.974-04:00Tanya King: ArkAngel Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RTKKeLOBdkU/UkzVru1wDSI/AAAAAAAAOys/HcT12FN3X5Y/s1600/Betty+&+Tanya+1+(Medium).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RTKKeLOBdkU/UkzVru1wDSI/AAAAAAAAOys/HcT12FN3X5Y/s320/Betty+&+Tanya+1+(Medium).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Many
people meet Tanya King through her sidekick Betty, the sociable golden Silkie
hen that has been coming to the market with King since 2008. It is King's flock
of 60 hens that supply ArkAngel Farms’ fresh eggs at the market. But horses – and
King's father who taught her all about them – are really behind all of King's
farm endeavors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">King
was raised on and around horse farms in Lexington, Ky., and Ocala, Fla. “When
we lived in Kentucky, my dad worked at Churchill Downs Racetrack and on
Claiborne Farms, the home of Secretariat,” she says. “I was on a horse from the
time I was 6 months old, riding in front of my mom. I do not know life without
a horse. They are a part of me.”<span style="background: #FFFF90;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All
her life King has trained, cared for and shown horses. When she was 15, she
worked cleaning horse stalls at a large horse farm until she could save money
to buy her first show horse, a 2-year-old Paso Fino gelding named Romeo.
"Most kids save for their first car. My first car was a horse," King
says.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She
trained Romeo and they took home a state champion title in Florida in 1995. Romeo,
along with an Arabian stallion named Gabriel, moved with King’s family when
they relocated to the Tri-Cities in 1997. King's parents were moving closer to their
native <st1:place w:st="on">Southwest Virginia</st1:place> roots and her
father, Bill Franklin, worked full time as a horse trainer and farrier in the
area. King has followed in her father’s footsteps. While she has not pursued
horse training as a profession, she certainly has a full-time passion for
working with horses. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-olDi_acdKjA/UkzV7Z9rksI/AAAAAAAAOy0/BQQoMmcrluY/s1600/Tanya+and+Romeo+in+July+4th+parade,+Kingsport+(Medium).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-olDi_acdKjA/UkzV7Z9rksI/AAAAAAAAOy0/BQQoMmcrluY/s320/Tanya+and+Romeo+in+July+4th+parade,+Kingsport+(Medium).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King and Romeo in a July4th parade, Kingsport</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In
fact, King was riding a horse when she met her future husband, Terry. They
coincided while King was showing Romeo at the horse expo in Morristown, and
Terry, a member of the 12th Tennessee Cavalry Civil War re-enactment group, was
there doing a cavalry demonstration on his war horse, Dusty.</span><br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpKiOo8bSEs/UkzV_oJ7l4I/AAAAAAAAOy8/VUrtZHLZoEU/s1600/misc.+pictures+121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Two
years later, Tanya and Terry married, and Romeo and Dusty live with them and
their son, Benjamin, on ArkAngel Farm in Jonesborough. The name “ArkAngel” was
inspired by beloved stallion Gabriel who still lives on King’s farm.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ArkAngel
Farm is also home to 17 horses, 60 rare and heritage breed chickens, 15 ducks,
12 geese, six dogs, a rabbit and one very spoiled housecat named Charlie.
King’s heavenly chickens include breeds such as Silkies, Nankins, Polish
Crested and old English game. In addition to selling eggs at the farmers
market, she also sells hatching eggs on eBay.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">King
got started on ebay about eight years ago when she was trying to find Silkie
eggs."I couldn't believe how many folks were raising and selling eggs this
way, so I decided to give it a try," she says. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If
held at the correct temperature, a fertilized egg can stay viable for seven
days, so she has only a short window to sell and ship to a buyer. She keeps the
eggs in a turner at a controlled temperature and has to sell quickly and pack
carfully. "I've gotten really good at packing for shipping," she
says.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In
the spring King sells up to six dozen eggs per week online and finds it worth
the effort. Heritage breeds can sell for $20-80 per dozen. Once an dozen eggs
from an especially rare breed started a bidding war that took the price up to $250
per dozen, she says, but that is not the norm.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Crafts
are also an original ArkAngel Farm product. Terry makes walking sticks, barn
stars and garden gates out of vintage tobacco sticks, he also hand crafts candleholders
out of recycled wine bottles and Tanya makes candles that include handpoured
100 percent soy wax and hand-dipped beeswax tapers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpKiOo8bSEs/UkzV_oJ7l4I/AAAAAAAAOy8/VUrtZHLZoEU/s1600/misc.+pictures+121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpKiOo8bSEs/UkzV_oJ7l4I/AAAAAAAAOy8/VUrtZHLZoEU/s200/misc.+pictures+121.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Franklin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="word-break: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And,
of course, there is seasonal garden produce that King grows for herself and also
sells at the market. King credits her father with instilling in her a love of
plants and animals. Franklin was a constant presence on ArkAngel Farm until he
died suddenly this summer, but he has left a legacy. “Some folks have dads who
are hunters,” King says. “My dad was a gatherer. He loved life and to see
things grow and animals and plants alike seemed to love him back. It is hard to
carry on without him. He taught me everything.”</span><span style="background: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-16013543426324734272013-10-02T22:35:00.000-04:002013-10-03T11:14:44.432-04:00Andrew Garst: Valley Creek Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rtz3oufGyVM/Uk2JzenBVrI/AAAAAAAAOzY/5QBcym-RCO8/s1600/_DSC0014+(1)+(Medium).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rtz3oufGyVM/Uk2JzenBVrI/AAAAAAAAOzY/5QBcym-RCO8/s320/_DSC0014+(1)+(Medium).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ever since he was 15, Andrew Garst has been fitting farming
around his schoolwork –first as a student at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Daniel</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Boone</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">High School</st1:placetype></st1:place> and now at
Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Elizabethton. In December, he will
graduate with a degree that certifies him as a diesel technician, but he has no
plans to stop farming.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The investment, planning and years of experience is
something you can’t walk away from. “Once you get farming, you just keep going,”
he says. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Garst has been accruing that experience all his life. His
family’s Jonesborough farm is Valley Creek Farm, which combines a commercial
business raising registered Simmental cattle with a half-acre produce garden
supplying the family’s stand at the Jonesborough Farmers Market. All of the
family – Andrew, parents Shirley and John and sister Kimberly – have been
involved at some point. Garst has had a part in all aspects of the farm –
showing cattle at area fairs, hauling cattle to market in <st1:city w:st="on">Knoxville</st1:city>
or <st1:state w:st="on">Pennsylvania</st1:state>
and planning and planting the garden.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We’ve always farmed,” says Andrew’s mother Shirley, who
helps out at the booth most weeks. “We got started at the market years ago
because we had all this extra produce and found ourselves giving a lot of it away.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“A friend was selling his vegetables at the <st1:city w:st="on">Kingsport</st1:city> market, and Andrew went to work for
him part time. He gave us some tips, and we realized we could sell at this
market on our own.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Garsts are in their fifth year selling at the
Jonesborough Farmers Market. Homegrown farming techniques are also part of the
family’s secret of success. While the farm’s land is from John’s family,
Shirley brings her legacy, as well, to the operation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We always start our seeds in a water bed,” Shirley says
“and years ago my dad came up with a simple idea to make planting easier.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The water bed is a foam tray that floats in a few inches of
water. Traditionally used to start tobacco plants, the tray has 288 small
square compartments, each with a pinhole in the bottom and a small amount of
soil. The key to the success of this technique, they realized, was to plant
each seed at a uniform depth. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> “So my dad came up
with this idea: a piece of plywood cut to the same size as the tray, with 288
marbles glued to it,” Shirley says. “Each marble is positioned to press into
the center of each square of soil, making an identical indentation where every
seed can be dropped.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This method helps the Garsts start a wide variety of garden
produce: tomatoes, squash, zucchini, okra. They also grow potatoes, green
beans, mixed lettuces and raise free-range chickens for eggs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to learning from his family, Andrew Garst also
learned much of what he knows from high school agriculture classes and the
mentoring of a family friend. That background gives him the expertise to lead
the process of mapping out the season’s work. Over the years, Andrew’s
leadership on the farm has increased, and he now plans all the planting on his
own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“You’ve got to really plan your garden,” he says, “and as
the season goes on, you need to know what needs to be done right away, and what
can wait.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Garst also spends time getting to know the “personalities”
of his crops and animals. “What many people don’t understand is on a farm, your
cattle or your vegetables or whatever, they’re your employees,” he says. “You
figure out how to get them to work for you for the best production you can
get.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Weather also plays a huge role in a farm’s success each
season. This year, the wet summer didn’t greatly affect their plantings. They
planted 500 tomato plants, and only a portion suffered from blight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Garst enjoys the self-directed nature of farm management.
“And it’s rewarding to be able to make a living doing this,” he says.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The money he has made helped him get a vehicle in high
school and is helping with living expenses while in college. Garst says he
might have to cut back a little on farm work once he starts a job that uses his
degree, but he would never stop farming all together.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Garst plans to sell through the end of the season at the
farmers market, and on Oct. 5 when the Saturday market is closed for the
storytelling festival, Valley Creek Farm will sell their kale, collards and
curly mustard thru the market’s online ordering system. For more information,
visit <a href="http://www.jonesborough.locallygrown.net/">www.jonesborough.locallygrown.net</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">==========================<b>Recipes</b>==============================</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cooked Greens<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shirley Garst likes to cook greens the “good ol’ Southern
way.” Here’s her method:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wash your greens and chop if desired. Put greens in a pot of
water and boil until tender. Remove greens from water and then cook lightly in
bacon grease in an iron skillet. Serve and season to taste with vinegar, salt
and pepper. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Baked Kale or Kale
“Chips”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Contributed by Karen Childress </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“When
I saw my friend’s 5 children begging for more baked kale, I had to have the
recipe!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Remove kale leaves
from stem, wash and tear into 2 inch pieces.
Spin leaves in a salad spinner or pat with towel to get as dry as
possible. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Toss kale with a
small amount of olive oil to coat evenly and lightly (olive oil cooking spray
works also). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Arrange loosely on
a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt, seasoned salt or even a dash of chile
powder. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Bake at 350 degrees
for 10-15 minutes, watching closely so leaves don’t scorch. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I recommend checking at 10 minutes and remove kale that is
ready (should be dry and crispy). Leave
any kale that is limp and wet on the baking sheet, and bake a few more minutes
until crisp. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-12003217903387308782013-09-25T19:29:00.000-04:002013-09-25T19:29:08.612-04:00Jeff & Jolene Stratton: Chapo's Chile Patch<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNRbCS-2Bgw/UkNxnKAchhI/AAAAAAAAOyY/i2MIjmTtveg/s1600/Jolene+and+Jeff+Stratton+with+Uba+Tuba+Peppers-vertical.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNRbCS-2Bgw/UkNxnKAchhI/AAAAAAAAOyY/i2MIjmTtveg/s320/Jolene+and+Jeff+Stratton+with+Uba+Tuba+Peppers-vertical.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Jeff and Jolene Stratton never expected to become “the
pepper people.”</div>
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The couple moved to Tennessee from Colorado in 2009. Originally
from Arizona, both are retired from careers in law enforcement. During their 10
years in Colorado, they lived and worked a variety of second-career jobs ranging
from retail to railroads to education.<span> </span></div>
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Along the way, they grew gardens and enjoyed the pastime.
“We’d always grown peppers and veggies to some degree,” says Jeff Stratton. “In
Arizona we grew things in barrels because the ground is so hard. In Colorado we
had fields and irrigation, but when we moved to Tennessee we discovered raised
beds and it makes growing so much easier.”</div>
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They also discovered how much they missed chile peppers. “Out
West, especially in Arizona, roasted chiles are sold everywhere,” Stratton says.
“Little stands with roasters are all over the place. Roasted chiles have a very
distinctive flavor and aroma. When we got here, we missed them and we thought
we’d start growing, and then people would request them, and then next thing we
know we’re selling chiles at the farmers market.</div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">“Our
first planting was in two raised beds in summer of 2010. Now we've expanded to
20 beds with 49 varieties of chile from 15 countries, plus some assorted
herbs and other veggies. We have peppers from Asia, Africa, South America,
India.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">While
the garden area is about the size of an average two-car garage, the pepper
operation is spread throughout and around the Stratton’s Jonesborough home. They
start seed in late January under lights in the basement, then transfer plants
to a small outdoor greenhouse before setting them out in garden beds in late
April or early May.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">The
Strattons produce is Certified Naturally Grown, a certification process very
similar to organic certification. They grow to CNG standards of sustainability
– without pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. They also make
their own growing soil from composted materials.</span></div>
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The Strattons call their operation
“Chapo’s Chile Patch.” “’Chapo’ means ‘little short guy’and that’s what they
called me when I was in the police force,” says Jeff. “Chile we spell with an
e. That’s the Spanish spelling used out west. You can spell it chilli or chili,
but to me<span style="color: #222222;"> ‘chili’ is what you serve in a
bowl.”<span> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">The
Strattons </span>started selling at the Jonesborough Farmers Market in 2011 and
have been expanding their reach ever since. In addition to the Jonesborough
market, they sell their peppers and powders at markets in Johnson City and
ETSU. They also sell direct from their website and to restaurants, including
the Parson’s Son Barbeque restaurant (for their hottest barbecue sauce). </div>
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They’ve been winning prizes too. <span style="color: #222222;">“Our
chiles have won awards at various county fairs and growing contests,” Stratton
says. “We took nine prizes in at the Greene County Fair in 2011.”<span> </span> </span></div>
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The Stratton’s chile powders also garnered national
attention last year with a mention in Paula Deen’s September 2012 magazine. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Chiles have also added another dimension to the Stratton’s
community involvement. Already involved with St. Mary’s Church, the
Jonesborough Kiwanis Club, Toastmasters, the Storytelling Guild, and three
quilting guilds, the Strattons now <span style="color: #222222;">provide
chiles and volunteer time to the Farmers Market’s Farm to Table fundraiser
and also to Second Harvest's Farmer and the Chef Fundraiser. During
Jonesborough days they co-sponsor the hot chile pepper eating contest with
the town and this year they plan to help with the October chili-cook-off.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">But
“the goal is to enjoy ourselves,” Stratton says. And, he says, they most enjoy
interacting with their customers and educating people about the world of
chiles. Stratton loves to talk about chiles, and loves the opportunity to
describe Scoville thermal units that measure pepper heat. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">“After
three seasons, we have certain customers who come looking for that special pepper
– the Spanish Padron, that Turkish Corbaci, the world's hottest Ghost pepper,
that Brazilian Uba Tuba and of course the roasted NuMex green chiles. </span>If
you’ve got a favorite chile, come talk to me. If you’ve never had a good chile,
come taste them and try them. You owe it to yourself.”<span style="color: #222222;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(246, 246, 246); line-height: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(246, 246, 246); line-height: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt;">A favorite recipe
from Chapo’s Chile Patch:<span> </span>Stuffed Cheese
and Bacon Chile Poppers</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: 10pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">No quantities are listed here.<span>
</span>Adjust for the number you need!<span>
</span>The Strattons suggest about 4 pepper halves per person for an appetizer.</span><span style="color: #828282;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span>1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">Choose your pepper.<span> </span>This
recipe works well with Jalapenos or Santa Fe Grandes.<span> </span>Cut peppers lengthwise and scoop out to your
taste. More seeds=more heat.</span><span style="color: #828282;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span>2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">Blend a cheese mixture of your choice (we prefer a soft, white,
cheese like feta, soft goat cheese or cream cheese, you can also add grated
sharp cheddar or monterrey jack). </span><span style="color: #828282;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span>3)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">Crush and add your choice of nuts to cheese for extra flavor and
consistency. </span><span style="color: #828282;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span>4)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">Bacon (optional).<span> </span>Cook,
crumble and mix in with cheese, OR wrap 1/3 slice of bacon around the stuffed
pepper, pin with toothpicks.</span><span style="color: #828282;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span>5)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">Grill over open flame until bacon is done, or bake on a foil-lined
pan at 375 degrees about 20-25 minutes until hot (and if wrapped, bacon is
cooked). </span><span style="color: #828282;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: 10pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">Let cool and enjoy!</span><span style="color: #828282;"></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: red; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; padding: 0in;">Hot pepper note:<span> </span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">Capsaicin oil from chiles can
burn eyes or skin. Wear gloves or plastic baggies and wash hands after
handling hot chile peppers. </span><span style="color: #828282;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-70456128683783209572013-09-17T21:12:00.004-04:002013-09-19T17:34:58.956-04:00Andy McIntosh: McIntosh Woods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oBPoKY069rU/Ujj93VmKeRI/AAAAAAAAOyE/ZTWJyZL-xVU/s1600/Andy+McIntosh+horizontal+(Medium).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oBPoKY069rU/Ujj93VmKeRI/AAAAAAAAOyE/ZTWJyZL-xVU/s320/Andy+McIntosh+horizontal+(Medium).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>By Kasey Jones</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What he now does as a hobby, Andy McIntosh used to do to
survive. McIntosh has been gardening for as long as he can remember, growing up
on a small farm in South Unicoi County where he and his family would raise their
own food and preserve as much as possible to eat through the winter. McIntosh
says, “No matter what I’ve done as a career, I’ve always kept a garden and
preserved food.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After growing up on the family farm in Unicoi, McIntosh
enlisted in the Army and served for three years during the early years of the Vietnam
war. Upon his return, he got his teaching degree from ETSU and began teaching
high school mathematics at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Unicoi</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">High
School</st1:placetype></st1:place>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After 10 years of teaching, McIntosh began a second career in
industry with Nuclear Fuel Services, where he worked for 28 years. He retired
approximately four years ago, settling into gardening, which he loves to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">McIntosh has over an acre of land that he dedicates to
gardening. He grows a little bit of everything that is typically found in a
garden, as well as peach and apple trees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I’ve got some fruit trees,” he says, “I’ve got about six
peach trees and some apple trees. I grow quite a few potatoes, a lot of
tomatoes, a lot of beans and a mixture of everything else.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Much of what McIntosh grows in his garden are the same foods
that he and his family raised when he was growing up. McIntosh also uses the
many of the same preservation methods that he and his family used on their
farm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We always preserved a lot of foods when I was young,”
McIntosh says. “We primarily canned foods, then freezers came along and we
started freezing a lot of fresh fruit. So I continue to do that; I’ll can about
anything!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">McIntosh also dries fruits and vegetables from his garden,
though this is limited to a select few fruits and vegetables. The drying leaves
the dried fruit or vegetable with more concentrated flavor than it would have
were it eaten fresh. And dried produce must be reconstituted with water and
then cooked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I dry some beans,” he says. “I have dried some fruit, but
mostly beans. Not a lot of people do that anymore. They’re commonly called
shuck beans or leather britches, they’re a green bean dried.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While McIntosh enjoys much of his produce himself, he also
sells a portion of it at the farmers market in Jonesborough, as well as at his
farm, McIntosh Woods. McIntosh has been with the Jonesborough Farmers Market
for about four years. While he and his family used to sell their produce at the
farmers market in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Asheville</st1:city>,
<st1:state w:st="on">N.C.</st1:state></st1:place> during the late 1950s and
early 1960s, this is the first farmers market that he has done during this
stage of his life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“This one [Jonesborough] is different in that everything
here is locally grown,” he says. “The one in <st1:city w:st="on">Asheville</st1:city>
had produce from everywhere, more like the one in <st1:city w:st="on">Johnson City</st1:city>, now. Produce might be coming
out of Carolina, out of state somewhere, from Virginia, but I think if it’s a
local market, it should be locally grown.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">McIntosh intends to garden as long as he can, enjoying both
the food and the work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I just hope more people start gardening,” say McIntosh.
“It’s great food.” </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Freezing Vegetables (from EatingWell.com)<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The
best vegetables to freeze are fresh from the garden or farmers’ market and at
their peak ripeness. <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101/shopping_cooking_guides/guide_to_freezing_fresh_produce" title="Click to Continue > by Text-Enhance"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Start</span></a> by trimming and
washing your vegetables under cold water. Remove any stems and wash under cold
water. Peel if necessary. Cut to desired size, if necessary, according to their
intended use (for example, carrots can be left whole or dice them for an easy <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">soup</span>
addition). It is very important to blanch vegetables before freezing them. It
stops the enzymes that keep vegetables ripening, helps get rid of dirt and
bacteria, brightens color, slows vitamin and mineral loss, and wilts and
softens the vegetables so they are easier to pack. To blanch vegetables, bring
a large pot of water to a boil (use at least 1 gallon of water per pound of
vegetables). Add the vegetables to the water. Once the water returns to a boil,
cook the vegetables 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the boiling
water with a slotted spoon and transfer them immediately to a bowl of ice water
until they are completely chilled. Drain the vegetables well. Tomatoes do not
need to be blanched before freezing. Just wash, peel (if desired) and remove
the core. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Choosing Containers<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Frozen
food can develop rancid flavors as a result of contact with air. Prevent this
by choosing containers that are moisture- and vapor-proof. Opt for glass jars, <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">metal containers</span>, freezer
bags or other plastic containers that are designed for storing frozen foods. If
using <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">plastic bags</span>,
be sure to remove as much air as possible before sealing. A <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">vacuum sealer</span> is also
useful for removing air and preserving quality. <b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Packing<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There
are two kinds of packing: solid-pack and loose-pack. To solid-pack produce,
place <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">prepared food</span> in the
desired container and freeze. Solid-packing conserves space and is useful when
planning to use large batches of frozen vegetables or <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101/shopping_cooking_guides/guide_to_freezing_fresh_produce?slide=4"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">fruit</span></a>
at one time. To loose-pack, freeze one layer of fruit or vegetables on a cookie
sheet. Once the produce is frozen, transfer it to the <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">storage container</span>.
Loose-packing takes up more space, but it is easier to remove just the amount
desired, such as a handful of peas or a cup of raspberries. Be sure to leave
head space (open space at the top of the freezer container) when solid packing
produce, as foods expand as they freeze. When loose-packing frozen foods,
headspace is not necessary as the foods are already frozen. Moisture or food on
the sealing edges of the container will prevent proper sealing, so wipe all
edges clean before sealing. Label each container with the name and date
packaged. Most frozen produce will keep for 8 to 12 months.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-64162039662962266552013-09-12T21:14:00.001-04:002013-09-12T21:23:48.659-04:00Jose Diaz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WcYSUioxDNE/UjJoXtBYuMI/AAAAAAAAOxc/KJaRw8p4NF0/s1600/diaz+vertical+(Small).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WcYSUioxDNE/UjJoXtBYuMI/AAAAAAAAOxc/KJaRw8p4NF0/s320/diaz+vertical+(Small).jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><b>By Kasey Jones</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Freedom is
important to José Diaz. He raises his chickens free on his farm and his
vegetables free of chemicals. Diaz also likes the freedom he has found in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> to earn a
living on his own land, not squeezed by the crowding and competition of his
homeland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p>Growing up in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Carretero</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
Diaz would help his father grow vegetables and care for their goats, horses and
donkey. Diaz later moved to the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>, where he established legal residency
in 1987.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I like to work here,” says
Diaz. “It’s easier. It’s easier for me. You can work very hard but make little
in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>
– $10 a day. I didn’t work there for very long … Too many people and not many
jobs.”<span style="color: #343434;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">After picking
oranges in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state>,
Diaz moved to the Tri-Cities area where he has worked at a number of jobs,
including Scott’s farms in Unicoi to outdoor maintenance at the Johnson City
Mall, but his passion is for farming, and in 1995 he purchased his own farm in
Jonesborough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I raise animals,”
says Diaz, “goats and chickens. And I grow vegetables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goats are Nubians for milk and meat. Eat
them. Hamburgers. I sell to people direct from the farm. I have 20 goats. I had
to raise less goats to do the vegetables, because they keep me really busy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Diaz grows corn,
onions, beans, cilantro, squash and butternut squash. Instead of using
chemicals or sprays on his plants, he uses the manure of his goats as
fertilizer for some of his vegetables.<o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I talked to a lady
the other day and she said, ‘How much are your beans?’ And I said, ‘$50 a
bushel.’ She said, ‘Over there, they’re $36.’ And I said, ‘Well, mine don’t
have chemicals.’ She said, ‘Well, that doesn’t matter. They’re all the same.
Chemicals don’t matter.’ Well, they do to me. I don’t want to chemical myself to
death.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">While Diaz doesn’t
make a lot of money from farming, he enjoys his work and raises organic crops
for his own health, as well as the well-being of his customers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I’m happy to do it
as long as I can,” he says. “People talk about, ‘You won’t get rich.’ I’ve
never been rich. I don’t worry about it. I like to work with animals. I’m good
with my hands. I’m not a mechanic. I can break a car. Farming keeps me healthy.
I feel good about it. You’ve just got to get in there and do it. A lot of
people don’t like this life, but I do.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Diaz raises many of
the vegetables and animals that he raised while living in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>. “We
would raise corn and squash and goats,” Diaz says. “We would make cheese. My
mother would make the cheese. We would work with the animals and she would make
the cheese. It’s a lot of work. People would say, ‘Well, that little piece of
cheese is expensive.’ Yeah. It’s a lot of work”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">While Diaz
primarily raises his goats for meat, he also uses their milk for his calves and
pigs, as well as in “my own half-and-half.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Diaz has 175
free-range chickens that live on his farm. Because they are free-range, Diaz
often has to hunt for the chickens’ nests and eggs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“[My chickens] are
loose from the morning all the way to 7:30 at night,” says Diaz. “They run
around out there and they’re happy chickens. Right now I have around 100 little
ones and 75 big ones – the ones that lay the eggs. They lay all over the place.
Sometimes they hide eggs from me. There was one time for one or two weeks I
couldn’t find them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t have eggs
to bring to the market because they were hiding them. Then one day I found
three nests with 22 eggs in each place. After they lay some eggs in the nest,
they go and make a new one. Chickens are funny .”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">After having raised
vegetables for most of his life, Diaz has learned that there isn’t always a
strong correlation between hard work and good crops. He accepts this as a fact
of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“I stay very busy
all the time. Sometimes things work, and sometimes they do nothing. Sometimes
you plant something and take good care of it and it won’t grow. Something you
don’t think you care too much, it grows real nice. This happens. It’s in the
farm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“People tell me,
‘You aren’t going to get rich.’ But I say, ‘I eat well. I eat good.’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Meet Diaz and find
his free-range eggs and produce at the Jonesborough Farmers Market. On Saturday
he will have one his Mexican specialties, tomatillos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">What
is a tomatillo? </span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">If you’ve
eaten salsa verde in a <span class="adtext">Mexican restaurant</span>, you’ve
eaten tomatillos. Though the name suggests that tomatillos are small green
tomatoes, they are not. They’re in the same family as tomatoes but they are
fruitier and more acidic than a regular green tomato.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always look for tomatillos that have filled
their husks, as they are not fully mature until they do. Remove the husks, then
rinse the tomatillos, which will be sticky, and they’re ready to cook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Look for tomatillos that are
relatively small, about 1 1/2 ounces, or slightly larger than walnuts.
Tomatillos are a good <span class="adtext">source of iron</span>, magnesium,
phosphorus and copper, as well as <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/fiber/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier"><span style="color: blue;">dietary
fiber</span></a>, <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/vitamin-c/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier"><span style="color: blue;">vitamin
C</span></a>, vitamin K, <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/niacin/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier"><span style="color: blue;">niacin</span></a>,
potassium and manganese.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0.83em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe <o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">To cook the tomatillos, you can
either roast them in the oven, or boil them. Roasting will deliver more flavor;
boiling may be faster and use less energy. Either way works, though boiling is
a more common way to cook the tomatillos.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">1 1/2 lb tomatillos<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">1/2 cup chopped white onion<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">1/2 cup cilantro leaves<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">1 Tbsp fresh <span class="adtext">lime juice</span><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">1/4 teaspoon sugar<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded
and chopped (you can use whole for more heat if you want)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Salt to taste<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12pt;">1.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Remove
papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">2.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cook
using the method of your choice:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">2a Oven Roasting Method</span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> Cut the tomatillos in half and place cut
side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7
minutes to lightly blacken the skin.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">2b Pan Roasting Method</span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> Coat the bottom of a skillet with a little
vegetable oil. Heat on high heat. Place the tomatillos in the pan and sear on
one side, then flip over and brown on the other side. Remove from heat.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">2c <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Boiling Method<span style="font-weight: normal;"> Place</span></st1:address></st1:street><span style="font-weight: normal;"> tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring
to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">3</span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> Place cooked tomatillos, lime juice,
onions, cilantro, <span class="adtext">chili peppers</span>, sugar in a blender
or food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Serve with chips or as a salsa
accompaniment to <span class="adtext">Mexican dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix with mashed avocado for lower-fat
alternative to guacamole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Yield:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> <span class="yield">Makes 3 cups.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-58488651176513747352013-09-06T12:45:00.001-04:002013-09-06T12:45:17.622-04:00Pat Lynch: Peacock Artisan Breads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f1Ph7_keMSA/UioGEm-KZ5I/AAAAAAAAOws/KI3y8N2JSws/s1600/facebook+photo+lynch+and+moore+(Small).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f1Ph7_keMSA/UioGEm-KZ5I/AAAAAAAAOws/KI3y8N2JSws/s320/facebook+photo+lynch+and+moore+(Small).jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By Kasey Jones</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For Pat Lynch, baking bread is more than just making and
then baking bread dough. It’s a science. Over the years, the Erwin native has
found that even the slightest alterations in oven temperature, humidity and
moisture in the dough or amount of a certain ingredient can make a huge difference
in the way that the bread turns out. Lynch’s various tweaks to her dough
recipes and the way that she bakes the dough have made baking “a fun journey,”
one that is different with each new endeavor<span style="color: #ff6600;">.</span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Lynch has been cooking for as long as she can remember, but
she began baking bread after she and her husband were married in 1966.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and husband Johnny, mayor of town of Unicoi, own a business called Farmhouse Gallery and
Gardens on their farm in Unicoi,
Tenn.,
where they host and cater special events, including weddings, private parties,
corporate events and all-day workshops.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In addition to cooking for these events, Lynch also is chef
for her own family, making most of her meals from scratch, and doing the same
for her catering business whenever she can.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“We have three kids and I’ve always cooked family meals and
we’d always have dinner every night as they were growing up as long as they
were living at home,” she says. “I’ve pretty much cooked all of my life. I’d
like to just have a nickel for every biscuit that I’ve ever made.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Lynch and her husband have lived on their farm since 1976,
but have always enjoyed “the farming type atmosphere,” she says. Prior to
opening Farmhouse Gallery and Gardens, they had a variety of different
agricultural operations. At one point, they had a beef cattle operation with
about 60 head of cattle. After that, they had a hog operation and would market
nearly 1,000 hogs each year. They also grew about 50 acres of corn and would
keep a half-acre to an acre of garden, Lynch says. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For about 15 years, Lynch baked bread in her commercial
kitchen, but when her husband built an outdoor brick oven in an old log cabin
that the town of Unicoi restored, Lynch – along
with the town of Unicoi’s
history group – began baking bread in the wood-fired oven as a fundraiser for
the group. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“I enjoyed baking bread so much in that wood-fired oven that
while [my husband] was in that mode, I got him to build one for us and added it
to our kitchen since I was already baking bread at home all the time, anyway,”
says Lynch. “We added that as another part of our business and it’s worked out
really, really well.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In that firebrick oven that Johnny built about a
year-and-a-half ago, Lynch has been baking artisan breads that she sells at the
Jonesborough Farmers Market. Working with the brick oven has been a learning
experience, but Lynch has had help along the way. “I’ve had a lot of fun,” says
Lynch. “I learned from a book and from trial and error.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had people who’ve helped me through the
last year-and-a-half…we have all enjoyed the learning and we just have a good
time when we’re baking.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #ff6600;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The dome portion of Lynch’s oven is about 13 inches thick
and is shaped like a beehive. The day before she bakes the bread, she builds a
fire in the oven and allows it to heat overnight. As the fire slowly burns, the
walls and base of the oven soak up the heat. In the morning, Lynch rakes out
the fire and wipes the bottom of the oven down with a damp rag to remove as
much of the ash as she can. When she puts the dough in the oven to bake, the
radiant heat emitted by the walls and base of the oven bake the dough. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“You can take that same loaf of bread and bake it in the
brick oven or bake it in a convection oven or a regular oven,” says Lynch, “and
it’s just the world of difference in the way it looks, and I think, too, the
flavor.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In addition to baking bread, hosting special events and
catering, the Lynches have had peacocks on their farm for about four years.
When Lynch decided to come up with a name for her bread-baking business, she
chose the name Peacock Artisan Bread, “because … it just kind of fit.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Just as she likes variety on her farm, Lynch also likes to
experiment with various breads. In addition to making plain bread, Lynch also
rolls dried fruits into her sourdoughs, makes cinnamon raisin breads and also
uses the sourdough base for myriad other flavors. Her endeavors have been
successful, and she sees a lot of returning customers. Lynch can bake 12-15
loaves at a time in her oven, and she normally makes 200 loaves per week.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Although learning to bake bread has been a process, Lynch
has learned quite a bit along the way. “It’s just been a real experience and
I’ve learned a lot about the science of bread baking … When you open that oven
door, it’s a surprise every time.” </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-86223734174958910342013-08-29T15:25:00.000-04:002013-08-29T21:29:46.596-04:00Phillip Ottinger: Buffalo Trail Orchard<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VqIR7x2L-yI/UhZlmsjOABI/AAAAAAAAOt4/UdNh7bvqsio/s1600/Phillip+Ottinger+and+his+gala+apples--vertical.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VqIR7x2L-yI/UhZlmsjOABI/AAAAAAAAOt4/UdNh7bvqsio/s320/Phillip+Ottinger+and+his+gala+apples--vertical.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>by Kasey Jones</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The back of Phillip Ottinger’s pick-up truck is packed with
corn as he prepares for the weekly farmers market in Jonesborough, Tenn.
Customers line up at his tent to purchase his sweet corn, squash, raspberries
and cucumbers as the market begins. Before noon, he has sold all his corn and
many of his other products, as well. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Ottinger’s success is the fruit of his hard work and passion
for farming. The Greene
County native spent 30
years of his life working as an engineer to earn enough money to become a
farmer. After graduating from the University
of Tennessee with a B.S. in Agricultural
Engineering and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering, he spent 30 years working
in Nashville, Oak Ridge and Greeneville so that he could
eventually begin farming. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“I always planned to come back to the farm,” he says. “It’s
something that I always planned to do, but I had to work as an engineer for 30
years to be able to farm. You don’t make a lot of money farming, so you have to
inherit a farm or you do something else to earn the money to be able to farm.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">His hard work reaped a harvest. Ottinger and his wife were
able to return to Greene
County, where they
purchased his wife’s parents’ farm after her parents had passed away. The farm,
which has been in his wife’s family for years, was originally purchased by one
of her family members in 1890 and now qualifies as a Tennessee Century Farm. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The farm is packed with a variety of fruits, vegetables,
berries and animals. Ottinger grows and sells blackberries, blueberries,
raspberries, pumpkins, fall squash, sweet corn, cantaloupe, watermelons and beef
cattle. He also has an orchard in which he grows 16 different varieties of
apples that include Gala, Honey Crisp, Fuji,
Pink Lady, and William’s Pride.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">While Ottinger brings his produce to customers at the
farmers market, he believes that picking fruit is a special experience to which
many young people no longer have access. Because of this, he invites customers
to visit his farm – Buffalo Trail Orchard – in Greeneville where this year visitors
may pick berries, pumpkins, gourds and squash. To enhance the experience,
Ottinger also gives hayrides. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“I really enjoy having families with small kids come out to
the farm,” he says. “It’s exciting to see the little kids – especially if you
take them out into the pumpkin patch and they see these huge pumpkins that they
can sit on and take pictures.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Ottinger, his wife and his daughter do the majority of the
work. After his daughter, who he says has been a big help on the farm, begins
school at the University
of Tennessee in the fall,
Ottinger will likely look for an intern to assist at the farm in exchange for
food and housing. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“It’s amazing to me that young people would want to do
that,” he says. “I’ve got a son who lives in Madison, Wis.
He goes out and helps some friends on their farms. We usually talk to him every
Sunday. After he tells me what he’s done over the weekend, I say, ‘I couldn’t
have paid you to do that at home.’ ”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And if that’s not enough farming, Ottinger also has a garden
that he grows for himself and his family. “We have just a little family garden
that we don’t sell out of,” he says. “We have potatoes and tomatoes, okra,
beets, beans and the typical garden vegetables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We grow what we like to eat.” </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Ottinger and his family enjoy growing the foods that they
like to eat. He says that if the food is good to eat, then that’s what he likes
to grow. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“I was born a farmer,” he says. “I’m the first generation
that has actually worked off of the farm. If you go back in my family, they
were always farmers. So I grew up with it and even though it was hard work, I
enjoyed it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For information about visiting Buffalo Trail Orchard, call 423-639-2297. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Fresh Apple Pound Cake</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 cups plain
floor</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 teaspoon
baking soda</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 teaspoon
salt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">½ teaspoon
cinnamon</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">½ teaspoon
nutmeg</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 ½ cups vegetable oil</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 cups sugar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 eggs</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 teaspoons
vanilla extract</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 cups
chopped peeled apples</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 cup broken
pecans (optional)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">½ cup golden
raisins (optional)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 3.5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 325 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and
spices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Combine oil, sugar, eggs, and
vanilla extract in bowl: mix until well blended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add dry ingredients: beat well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in apples, pecans, and raisins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spoon batter into well greased and floured
10-inch bundt pan and bake for 1 hr 15 mins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let cool on rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prick top of cake with fork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glaze while cake is still hot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 3.5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apple Cider Glaze</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 3.5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">½ cup packed light brown sugar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 3.5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tablespoons butter</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 3.5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">¾ cup apple cider</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Combine all ingredients in small
pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring to a boil stirring until
sugar is dissolved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spoon over hot cake.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-18251024922159096442013-08-21T12:39:00.000-04:002013-08-22T15:27:03.930-04:00Claudia Randolph: Old Town Honey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSMu5GthNro/UgzK9JFbUHI/AAAAAAAAOsk/z9zMCZSTHpg/s1600/IMG_1682+(Small).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSMu5GthNro/UgzK9JFbUHI/AAAAAAAAOsk/z9zMCZSTHpg/s320/IMG_1682+(Small).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>By Kasey Jones</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For Claudia Randolph, bees are more than just a source of
honey. Over the six years that she has been working with bees and gathering
their honey, Randolph has found that bees have more personality than most
people realize, uniquely interacting with one another in ways that highlight
their ability to work together.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“If they’ve gone out in the field and they’ve found a new
place to gather their honey, they come back and on the front of the hive they
make a little dance,” Randolph says. “That little dance tells everybody where
to go.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although she grew up in a residential area in Newport News,
Va., Randolph always had an interest in animals and country life and thought
that she should have been born in an earlier, more agrarian, time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Randolph moved to Erwin, Tenn., where she lived until 1981
before moving to Dry Creek, where she had about 15 acres of land. Missing the
convenience of a town, Randolph moved to Jonesborough, where she now lives in a
historic house on Main Street. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I’ve enjoyed this area better,” she says. “I like it a lot
more. It’s gorgeous. I like the climate and the weather. A couple of weeks ago
my daughter got married and that was in Williamsburg. I went back and there was
so much humidity. I said, ‘I can’t live here. I can’t get my hair to do right.’
It’s just everywhere. It was just so hot compared to here. I like the
mountains.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One day, <st1:city w:st="on">Randolph</st1:city>
“just got interested in bees.” Her interest came to full bloom when she met
someone who mentored her and helped her to get started. She has kept bees ever
since. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to selling honey, <st1:city w:st="on">Randolph</st1:city> has a garden in which she grows
cucumbers, corn, beets, green beans, onions, tomatoes and cantaloupe. She also
keeps about 15 free-range chickens and sells their eggs. The chickens wander
around her yard and garden, and finding their nests and eggs is like Easter all
year-round. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I’m always searching for [the nests],” she says, “trying to
find them. My mother found a nest under her porch a couple of days ago. We’d
been looking everywhere for it. I would have never thought to look there. One
of my friends was over, and she has two young boys. They were keeping the
chickens while we were out of town. They were doing Easter egg hunts looking
for the eggs. It was so much fun for them. They look everywhere every time they
come over.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When Randolph has free-range eggs and honey, she places a
little sign outside her house, but honey comes in just once a year, and after
her stock has sold out, she is out until the following year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She keeps her hives in a field behind her house. “You’ll
probably see me out there in my bee suit if you ever ride by,” says Randolph.
“I have a lot of people comment on it, ‘I saw you out there the other day.’ I
just rob the hives. Actually, we did this yesterday. We’ve done pretty well.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like all beekeepers, Randolph occasionally has to deal with
swarms of bees. When the bees swarm in an area, like a tree branch, Randolph
will place either a box or a bucket under the swarm and shake the branch so
that the bees fall into the container. If the queen bee falls into the
container, then all of the other bees will follow and stay with her. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to capturing the swarms near her own hives,
Randolph has also caught swarms in more public places. “Joel Conger that has
Mauk’s over here, he had a swarm last year up in the tree in front of his
store,” she says. “He called me and asked me to come and down and get it. We
went after it after hours. It was quite interesting for everybody around. Some
people sat across the street on the benches and stuff and watched.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While she only harvests the honey once a year, Randolph
cares for the bees year-round, feeding them sugar water, ensuring that the
hives don’t have moisture in them so that the bees won’t get diseases and
making sure that the hives are closed up during the winter time so the bees
won’t get cold. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“This is about what I do most of the time, just mess with my
bees and my chickens,” she says. “Actually, the bees do it full time. I just go
in and rob them, and make sure that they’re fed and they’re healthy.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Find <st1:city w:st="on">Randolph</st1:city>
and her honey, eggs and produce on Saturdays at the Jonesborough Farmers
Market, or <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">stop by <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">703 W. Main Street</st1:address></st1:street>
when the sign is out.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Recipe from Southern Living magazine: </span><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Zesty
honey-lemon dressing</span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Serve this</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/salad-dressing-recipes/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">salad dressing</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">over fresh garden greens or drizzle
over steamed green beans, asparagus, or broccoli.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Makes about ¾ cup (serving size 1
Tbsp.)</span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 5.8pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>chopped fresh
parsley</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>honey</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>lemon zest</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4 tablespoons<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>fresh lemon
juice</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">Dijon</st1:city> mustard</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>garlic clove, pressed</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>salt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>pepper</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/3 cup<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>olive oil<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Preparation:</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Whisk together chopped fresh parsley and next
7 ingredients in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking
constantly until smooth. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in
refrigerator up to 5 days. If chilled, let stand at room temperature 15
minutes. Whisk before serving.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-85415634823400236012013-08-16T11:26:00.002-04:002013-08-16T11:26:27.035-04:00Jack Woodworth: Ziegenwald Dairy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hzBTaIJXcmM/Ug5EgVqol2I/AAAAAAAAOs0/kss3D9blPwE/s1600/100_8128+(Small).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hzBTaIJXcmM/Ug5EgVqol2I/AAAAAAAAOs0/kss3D9blPwE/s320/100_8128+(Small).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>By Kasey Jones</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jack Woodworth and his family began raising milk goats by
chance. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After moving to the area from Connecticut, Woodworth
promised his three children they would look at goats. They were seeking
cashmere goats, but when the breeder called and said that she wouldn’t be able
to show the goats that day, Woodworth found an ad in the local paper for milk
goats. The Woodworths purchased two bucks and two does, and now they have a
thriving farm of more than 100 goats, and a dairy they call “Ziegenwald.”
(Ziegen is the German word for goat, wald is German for “woods” for Woodworth).
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From this flock, Woodworth and his wife produce a large
variety of cheeses that they now sell at the Jonesborough Farmers Market. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Woodworth didn’t start out as a farmer. After serving eight
years in the military, stationed in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Germany</st1:country-region>,
Woodworth returned to the <st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place>
and considered getting a farm. , But
about a week after he got out of the service, he was offered a job in a factory
in <st1:state w:st="on">Connecticut</st1:state>
and he took it. “It looked like it was going to be pretty good, but after about
12 years, it started going downhill,” says Woodworth. “So I said, ‘Well, NOW
it’s time to look for a farm.’ ”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Woodworths looked all over <st1:place w:st="on">New
England</st1:place>, but couldn’t find anything they liked or could afford.
Then, when a friend in the Tri-Cities area mentioned to Woodworth that there
was a farm for sale nearby, Woodworth and his family came to look at it.<span style="color: #ff6600;"> </span>About a year later, they were able to move from <st1:state w:st="on">Connecticut</st1:state> to their new
farm, Opossum’s Bottom Farm. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When Woodworth bought his first milk goats in 1994, he and
his family were really just trying to avoid the chemicals that were added to
milk. They began by making cheese for themselves, but in 2001, they decided to
get a commercial dairy license. Woodworth and his family did most of the work
themselves, and in May 2008, nearly seven years later, they had built the dairy
and acquired all of the necessary equipment to get their Grade A dairy license.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We called Karen here at the market,” says Woodworth, “and
she said, ‘Come on down,’ so we came down with our little card table. We didn’t
have a tent or anything. This was the very first year when the market was out
behind the library. We did well and we’ve grown from there.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Woodworth also sells at a farmers market in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Norton</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Va.</st1:state></st1:place>
He appreciates both the Jonesborough Farmers Market and the market in Norton,
he says, because they are producer-only markets. While he has been invited to
other markets, he prefers these markets and serves on the boards of both, and
also represents both markets at the Farmers Market Association. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I like producer-only markets,” he says. “I think the whole
idea of the farmers market is for farmers, not for people who are going out and
buying stuff and then reselling it. I make sure that people know that we’re a
producer-only market and that’s what a market should be.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Woodworth works full-time on his farm, which has expanded
beyond goats to include chickens, pigs, cows, horses, rabbits and all kinds of
poultry. He also has a garden and grows seed for a seed company, including
beans, tomatoes, peppers and other annual vegetables. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Family member preferences catalyzed farm expansions. “My
wife always wanted a horse, so we got two of them,” says Woodworth. “Those are
pretty much hers, although I feed them. She used to ride fairly frequently. She
doesn’t ride much anymore. The chickens and stuff, we wanted them around for
eggs and for meat. We raise rabbits for meat and for pets. Usually I raise a
couple of pigs every year on the whey (the leftovers from the cheese). I’ll
sell one pig and butcher one pig. The sheep were something that I wanted, so we
just have them around. They’re wool breeds, so we can sheer them and use the
wool, but we don’t really use the wool for anything. Usually I’ll put a couple
of them in the freezer every year so that we have some lamb. Every now and then
we’ll raise a cow for some meat, or a bull – whatever we can get cheap.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While Woodworth’s wife works as a nurse, she also helps with
the milking and the cheese making. Carpal tunnel problems from hand-milking led
the Woodworths to get a portable milker. When they became a Grade A dairy, they
upgraded to an in-line system that allows them to milk six goats at a
time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Woodworth’s wife begins the milking around 6 a.m. before she
leaves for work, then, Woodworth finishes the milking, feeds, waters and takes
care of other farm tasks.<span style="color: #ff6600;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All of the farm work combined with the cheese making is
quite a process, Woodworth says. In addition to milking the goats and taking
care of all of the animals, Woodworth has to pasteurize the goat’s milk, clean
all of the equipment used for the milking and pasteurizing and then make the
cheese. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We keep inventory sheets everywhere,” Woodworth says. “I do
two markets each week … My son is doing the <st1:city w:st="on">Bristol</st1:city> market, so we have to keep track of
what we have in the freezer so that we don’t run out, but occasionally we do.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Woodworth and his wife make an assortment of cheeses – plain,
dill, garlic and dill, garlic and basil, basil without garlic, garlic with
black pepper, chives, raspberry, strawberry, peach, apricot, mulberry, and
occasionally honey/nut, mozzarella, feta, Colby and camembert – that keep them
constantly busy. Woodworth is working on cheddar and Parmesan, as well, seeking
just the right recipes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After several careers, Woodworth is happy doing what he
loves. He has always liked animals and even attended a vocational high school,
he says, where he was able to work with animals. “I was in the FFA and all that
stuff,” he says, “but never really intended to go into farming. It just kind of
happened. It was one of those things, things just worked out.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Recipe: Goat Cheese
Omelet<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">According to Woodworth, the simplest way to see if you like
goat cheese or not is to try it in an omelet. Woodworth recommends trying the
herbed cheeses (rather than the sweet cheeses). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Put butter in a pan, let the butter melt and then coat the
sides of the pan with the butter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Beat 2-3 eggs and pour into the pan. Add goat cheese and any other toppings that
you enjoy. Let it cook for awhile until it gets firm on the bottom then fold it
over and just let it heat until it’s nice and soft and brown. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-70654484112878549632013-08-08T17:36:00.000-04:002013-08-08T17:36:00.362-04:00Rodney Webb: Salamander Springs Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-doV9rZtVjNA/UgQOxqB3WdI/AAAAAAAAOsI/JVZKeBn4dZU/s1600/Webb+at+market+horizontal+(Small).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-doV9rZtVjNA/UgQOxqB3WdI/AAAAAAAAOsI/JVZKeBn4dZU/s320/Webb+at+market+horizontal+(Small).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>By Kasey Jones</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While most farmers spend a lot
of time in the sun cultivating their crops that thrive on light, Rodney Webb,
who owns and operates Salamander Springs Farm in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">North <st1:city w:st="on">Carolina</st1:city></st1:place></st1:state>,
nurtures his main crop in the damp dimness. With a careful photographer’s eye,
Webb nurtures his specialty, shiitake mushrooms, then shares the healthful
fungi with Jonesborough Farmers Market customers and grocery stores and
restaurants in the Asheville area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although his father was in the
Army, and his family moved a lot, Webb settled in the <st1:place w:st="on">East
Tennessee</st1:place> area at age 17. He recalls that his family always seemed
to have a garden wherever they lived, and despite a higher education in
photography from East Tennessee State University, he went into environmental
work and activism as vocation and avocation. “I went [to ETSU] for a while and
almost graduated,” says Webb. “I got involved with a lot of environmental stuff
and got caught up in activism. I was majoring in photography and just decided that
I wasn’t going to be a professional photographer.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Webb’s environmental involvement
included forest protection work and direct action, which he says included,
“Hanging banners on stuff and [even] getting arrested.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Webb had always wanted to be a
farmer, and his activism was a catalyst for becoming one. “I guess in some ways I was led to [farming] because I
feel like being an activist is not very sustainable,” says Webb. “You know,
going around telling people, ‘Well, you need to live better. Eat local,’ and
that sort of thing. But when you’re driving around telling people how to live,
at some point it gets kind of hypocritical. I felt like, ‘I better practice
what I preach a little more.’ I feel like this is one of the more
environmentally friendly occupations that you can have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Webb’s first experience with
shiitake mushrooms was in 1997, when his wife, Heather, was diagnosed with
stage three Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After his wife’s diagnosis, Webb and his wife
went to see some alternative health practitioners, who recommended that they
try using shiitake mushrooms, because of the mushrooms’ anti-tumor and
anti-cancer properties. Webb began buying the mushrooms for his wife, but
before long, he decided to grow them himself. “I had to buy them at first and I
saw how much they cost and they were all coming from Japan,” says Webb, “and it
was like, ‘That’s not very local.’ So I started growing my own.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few years after Webb’s wife
was diagnosed, <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:place></st1:state>
began using tobacco settlement money to create a program that gave free
shiitake spawn, or mycelium, to replace tobacco with another crop. Webb, who
now lives in Madison County, N.C., became involved with the program and has
been growing shiitake mushrooms since.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Webb’s wife is now cancer-free
and Webb believes that the mushrooms helped to improve her health. “The doctors
told her that if she remained cancer free for three years, she would have as
good a chance as anyone else of not getting cancer,” he says. “She hit the
three-year mark over 10 years ago. I think the mushrooms helped, along with
other recommendations, including seaweed in her diet, eating seasonal
vegetables, whole grains, eliminating sugar, high fructose corn syrup,
etc. – essentially eliminating processed foods from
our diet and replacing those with healthy whole foods, and making some
lifestyle changes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“She only went through three of
the six recommended chemo sessions because she was cancer-free after three
months of treatment. I've since learned that there are many benefits to making
mushrooms a regular part of your diet. More studies are continually pointing to
how good mushrooms are for you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cultivating shiitakes entails a
complicated process and Webb has tried different methods of cultivation over
the years. “For years I didn’t do all of the fore-soaking,” says Webb. “I just
relied on the natural, what they call ‘flushes,’ when the mushrooms come out.
After a big rainstorm, I would go pick a bunch. I’d usually end up with about
80 pounds at a time and have hard time [harvesting] them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now Webb grows the mushrooms on
hardwood logs that are inoculated with the mycelium, the foundational mass of
branching fibers, of the mushrooms. After cutting fresh logs and inoculating
them with the mycelium of the mushrooms, Webb has to wait about a year for the
logs to be ready to begin producing mushrooms. From there, the process goes a
little bit more quickly, he says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Then I have to soak logs to
have regular production,” Webb says. “I have to soak them in big tanks of
spring water and pull them out, stack them and then it usually takes them about
a week to 10 days for them to produce through the soaking method. I harvest
them, refrigerate them and bring them [to the Jonesborough Farmers Market].”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Webb keeps the logs in what he
calls “the mushroom yard” or “the shiitake yard.” Because shade is essential to
the mushroom cultivation process, Webb situated the yard at the edge of a deep
forest located at the bottom of a north-facing slope. Each log typically lasts three
to five years, and each log is soaked one to three times each season, a process
that Webb does outside or under a tarp until he can construct a more suitable
workspace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although the mushrooms are
seasonal, Webb has a few tricks that he uses to extend the standard May-October
season. If grown in the proper environment, shiitakes can be grown indoors
year-round and cultivated under different conditions – some in cold weather,
others in warm. Drying the mushrooms, Webb says, is a good way to ensure that
they are available throughout the year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, when Webb grows the
mushrooms outside, he has to operate quickly. “When it's time to harvest, it's
time to harvest,” he says. “Mushrooms are
fairly unforgiving. When the weather is warm, that’s about their window of
opportunity for harvest.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While he spends a lot of his
time working with the mushrooms, Webb is also still an activist and
educator. He has conducted workshops at the Organic
Growers School between February and April. He is also on the board of Madison
Farms, which is a program through which shiitake growers in Madison County or
that area can sell through Madison Farms, rather than having to go directly to
restaurants or drive to Asheville. Madison Farms sells shiitakes wholesale to
Asheville, and as a result, Madison County is the largest shiitake producer in
the state of North Carolina. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to the shiitake
mushrooms, Webb also grows seasonal vegetables. He and his family both eat and
sell the greens, and Webb grows variety of different crops that include garlic,
kale, chard, collards, peas, beans, okra, winter squash, fresh basil and,
occasionally, tomatoes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I’m a fan of diversity,” he
says. “If one crop fails, you have insect problems with something, you’ve got a
greater diversity. Something is going to pull through, usually. We try to grow
as many different things as we can keep track of.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Regardless of what he is
growing, Webb is doing what he loves. “I always wanted to be a farmer,” he
says, “so that’s when I decided that being a farmer is one of the most sustainable
jobs you could probably have. I feel like I’m helping people out and it’s a job
that I can live with.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Recipe: Rodney’s recommendations for cooking Shiitake
mushrooms</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I like to stay with
using traditional Asian ingredients when cooking shiitakes. I think it brings
out their best flavor, although they can usually replace button or wild
mushrooms wherever they are called for in a recipe. This is a marinade that
I've refined over the years. Amounts are estimated. Adjust to suit one's own
tastes and available ingredients.<br />
<br />
Marinade for ~1/2 lb fresh shiitakes:<br />
- 1-2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil<br />
- 1 thumb size piece fresh ginger root, grated and squeezed for juice<br />
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced or even better crushed in garlic press<br />
- 1 or 2+ Tbsp tamari (soy sauce)<br />
- dilute w/ a little water and/or dash of beer<br />
- stir all ingredients w/ a fork dipped in honey<br />
<br />
Remove stems from shiitake caps. Reserve stems for stock, fresh or dried.<br />
Marinate caps for 1/2 hour to 1 day. Preferably at least 2 hours. This can be
done in a plastic ziploc sandwich bag or glass bowl. If marinating for a longer
time place in fridge, if less than overnight marinade at room temperature.<br />
Cook on the grill to a golden brown or spear on kabobs with vegetables. Can
also be cooked in a skillet with a little oil or butter if your cookout gets
rained out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another way I like to
use the same ingredients is to use sliced shiitakes instead of whole and make a
gravy. Marinade as above and cook mushrooms in an oiled skillet at high heat.
An onion sliced in half moon slices is a nice addition. Add the remaining
marinade liquid with a little water into the skillet bringing to a rapid boil
in the pan and thicken w/ a couple of Tbsp cornstarch diluted in water. Stir
with whisk or fork while pouring in and reduce heat to simmer. Traditional
Japanese method for a sauce or gravy like this would replace corn starch with
kuzu, starch made from the root of the kudzu plant. Serve gravy over fried
polenta, grits or rice.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-48891733719406972012013-07-31T16:54:00.001-04:002013-07-31T16:54:51.084-04:00Carol Rouse & Donna Organ: Carol’s Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MKXYENn_d7o/Ufl5fGzL3RI/AAAAAAAAOrw/3M-jONnvc0s/s1600/Carol+Rouse+&+Donna+Organ,+Carol's+Cakes,+horizontal+(Small).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MKXYENn_d7o/Ufl5fGzL3RI/AAAAAAAAOrw/3M-jONnvc0s/s320/Carol+Rouse+&+Donna+Organ,+Carol's+Cakes,+horizontal+(Small).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By Kasey Jones</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When Carol Rouse was a little girl, her mother would buy the
ingredients to make margarine and allow Carol and her twin sister, Donna, to
mix the ingredients. Rouse traces her love for doing things in the kitchen to
those younger days. She quickly progressed from mixing coloring with white
lard, to make it look like butter, to baking cakes and other sweets. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Carol and Donna were born in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Danville</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Ill.</st1:state></st1:place>
When they were 8 or 9, they moved with their parents to <st1:city w:st="on">Fort
Lauderdale</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Fla.</st1:state>, where they grew
up and later attended <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fort
Lauderdale</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">High School</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
After graduating from high school, they moved to <st1:city w:st="on">Nashville</st1:city>
where they went to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Trevecca</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Throughout the years, Carol and
Donna have remained close in contact, if not proximity. “When we lived apart,
anytime a certain amount of time went by, if we hadn’t heard from each other,
we were trying to get hold of each other,” says Rouse. “We would try to keep in
touch. Donna felt the same way. You just get busy with your jobs and your
husbands, and you kind of forget to call, but we never did. We always kept in
touch. Our older sister is more on her own, you know, because she’s older. But
there’s just a connection when there’s a twin.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When Donna moved to <st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state>,
Carol followed, moving to <st1:city w:st="on">Asheville</st1:city>.
Rouse later moved to Jonesborough, where she and her husband had found a house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“When we moved here,” says Rouse, “we told Donna about it
and she said that she wanted to come back up where the mountains are, because
she was down in <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>
taking care of our mother, who wasn’t doing well and needed help. She’s since
passed away. Donna wanted to come back to where the mountains were, so we said,
‘Come on up. We’ve got a place for you.’ ”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rouse fell in love with Jonesborough and the Jonesborough
Farmers Market. “We love historic Jonesborough,” she says. “It’s just beautiful
and it’s quaint. We love the street that the market is on. There’s no other
market that is on a street like this — not close around here. I know <st1:city w:st="on">Johnson City</st1:city> isn’t like
this.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Jonesborough Farmers Market, however, is not Rouse’s
first experience working in a market. “I got started doing Farmers Markets and
craft shows about 20 years ago in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Fort
Lauderdale</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Fla.</st1:state></st1:place>,” she
says. “My sister and I – our older sister – did markets and crafts shows, so
Donna and I went in to help her. We also made cakes and things like that to
sell along with her. We got started here because of our experience and being
involved down in <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>.”
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although Rouse has been baking under the name Carol’s Cakes
for about three years, she has been running a baking business for nearly 20
years. Carol and Donna do the baking in Carol’s kitchen. While they enjoy
baking together, their baking is very much a business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rouse’s primary product is cake, which she loves. Many of
the cakes that Rouse makes and sells come from her family’s recipes. “I love
cake. There are so many good cakes out there,” says Rouse. “We had a lot of
them in our family recipes that we’ve sold over the years. And I thought, ‘This
is a good thing and I like that. I like Carol’s Cakes.’ ”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to the cakes, Rouse and her twin also sell
cookies, cinnamon rolls (which their mother used to make for them with leftover
pie dough), old-fashioned whoopee pies and muffins. While they make and sell
the more traditional cookies, such as peanut butter, chocolate chip and oatmeal
raisin, they also offer the more unusual breakfast cookies, made with bacon,
cornflakes and raisins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We just started using the bacon in the breakfast cookies,
since that’s kind of the craze right now,” says Rouse. “This is something that
I got myself. [My mother] didn’t make these, but I found the recipe for that in
the newspaper, no less, and I thought, ‘Hm, this looks good, so I think I’ll
try it.’ Everybody loves it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rouse not only sells muffins at the farmers market, she also
sells muffins to the General Store in downtown Jonesborough. They buy a
different variety of muffins each week,” says Rouse. “They order them pretty
regularly every week. We sell chocolate chip muffins, pumpkin muffins,
blueberry muffins, strawberry muffins and banana nut muffins. That’s just about
the extent of it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She is working on creating a website through which she hopes
to expand her business. Additionally, she sells her products through the
Jonesborough Farmers Market’s online store during the market’s off-season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Carol’s Cakes also offers gluten-free products in addition
to wheat-based products. In their gluten-free products, the bakers use flour
made from garbanzo beans, potato starch, tapioca, white sorghum and fava beans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“There’s been a call for
[gluten-free] more and more,” says Rouse. “I’m probably going to branch out and
do some gluten-free muffins. I have the gluten-free red velvet cake, and I’m
probably going to make another cake with the gluten-free flour.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Regardless of what she is baking, Rouse maintains a high
quality for each of her baked goods. “We wouldn’t sell it if we didn’t like it
or we didn’t think that it tasted good,” she says. “That’s our mindset on it.” </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-51974207236136164842013-07-26T07:33:00.001-04:002013-07-26T07:33:44.068-04:00Robert Senn: Uncle Rob's Garden Fresh Produce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-whrhcVhDykw/UfJdlG5JiFI/AAAAAAAAOrg/mhdsB4fId2I/s1600/DSC_6924+(Small).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-whrhcVhDykw/UfJdlG5JiFI/AAAAAAAAOrg/mhdsB4fId2I/s320/DSC_6924+(Small).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"><b>By Lise Cutshaw</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">At 15,
Rob Senn’s first paying job was at a farm-fresh produce market in his hometown
of </span><st1:city style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Memphis</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">. He
pushed 40 bushels of peas through a shelling machine daily. Since then his
swarthy, sinewy hands have handled auto parts or lawn equipment during the day
and scratched in the soil evenings and weekends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Dad had a little rose garden,” recalls Rob, now in his
50s. “He grew roses and gladiolas for the church altar. I had a little spot on
the side of the house and my first girlfriend, I planted her name in tulips. It
was Toni, easy. So when they came up, she said, “Ahhhh.’ ”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“It was fun. I just like to grow things. Why? I’m a
Taurus. It’s relaxing. Instead of going swimming or playing tennis, I like to
get my hands in the dirt.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Now that
Senn has retired from almost 40 years of selling auto parts, moved to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Johnson City</st1:place></st1:city> and “It’s
just me and my puppies,” he devotes about 40 hours a week to his gardens. He
has a yard full of them and for the past several years has shared his wealth of
produce, flowering plants and gardening knowledge with lovers of farm-fresh
produce at the Jonesborough Farmers Market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">In the
mornings and afternoons, Senn works with his brother, Max, in a lawn service.
In the evenings, he “piddles.” “</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The first good day, you put peas
in the ground as soon as you can work the ground,” he says, smiling at the
thought of breaking out of the house after a winter. “That’s February. They
might not come up until March but they’re in the ground doing their thing. It’s
50 degrees, I can go out there and piddle. My brother says, ‘What is piddling?’
‘You can’t do a lot, so you take care of this and that, you scratch around here
and clean up there.’ ‘Oh, he says, you’re just messing around in the yard.’
That would be my favorite saying, ‘I’m piddling in the yard.’ ”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Senn’s
piddling – as daschunds Maggie, Marlow and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Griffin</st1:place></st1:city> watch – is mighty productive. Though
the yard surrounding his house on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Odell
Circle</st1:address></st1:street> is modest – less than an acre – it is rich
in multi-use beds, filled with flowers, vegetables and unusual found items and
rocks. Pots of pansies, colorful flags and tiny toy trucks overflowing with
succulents adorn his porch, which is rimed with a bed of burgeoning gladiolas.
He’ll cut those, as well as his sunflowers, peonies and roses, to sell at his Uncle
Rob’s Garden Fresh Produce table starting May 4 in Jonesborough’s <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Courthouse Square</st1:address></st1:street>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">In the
last couple years, Uncle Rob’s piddling has spread. He now has beds in both
next-door neighbors’ yards, one of his lawn service customer’s yard and at the <st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Carver</st1:place> <st1:placename w:st="on">Community</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Garden</st1:placetype></st1:placename>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Not only are Senn’s sentiments about gardening intense, so
are his gardening techniques. “The first year, I didn’t have all the other
gardens,” he says. “I just had my yard. People ask, ‘How do you get all this
stuff out of this little space?’ It’s called intense gardening like they do in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Say they
plant beets, carrots and radishes together because they know the radishes are
going to get through first and the beets and carrots come in together. When you
pull a carrot, you are leaving room for the beet to get bigger.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Senn
packs a lot into his small spaces, wherever they are, “companion planting” when
he can – heirloom tomatoes, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">torpedo onions, long red onions, garlic, fennel,
rhubarb, strawberries, beets, snow and sugar snap peas, blue and pink potatoes,
leeks, red okra, spinach, Swiss chard, arugula cabbage, Brussels sprouts,
cauliflower, kale, peppers, purple potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Jerusalem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
artichokes? “Around here they might call it a sun-choke,” says Senn, a Food
Network fan, who has been cooking since he was 5. “It has a tuber like a
potato. You can cook it like a potato, cream it like a potato. You can slice it
thin like a radish and eat it raw. You can roast it in the oven.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Senn
loves bringing the unusual to the table, rather than the everyday that can be
had in a grocery store. He shows off the stems of his orange and pink Swiss
chard, purple passion asparagus and Egyptian walking onions with “bulbs” on
their tips. His tomatoes are only heirlooms, raised in his “hoop house” in the
bit of a back yard. “</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When I get the seed catalogs, it’s like the
Christmas toy catalog is for the kids,” he says. “What’s new this year?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Barrels
of rainwater and barrows of leaves sit about, ready to mulch and water. Senn’s
gardening is purely natural. “</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I grow organic,” he says. “If it has pests, I
usually pick the bugs off or I have some pyrethrin, neme [oil] or spinosa. It’s
all organic. No Seven Dust, no Roundup for weeds. You’ll see me out digging up
dandelions.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And you won’t see any overripe vegetables on Uncle Rob’s
table. “If it’s not perfect, I won’t sell. I won’t even take it. It says in the
[market] bylaws, if it’s not top-grade, you can mark it down. I won’t even take
it to the market. I would rather just put it in my freezer.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But nothing goes to waste – if Senn can help it. If
overripe veggies can’t freeze, they are composted and their seedlings likely
show up the next year in his composted beds. In Senn’s fertile brain, a black
metal futon frame found on the side of the road provides a framework for vining
peas; a discarded wheelbarrow is lush with glads, lavender, chives, perennial
geraniums and creeping Jenny; and an old yellow toy truck becomes a planter for
a load of succulents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Down to the alpaca “poo” he hauls in to fertilize his beds,
“reuse, recycle, repurpose,” is Senn’s mantra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
“green” gardener loves to share his wealth of ideas, as well as produce and
flowers. His Uncle Rob’s Garden Fresh Produce Facebook page is filled with tips
for gardening – how to build raised beds, good seed companies to use, how to
build a compost pile – as well as images of the fruits of his labors. And, if
you ask, he’ll have a ready recipe for preparing the produce.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-39160644570197287872013-07-19T16:03:00.000-04:002013-07-19T10:44:05.233-04:00Aubrey & Linda Raper: Rogue Harbor Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4bpw8W_IVeA/UdxhEqMSoRI/AAAAAAAAOV4/ymPYY_idWPo/s1600/Linda+&+Aubrey+Raper+47kb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4bpw8W_IVeA/UdxhEqMSoRI/AAAAAAAAOV4/ymPYY_idWPo/s320/Linda+&+Aubrey+Raper+47kb.JPG" width="194" /></a></div>
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By April Richardson</b><br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tucked in the mountains of Madison County, N.C., is Rogue
Harbor Farm, home to Linda and Aubrey Raper. Now in its 35<sup>th</sup> season,
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Rogue</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:place> yields crops from early spring to
the cold days of winter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We sell a mix of vegetables,” said Linda. “We start out
with watercress in March, usually. We move through the kales, collards and baby
bok choy in the cool season, then bunching onions, lettuces, cucumbers, yellow
squash, beans, tomatoes and peppers.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Watercress comes back in early August and lasts until
mid-October, along with fall greens and lettuces.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once the warm weather has passed, the farm offers a
different kind of crop. “We finish up with Christmas wreaths in December,
because we raise a small number of Fraser firs,” said Linda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Rogue</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:place> Farm came into
existence as a way for Linda and Aubrey Raper to ensure only the best food
would make it to the family table. “We were living over on the coast of <st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state>,” Linda
said. “Aubrey was teaching at a community college, and we had two little girls
who were ages 2 and 3. We realized at the time, in the mid-’70s, that the food
system was not trustworthy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We wanted to grow healthy food for our two girls and for
us. We rented a farmhouse, had our first vegetable garden in two rows of our
landlord’s garden and we were hooked.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Rapers set out to find a place where they could raise
their food and their family. “We had already bought a horse, a goat and
chickens, and we needed a farm to put them on, which is absolutely not the way
you’re supposed to do these things,” Linda said. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Their search took them to the mountains of Madison County.
“We came up to the mountains one weekend and ended up staying,” she said. “We
found a little farm and just sort of jumped right in.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Though the Raper family was new to the area and its crops,
they managed the work well. Kind neighbors offered guidance and assistance
while the Rapers learned the rhythm of mountain farm life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Our wonderful neighbors really took us under their wing,”
said Linda. “We shared work with them, and it was a great way to learn. Our
three children were always involved in the day-to-day running of the farm,
assisting in everything we did.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The family chose the name Rogue Harbor Farm after a ridge
to the west of the farm. Aubrey and Linda could judge the time of day by the
sun's progress over the ridge. “We’re a mountain farm in a ‘holler,’ surrounded
by timbered ridges and abundant springs,” Linda said. “We’re blessed with the
wonder and challenges of living and farming in a national forest [Pisgah]. It
was through our early relationship with Madison County Extension, the Forest
Service and Soil and Water Conservation Service that we were able to develop a
farm management system that protected the natural resources of the farm.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Over the years, the Rapers experimented with different
crops and practices. They grew tobacco for many years, conventionally and then
organically. Initially, they raised milk goats, milk cows, wool sheep, pigs and
chickens, produced their own meat, farmed with a work horse and raised a big
garden. “In our more marginal land, we
planted Fraser fir Christmas trees,” said Linda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They came to realize that the best way to use their land
would be to grow organic vegetables and Fraser firs. “With our two girls off to
college and our son approaching high school, we couldn’t keep raising animals
and vegetables, too.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They received their USDA Organic certification in 1997,
after three years of transition.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Originally, the Rapers established themselves in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Asheville</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">N.C.</st1:state></st1:place>,
area as wholesale suppliers of quality produce, selling to a variety of
restaurants and grocery stores. While they still sell small quantities in the
Asheville area, they joined the Jonesborough Farmers Market in 2011. “We were
looking for a direct-sale market, and a fellow vendor told us about the
Jonesborough market. He sent us the link to the Farm to Table dinner photos,
and the website was so inviting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We're thrilled to be selling in Jonesborough. It's such a
good market to be a part of,” said Linda.
“And we get the bonus of being able to do much of our grocery shopping
from our fellow vendors.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Visitors to the Jonesborough Farmer's Market this week can
meet Linda and Aubrey in their booth near <st1:street w:st="on">Main Street</st1:street>. In <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Rogue</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:place>’s
harvest this week will be organically-grown <span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Romaine lettuce, pickling
cukes, yellow and patty pan squash, blueberries, cabbage, kale, collards, and bunching
onions</span>. Additional information about Rogue Harbor Farm can also be found
online at <a href="http://www.rogueharborfarm.com/">http://www.rogueharborfarm.com</a>.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Recipe:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<b><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Marinated Kale Salad<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<b><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By Linda Raper <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is a favorite dish at
Rogue Harbor Farm where we grow a lot of kale!
It's a delicious addition to any meal, or just by itself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">De-stem kale, ( any
variety). --6 or 7 leaves<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Chop the leaves as you
would for cabbage in cole slaw--not shredded, but chopped somewhat fine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Add some chopped green
onions, garlic if you like, shredded carrot and/or radishes (optional). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Toss together.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pour over 1/4 cup olive oil
mixed with 1/4 cup your vinegar of choice--you may need to add little more
or a little less, depending on how much kale you chop up.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Add salt and pepper to
taste. Mix all together, cover and let sit at room temperature for
several hours - really! Re-mix occasionally during the marinating
process. The longer you leave it, the more succulent your salad will
be--if you have left-overs, refrigerate, and take out to warm up to room
temperature before serving.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-37452422637643780472013-07-11T09:47:00.000-04:002013-07-11T09:47:14.693-04:00Mike & Karen Heiney: Kany Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4m3rvv5H7Y/Udxgdk2k4yI/AAAAAAAAOVw/Nm8wlRdQvVg/s1600/Karen+&+Mike+Heiney+(chicken+tractors+in+background).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4m3rvv5H7Y/Udxgdk2k4yI/AAAAAAAAOVw/Nm8wlRdQvVg/s320/Karen+&+Mike+Heiney+(chicken+tractors+in+background).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>By Kasey Jones</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For Mike and Karen Heiney, it was all about flavor. They
remembered chicken and eggs having a lot of flavor when they were younger, but
as they grew older, the chicken that they purchased from the store, “just
didn’t taste good anymore.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kany Farm, (“Kany” was Karen’s childhood nickname) grew out
of those embryonic efforts and memories. When the husband and wife bought their
farm in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Greene</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place> and began to raise their own
chickens, they discovered that their poultry actually had flavor again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“When I would eat at my grandparents’ house,” says Karen
Heiney, “they would butcher their own chickens. Throughout our lives, my
husband and I have had meat from the farm, so we knew what it tasted like and
we just couldn’t figure out what happened. [Our chickens] really have a lot of
flavor. When you open up our chickens, there aren’t big globs of fat, so you’re
not paying for water or extra broth or salt.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Heiney grew up in <st1:state w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:state>
where she worked in her father’s factory. She met her husband Mike, who works
as a maintenance electrician, in <st1:state w:st="on">Colorado</st1:state>.
When they purchased property in Bulls Gap, it was just that, property, says
Heiney. There was no farm. Since then, though, the couple has built up their
land and expanded their livestock. Heiney works with the chickens full time,
and Mike, who helps with the chickens as a side job, plans to work with them
full time eventually. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Not only are Heiney’s chickens more flavorful, they are also
chemical-free and organic. “They’re not full of antibiotics or preservatives or
chemicals,” says Heiney. “We feed them whatever they get out of the pasture. We
feed them grain that we get from the local mill. They do get grain and corn as
a supplement, but it’s all locally grown from local farmers around here.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Likewise, their eggs are pasture-raised and fresh. “They’re
only a few days old,” says Heiney. “We sell at three different markets. We sell
in <st1:city w:st="on">Kingsport</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Johnson City</st1:city> and Jonesborough. People can get
them from us in Greeneville, too. They’re only a few days old, whereas at the
store you don’t know how old they are. We have a couple hundred laying hens at
home, so they’re very fresh.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to raising chickens, the Heineys also have a
garden. They have a passion for fresh food, but often the garden takes a back
seat to working with the chickens, which keep them extremely busy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Heiney keeps the chickens outside all the time. The chickens
live in a chicken tractor that she and her husband move all the time. Besides allowing
them to feed off the land and the grain she buys them, Heiney also raises black
soldier fly larvae, which she feeds the chickens in winter. The larvae, which
are like mealworms, provide the chickens with protein during the winter, since
they can’t glean much protein from the cold ground.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Unlike a lot of store-bought chickens, the breed of chicken
that Heiney raises is meant to be eaten as meat and is not from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6097064073243294350" name="_GoBack"></a>a tough laying hen, she says, or an old bird that has been
allowed to run around and become tough. “The breed of chicken that I produce is
not meant for the crockpot,” says Heiney. “It’s a very tender chicken. It’s
born and butchered in nine or 10 weeks. It’s a Cornish class bred chicken.
They’re a breed that’s meant to be meat and they’re not going to be tough.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, raising chicken comes with a price, and raising and
butchering chickens is costly. “I have to take my chickens to <st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state>
to have them processed,” she says. “There is nowhere in <st1:state w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:state>
that does small farms right now and I can’t just take them to a butcher’s shop
to have them farmed. I have to take them to a USDA poultry place, so I take
them to <st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state>. That’s why it’s so expensive
and that’s why you don’t find a lot of people who do poultry around here.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the end, though, raising chickens has been worth it.
Unlike the chicken at the store, which Heiney says, “just get worse and worse
all the time,” the Heiney’s have rediscovered fresh flavor by going back to the
farm and raising their own chickens.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Karen Heiney’s advice
for getting the most out of your chicken</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The thighs and the leg quarters are less expensive cuts of
meat that you can easily use in a number of different dishes. Picking a lot of
the meat off at once and freezing it allows you to make quick, healthy meals
when you don’t have much time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To get the most meat off of the cuts, you can either bake or
braise them. After choosing your method:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pour a little bit of water in a
closed pan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Place the chicken in the pan along with a few herbs and put
the lid on the pan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cook the chicken at a low temperature so that the pieces of
chicken become crispy (you don’t want them to be rubbery)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After the chicken has finished cooking, you will be able to
pull the meat right off of the bone (it’s nice and tender and comes right off).
You can then freeze it, put it in a vacuum pack or place it in a jar and can it
in recipe-sized containers. It’s
especially good for chicken salad, chicken tacos and chicken pizza. You get the
most out of your meat, fresh chicken flavor, and cook-ahead convenience.</span> </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-54180259045323057812013-07-03T17:15:00.001-04:002013-07-03T17:15:22.878-04:00John & Elizabeth Malayter: JEM Farm<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XGrDiSnONNY/UdSUPkFh-4I/AAAAAAAAOUs/LW-pAiax56U/s644/John+&+Elizabeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XGrDiSnONNY/UdSUPkFh-4I/AAAAAAAAOUs/LW-pAiax56U/s320/John+&+Elizabeth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Kasey Jones<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">JEM Farm stands for
the names of its owners, John and Elizabeth Malayter. Their partnership began
in <st1:city w:st="on">Atlantic City</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">NJ</st1:state>,
where John worked as a mechanic at a casino and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:place></st1:city> was a chef. Their meeting was
“predestined,” John says, “there’s no other explanation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Their transition to
establishing an organic-certified farm in rural <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Hawkins</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place>
was not as obvious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Malayter, who grew
up one of four children in a middle class family in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Jersey</st1:place></st1:state>, had no interest in gardening as
a youngster. “My parents were from that World War II era, and there wasn’t a
lot of money,” Malayter recalls with a laugh. “I remember my father always grew
a garden, although I didn’t help because I hated it. <st1:city w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:city>
grew up in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maryland</st1:place></st1:state>.
Same kind of thing. Her father was a lawyer. I don’t think they did very much
farming … Again, a typical middle class upbringing for the time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But the Malayters
changed their minds about gardening, and in 2003 established JEM Farm when they
bought a house in Rogersville. The couple hoped that the farm would “give
[them] the opportunity to work [there] as opposed to working an outside job.” But
that didn’t happen immediately. “It took us a few years to get settled and
those kind of things,” says Malayter. “We started with some goats and we
started to grow a large garden.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It was while
planning for the arrival of their first child, Emma, when the Malayters finally
committed to organic gardening. “Having Emma and getting more educated about
what the food system is doing to the populace – all the chemicals and
herbicides that are being put into our food system – we didn’t feel that was a
good way to raise a child,” says Malayter.
“When Liz became pregnant with Emma, we decided that if we were going to
grow anything, it would be good to start the organic certification process.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Between 2004 and
2005, they began to grow organically under Appalachian Sustainable
Development’s organic label. Later on, they decided to become certified on
their own. During this time, John and Elizabeth were both working jobs away
from home and running the farm, as well. “<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:place></st1:city>
always had a part time job at the Pig and Chick,” says Malayter, “which is a
local barbecue restaurant, and I had a full-time job.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Then two years ago,
they decided to work full time on the farm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“We were at that
place where the farm couldn’t get any bigger,” says Malayter. “We couldn’t
raise any more chickens or anything else. With one person on the land all the
time, you can only do so much work. So we decided to go ahead and go full
time.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It’s more than full
time, of course. The Malayters have enlisted the farm interns or “woofers”
(from a farm program called WWOOF--willing workers on organic farms). This
year’s intern, Dustan Stafford, is from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Colorado
Springs</st1:city> <st1:state w:st="on">Colorado</st1:state></st1:place>. “<span style="background: white;">Dustan is the
fourth intern or WOOFer we’ve had, and we really </span>couldn’t do all we do
without this kind of help,” John said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On JEM Farm, all
produce is certified organic and all meats are non-GMO. After finding and
having success with non-GMO feed, they decided to give all of their animals
non-GMO feed. Their animals include goats, ducks, broilers (meat chickens),
turkeys, laying hens and pigs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">They grow their
produce year-round, using hoop houses, which are greenhouses without heaters,
so in the winter and the spring they grow all their greens. During the
wintertime, they keep their plants in the hoop houses, which are heated by the
sun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The hoop house
gets up to, depending upon the sunlight, around 70 degrees in the coldest
season of the year,” says Malayter. “It goes down in the evening, but during
the day it heats right back up. The plants do wilt a little bit in the evening,
but they always come back to life when they heat up. Unless there’s a really
hard frost, and then we always have to cover them. We make special arrangements
when we know that it’s going to be cold for an extended period of time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">JEM Farms offers a
variety of meats and produce, along with herbs, edible flowers and eggs. In
addition to selling in Jonesborough, they sell twice a week at farmers markets
in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Knoxville</st1:place></st1:city>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">This week, during
Jonesborough Days, JEM organic and non-GMO fed eggs, chickens, kale, collards
and herbs will be available through the Jonesborough Farmers Market’s online
ordering system, which will open Friday July 5<sup>th</sup> at <a href="http://www.jonesborough.locallygrown.net/">www.jonesborough.locallygrown.net</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Best Fresh </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Collards<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This recipe is contributed by
Jonesborough Farmers Market Customers Clinton & Sue Smith. JEM farm has collards all summer long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">3 bunches or about
24 </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">collard leaves</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">6 Tbsp. lemon or lime
juice</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">6 Tbsp. olive oil (or 3
Tbsp. olive oil and 3 Tbsp. flax oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">1 tsp. minced garlic or
granules</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">1 jalapeno pepper,
chopped</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">3 Tbsp. Bragg's liquid
aminos</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wash collards and tear
the leaves into bite-size pieces. Mix the rest of the
ingredients together and add to collards. Allow to sit in
refrigerator, mixing in bowl to keep all the collards mixed with the
oil until well marinated. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-52032642842747204782013-06-27T09:19:00.000-04:002013-06-27T09:19:16.547-04:00Gordon McAnally<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6097064073243294350" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FlTzDqyn_WE/Ucw7dF2U0HI/AAAAAAAAOUc/DYV5ZCl4J_8/s480/1-IMG_7209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FlTzDqyn_WE/Ucw7dF2U0HI/AAAAAAAAOUc/DYV5ZCl4J_8/s320/1-IMG_7209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>By April Richardson</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">Visitors to Gordon McAnally's stand at the
Jonesborough Farmers Market often remark on how unseasonably early his tomatoes
are available. Some may even suspect that his tomatoes can't possibly be local,
but McAnally has a way to bring local tomatoes to the table weeks befor</span><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">e others
can harvest. His secret: “They're not in the field—they're in the
greenhouses.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">McAnally specializes in growing ‘Empire’
variety tomatoes, and using greenhouses enables him to plant his tomato seeds
in December and begin to harvest in May. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">McAnally Farm is in </span><st1:place style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Grainger</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">,
a locale well-known for its tomatoes, so it only made sense to McAnally to
raise them himself. “Lots of farms in </span><st1:place style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Grainger</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">
have hothouses, so I decided to give it a try,” said McAnally. “I built one and then two greenhouses, at
first, and now I've got four.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">While many farms in that area are quite
large, McAnally Farms is a smaller, family-centered operation. “While I've got my
four greenhouses, my neighbor on one hill has 20, and my other neighbor, he has
20. I'm just a little farm,” said Mc Anally.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">With both in-ground and greenhouse
produce growing, McAnally can certainly be considered a professional farmer
even though he also works at a separate full-time job in manufacturing at </span><st1:place style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Clayton</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Homes</st1:placename></st1:place><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">. “I've got a full-time job, and
other guys do [farming] for a living,” said McAnally. “I get up and go to work,
and they get up and go farm. Mine is more of a sideline, I guess. I’ve just always
</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">liked</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> farming.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">“I got started a long time ago,”
said McAnally. “When I was about 20 years old, there was a friend of mine who I
would help. I'd grow some tomatoes with him, and then I'd sell mine with his. I
just liked doing it.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">After the greenhouse tomatoes are finished,
McAnally’s field produce will be coming in.
“I've got tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and squash. I have corn that's tassling,
and I'll have okra later on in the season,” said McAnally.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">“A lot of people have gardens, so my demand
goes down once the greenhouse tomatoes are gone,” said McAnally. “But, farming
is about like anything. You can have a good or a bad year. With the season
we've had, a lot of people may not have bothered with a garden.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">McAnally takes pride in offering the
Jonesborough area some of the freshest produce around, often picked just hours
before arriving to the table at the farm's market stand. “I try to pick the
squash and broccoli Friday night,” said McAnally. “It's just picked—it's fresh
when it's there. You want to sell good produce. That way you keep people coming
back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 35.45pt;">While still days and miles fresher
than many supermarket foods, McAnally’s produce does travel a bit to get to the
Jonesborough Farmers Market. “It's about 76 miles from my driveway up to
Jonesborough,” said McAnally. Every
week, Gordon makes the long trip to the courthouse square to sell his tomatoes
and other produce from the tailgate of his truck, because Jonesborough Farmer’s
Market provides a welcoming atmosphere for vendors and consumers alike. “I just
wanted a place to sell, and it's been nice. A lot of people I get to know and
recognize,” said McAnally. “There's a lot of good people who come to the
market.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: middle;">
<span style="color: #171717; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Empire Tomato
Salad</span><span style="font-size: 23pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<div align="center" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While the rest of the meal is on the grill, toss together this
cool steakhouse salad.</span><br />
<span style="color: #171717; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; text-transform: uppercase;">SOURCE: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Martha
Stewart Everyday Food</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 T red wine
vinegar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 T olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 tsp capers,
rinsed and coarsely chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 shallot, minced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 ripe Emire or
other greenhouse tomatoes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Coarse salt and
ground pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In
small bowl, whisk together vinegar and olive oil. Stir in shallot and capers<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Core
tomatoes. Cut each into 8 wedges and place in a serving bowl.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Drizzle
tomatoes with dressing and season with salt and pepper.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Serve
immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-48931970856083231882013-06-20T22:46:00.001-04:002013-06-21T07:49:46.068-04:00Emily Peters & Patrick Linkous: Stoney Slope Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-laQFyGmxcvg/UcO9wIrbvYI/AAAAAAAAOT8/3lFrDatgtDw/s1600/Emily+and+Patrick+horizontal+right.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-laQFyGmxcvg/UcO9wIrbvYI/AAAAAAAAOT8/3lFrDatgtDw/s320/Emily+and+Patrick+horizontal+right.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">By Kasey Jones</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">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?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“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.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Linkous, who is originally from the <st1:city w:st="on">Knoxville</st1:city> area, and Peters, who grew up in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Johnson City</st1:city></st1:place> 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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stoney Slope Farm is located on the farm that was Peter’s
childhood home in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Gray</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Tenn.</st1:state></st1:place> 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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> “We’ve been
able to turn my childhood home into what I always thought it could be,” said
Peters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">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.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">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.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In spite of the fact that their garden is
continuing to grow, Linkous and Peters continue to maintain it using all-natural
methods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“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.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Natural
pest conrol: Kaolin Clay Insect Deterrent <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here
is one the natural pest control methods used by Stony Slope farm:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">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). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6097064073243294350" name="13f3abe23716987e__GoBack"></a>rinses the film off of plants.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Recipe:<span style="color: #222222;"> </span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">Sautéed Baby Squash with Basil and Feta</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #605d5d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This simple preparation yields delicious results in a
versatile side dish. Use pattypan<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/t/vegetables/squash/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">squash</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="publication" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #605d5d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">From Cooking Light Magazine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yield:</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>6 servings
(serving size: 2/3 cup)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3 style="background: #EBEBEB; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 5.4pt; margin-right: 6.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1
tablespoon olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 5.4pt; margin-right: 6.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">4 cups
baby pattypan squash, halved (about 18 ounces)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 5.4pt; margin-right: 6.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2 cups
sliced leek or mild onion (about 2)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 5.4pt; margin-right: 6.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1/2
teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 5.4pt; margin-right: 6.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1/8
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 5.4pt; margin-right: 6.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">3
tablespoons crumbled feta cheese<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 5.4pt; margin-right: 6.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2
tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="background: #EBEBEB; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Preparation<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-71984340803823006752013-06-13T20:28:00.000-04:002013-06-13T20:28:26.419-04:00Louise Nuttle: "Only the Finest" Alpaca Fiber Consortium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xvfQd0iycM0/UboUWwI8NqI/AAAAAAAAOS0/qaafxbC6kpk/s1600/1-Louise+Vertical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xvfQd0iycM0/UboUWwI8NqI/AAAAAAAAOS0/qaafxbC6kpk/s320/1-Louise+Vertical.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">By Kasey Jones</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Louise Nuttle
can’t recall a time when she didn’t knit. “I’ve always knitted,” Nuttle says.
“My grandmother taught me at a very young age.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her love of
knitting and working with fibers has spun off into a farm, a fiber studio and a
key spot at the Jonesborough Farmers Market, where all the products are
handmade and locally grown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Originally from
the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Nuttle moved to <st1:city w:st="on">Johnson City</st1:city>
in 2005 from <st1:city w:st="on">Jackson</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Miss.</st1:state>
“When we moved to <st1:state w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:state>,
we bought acreage for the horses we brought with us,” Nuttle says. “We had some
extra space so we started looking into other livestock breeds to graze on the
established pastures.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She also wanted
animals that didn’t damage the land, ones that would not cause erosion, and her
interest in knitting led her to consider fiber animals as a livestock option.
“I figured that with my background in knitting and crocheting that it would be
fun to raise the animals that produce the fiber,” she says. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raising
alpacas has led to a range of new crafts in addition to knitting. Nuttle
learned how to spin the fibers from her alpacas so that she could make her own
yarn and has learned to weave and felt with the alpaca fibers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I
learned how to spin because I wanted to make sure that I could take the fiber
off of my animals and create yarn,” she says. “At that point, I already knew
what to do with it. So I took some spinning lessons from another alpaca breeder
and was instantly hooked. While we let
the mill make the majority of the yarns we sell, I still like to make my own
novelty yarns for weaving.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nuttle
has created a fiber studio in the basement of her home in the historic Tree
Streets neighborhood of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Johnson City</st1:place></st1:city>.
After bringing the fiber home from the farm, Nuttle sorts, spins, dyes and
weaves the fiber to create hats, scarves and a number of other fiber products.
“We’re coming up with new end-products all the time, thanks to our customers at
the market. Felted soap, felted flower pins and the felted bead earrings are
some of our most popular items. We’ve also developed several kits for the
would-be fiber artists who want to try their own hands at felting. We even
commissioned our market neighbor, Bear Anderson (a.k.a. ‘Grizzwood’), to make
us some wooden drop spindles to pair up with our spinning fibers.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">After
raising her own alpacas for three years under the farm name Dry Creek Alpacas,
Nuttle entered into a partnership with two </span><span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">other alpaca farms – </span><span style="color: #262626;">Appalachian
Journey Farm and Appalachian Alpacas –</span><span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> to cooperatively raise the animals and process and
market the fiber. </span><span style="color: #262626;">Sisters Diane and Joan
DuPont co-own Appalachian Journey Farm, and Appalachian Alpacas is co-owned by
their younger sister Lara and Mike Durham. “We were already traveling together
with our animals to alpaca shows,” Nuttle says. “When I was looking for a place
to move my animals, they were looking for other outlets for their fiber. It was
a natural fit.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nuttle,
the DuPonts and Durhams collectively own and raise more than 50 alpacas. When
it comes time to harvest the fiber in the spring, they carefully select the
best fiber for processing, hence the name of their fiber brand, “Only the
Finest.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nuttle
began selling at the Jonesborough Farmers Market in 2008, very early in her
alpaca fiber career. “I was small-scale back then and spinning all of my own
yarn. Being at the market helped me
connect with other fiber enthusiasts and also gave me a platform for talking
about the animals and their exceptional fiber to anyone who would stop long
enough.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She
is now joined by other members of the “Only the Finest” consortium. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In
addition to the farmers market, “Only the Finest” sells its homegrown fibers,
yarns and finished products at regional fiber and art shows. “We’re working on
our website,” she says, “but honestly, you have to <i>feel</i> alpaca to really appreciate it.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And
alpacas, Nuttle says, are not just for crafters. “Between our three farms, we
always have a variety of animals for sale, ranging from what we call
‘pet-quality’ or ‘fiber males’ to entry-level breeding stock to show-quality
herd sires and breeding females.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The
50-plus alpacas on the farm produce another renewable product that is prized by
gardeners. The farm offers what it likes to call “Paca-Poo” – composted alpaca
manure, which makes excellent garden fertilizer – by the bag or by the
truckload. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The
farm is open to visitors, although they recommend calling ahead:
423-257-8110. You can also follow “Only
the Finest” on Facebook at </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/onlythefinestalpaca">www.facebook.com/onlythefinestalpaca</a><span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
where you can find pictures of their latest yarns, cute cria videos, event
announcements and more. Or just come by
the farmers market tent on Saturdays! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Note</b>: </span><span style="color: #343434; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Alpacas
from “Only the Finest” will be at the farmers market this Saturday (June 15</span><sup style="color: #343434; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">th</sup><span style="color: #343434; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">)
next to the Only the Finest market booth.</span><span style="color: #343434; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="color: #343434; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Come meet them!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BhnjxXHQemU/UboS5vlgAbI/AAAAAAAAOSU/v7-GQbP6buE/s1600/Alpacas+visiting+the+farmers+market+in+years+past.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BhnjxXHQemU/UboS5vlgAbI/AAAAAAAAOSU/v7-GQbP6buE/s320/Alpacas+visiting+the+farmers+market+in+years+past.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-24448468847931569362013-06-07T10:38:00.000-04:002013-06-07T13:30:07.291-04:00Jimmy & Minnie Sentelle: Sentelle's Homemade Sausage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jfqXJUV_Gs/UbCefJeUxpI/AAAAAAAAN5A/Cgmj6Dr4OCo/s1600/Sentelle's+ready+for+market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jfqXJUV_Gs/UbCefJeUxpI/AAAAAAAAN5A/Cgmj6Dr4OCo/s320/Sentelle's+ready+for+market.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By Paige Campbell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sometime in the middle of the
19th century, Minnie Sentelle’s great-great-grandfather left his native <st1:state w:st="on">Missouri</st1:state> to build a new life homesteading in present-day <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Greene County</st1:place>, <st1:state w:st="on">Tenn.</st1:state></st1:city> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">His name was William Roscoe, but
everyone called him “Tanner Bill,” and his hard work carving out a life on that
farm began a legacy, unbroken so far, that has kept the land in his
descendants’ hands and continuously farmed for well over 100 years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Up in the house, there’s an old
picture of him on a mule with his two six-shooters,” said Minnie Sentelle’s
husband, Jimmy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That image reminds the Sentelles
of the rich history behind them as they take their turn and take on the
challenge of farming full time, raising hogs for their new business, Sentelle’s
Homemade Sausage Co. “We’ve always raised a few hogs,” Minnie said. “Then
Jimmy retired from GE a few years ago, and that’s when we turned it into a real
business.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The company was officially
established in November of 2010. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Sentelles are constantly
busy. At times they have had as many as
44 hogs on the farm—currently they have 22.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“There’s been a time or two I’ve
thought, ‘Maybe I ought to go back to GE,’” Jimmy said with a laugh. “But
to spend the time on raising something that I know everything that goes into it
— that’s worth doing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Minnie, too, dedicates long
hours to the farm in addition to her full-time job as cafeteria manager at <st1:placename w:st="on">Hal</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Henard</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> in <st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Greene</st1:place>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:placename>.<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Sentelles run the business
with help from their son John, a full-time manager at Lowe’s, and his wife,
Cassie. Their daughter Ann also pitches in as much as possible despite a
brain injury nine years ago that affected her eyesight and compromised the
function of one hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Minnie and Jimmy hope that the
skills they are cultivating with their children will help the family farm continue
to thrive in future generations, just as they depend on skills learned from
Minnie’s parents. “Not a lot of people know how to really cure hams,” Jimmy
said. “[Minnie’s] dad’s recipe is so good. Any country ham is going
to have a bite of salt to it, but his recipe isn’t nearly as salty, and it’s
much better.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Sentelles use a traditional
method of curing meat, which can only be done over the winter months when cold
temperatures allow the curing salts to take effect faster than the meat would
otherwise spoil. That means, they explained, that when the quantity they
produce in a given winter is gone, they can only wait until the next winter to
make more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The farm’s overall production is
also on a smaller scale than many others because the Sentelles stock <st1:place w:st="on">Berkshire</st1:place> hogs, a heritage breed that grows slower than
most. “That’s why commercial growers don’t like it,” Jimmy said. But
the quality, he said, is superior. “Last year our pork was served at
Jonesborough’s Farm to Table dinner, and the chef was thrilled to be able to
find <st1:place w:st="on">Berkshire</st1:place> pork locally.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We’re really picky about our
product,” said Minnie, “we don’t use nitrates or preservatives, and out of
every batch, we fry up a piece to taste test before we sell it. We want to
make sure our products are the best they can be.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The family’s dedication to their
farm comes not just from the legacy they are continuing, but also the personal
satisfaction of working their own land and seeing the tangible results. “We
always hoped to do this,” Minnie said. “This is our adventure.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You can find the Sentelles on
Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon at the Jonesborough Farmers Market. You can also buy
direct from them at the farm in Bulls Gap. Contact the Sentelles at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:sentelleshomemadesaugage@yahoo.com"><span style="color: black;">sentelleshomemadesaugage@yahoo.com</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>or 423-329-1306.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">========================</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Recipe:</b> <b style="background-color: transparent;">Perfect Pork Tenderloin</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Chef Alex Bomba of Bomba’s Fresh Italian served Sentelle’s
pork loin for 160 guests at last year’s Farm to Table Dinner. Here he describes how he would prepare a 12
ounce pork tenderloin (serves 2).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Soak your cut of pork overnight (but at least 6 hours) in
the refrigerator in this brine mixture:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">½ gallon water</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">¼ cup salt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">¼ cup sugar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">¼ cup apple cider</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Remove from brine, and in a hot pan, sear the outside of the
pork until brown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finish in 350 degree oven until done (145 degrees on a meat
thermometer plus 3 minutes rest time).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While pork is cooking, prepare Apple Chutney:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 apples, diced</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">½ cup raisins</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 Tablespoons apple cider</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">½ cup sugar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cook together on low for 30 minutes, stirring constantly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Spoon over sliced pork tenderloin. </span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-81530570491917565892013-05-29T14:40:00.002-04:002013-05-29T15:42:56.036-04:00The Cox Family: Shiny C Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UNQcDHJ42l0/UaZIJiMcKdI/AAAAAAAANs0/04KR5yCWv4w/s1600/Brent,+Jeri+and+Cheyenne+Cox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UNQcDHJ42l0/UaZIJiMcKdI/AAAAAAAANs0/04KR5yCWv4w/s400/Brent,+Jeri+and+Cheyenne+Cox.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By Paige Campbell<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At Shiny C Farm in Fall Branch, Texas Longhorn cattle graze,
corn reaches toward the sun and 7-year-old Cheyenne Cox rides the tractor with
her father, Brent, as he works the land.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The “C” is for <st1:place w:st="on">Cheyenne</st1:place>,
Brent and Jeri Cox’s daughter, who has taken her special seat on her dad’s
tractor ever since she was a toddler. The “Shiny” is for her bubbly
personality, a happy energy both parents say motivates them as they work to
establish a sustainable family farm. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Successful farming nowadays is no small task, says Brent
from their Jonesborough Farmers Market booth, where he sells his Shiny C Farm’s
signature grass-fed Texas Longhorn beef – especially when you also work full
time. Brent and Jeri both work at Eastman Chemical Co. in <st1:place w:st="on">Kingsport</st1:place>. That leaves little time to devote
to their long-term goal of building the farm into a self-supporting enterprise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“If I’m not at work, I’m out there on the farm,” Brent said
simply. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the most part, though, he doesn’t mind. “I used to hunt
a lot. And some of the guys I work with like to go out and golf or fish. I just
like to farm.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“To be blunt, it’s in his blood,” Jeri said. “If he lives long enough, he will make this
dream a reality.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That dream has deep roots. Brent spent much of his childhood
growing up on his grandfather’s dairy farm, not far from the Fall Branch land
where Shiny C Farm operates today. “I grew up milking cows and doing farm
work,” he said. “And I’ve always had a few head of cattle of my own.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That hobby evolved into a business plan shortly after
Brent’s grandfather passed away. Soon, the family began taking on different
projects at the farm. It made sense, Brent said, to try a variety of farming strategies
to see what would work best on that particular land, so in addition to raising
standard commercial beef cattle, they also began to specialize in
direct-to-consumer sales of distinctively lean Texas Longhorns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I have high cholesterol,” Jeri said. “But he’s a beef-eater
and doesn’t care much for chicken. We needed to find a middle ground.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Longhorn meat has just a fraction of the fat found in
typical ground beef, and about half the calories, according to data from <st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">Texas</st1:street></st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">A&M</st1:street></st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">University</st1:street></st1:placetype></st1:place></st1:placename>.
It cooks slightly faster, the Coxes say, but otherwise requires no special
preparation techniques.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also on the Coxes’ 700 acres is a second-year crop of corn,
another one of Brent’s efforts to diversify the farm’s offerings to build
long-term stability. When that crop nearly failed last summer during a long dry
spell, the hard reality of the agriculture business hit home. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“You’re so
dependent on the weather,” Brent said. “Even if you’re knowledgeable, it can
always throw you curveballs.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But luck was on the family’s side. “We got rain in our area
just in the nick of time,” Jeri said. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first years corn crop was a success. This year the Coxes have doubled their
acreage in corn and added 400 acres of hay. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another new venture they have tried was to sell their
products through the online market for the first time this past winter. “I wasn’t sure what I was getting
into—honestly I was hesitant to try it.
But it turned out to be really easy to manage and we gained lots of new
customers. And it helped us keep some
farm income during the winter,” said Jeri.
“Seems like we’re learning something new all the time.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Coxes are both very grateful for their good
fortune. Brent puts it this way: “We feel very blessed that we’ve got the good
health to farm, and have been rewarded in our efforts.” Jeri says, “It’s long hours, great risk, and
a loss of leisure time but the end result is great, when things come together
just right. It doesn’t happen often, but
every once in a while all the dots connect.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At home with his animals, especially the Longhorns, Brent
also sees great reward in the day-to-day work itself. “It’s relaxing, to me.
And [the cattle] are just pretty to look at,” he said. “I’ve had times where
they’re looking at me with the sun setting between their horns and I’ve wished
I had a camera. And I have some that are like pets. They’ll come right up to
me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jeri laughed. “Sometimes I wonder which is better, being his
wife or being a cow,” she said. “He talks so sweet to them.” </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Find
Shiny C Farm products, like steaks, roasts, briskets, ribs, and hamburger at
the Jonesborough Farmers Market. If
they’re not in their big trailer, you will find Jeri sharing booth space with
Chris Wilson of Clover Creek Farm. The
market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon on <st1:address w:st="on">Courthouse Square</st1:address>. Contact Shiny C Farm at 423-384-1171 or
shinycfarm@centurylink.net.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">------------------------------</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recipe: </span><span style="color: #222222;">Cowboy Beans</span></span></b><br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">by Jeri Cox<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">This is a recipe that was passed from my
grandmother to my mother and then to me. It is easy, perfect for summer
picnics and a real crowd pleaser. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">1 lb. Shiny C Farm Ground Beef<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">1/2 cup of chopped onion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">2 - 16 oz. cans of Van Camps pork and
beans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">1/2 tsp. salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">1/2 cup ketchup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">1/4 tsp. pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">1/4 tsp. Tabasco Sauce or Worcestershire Sauce (I prefer Worcestershire Sauce)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">2 Tbsp. Vinegar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">2 Tbsp. Sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">Brown ground beef and onion in skillet.* Add the rest of
the ingredients to the pork and beans and then add browned ground beef and
onion in a casserole dish and bake for 350 degrees for 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>*Longhorn Beef
cooking tips <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grass fed Texas Longhorn meat has less fat, so it cooks
quickly. If you cook lean beef as fast
as feedlot beef you will overcook it and the meat will be tough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For best results, brown longhorn <b>ground beef</b> on medium heat. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Burgers</b> will also
cook quickly with little shrinkage. Cook
on lower heat and watch them closely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When grilling<b> Steaks,</b>
sear on high heat to seal in juices and turn meat frequently until reaches
desired doneness (160 degrees on meat thermometer). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Source: <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state>
Longhorn Cooperative</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-45748039516583947632013-05-24T14:23:00.000-04:002013-05-29T15:43:04.007-04:00Dominick Haynes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EG-764mJXYU/UaZG0q1Jh-I/AAAAAAAANso/v_fZRFGIEvQ/s1600/Mulching+the+leeks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EG-764mJXYU/UaZG0q1Jh-I/AAAAAAAANso/v_fZRFGIEvQ/s400/Mulching+the+leeks.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p>By Kasey Jones</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Dominick Haynes has the canopy and a
table full of produce like other vendors at the Jonesborough Farmers Market. He
has the chalkboard sign and he can talk about his produce like any of his
fellow farmers. Unlike his fellow farmers, Haynes is 15 years old – and this is
his sixth year as a vendor at the Jonesborough market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Jonesborough native is a freshman
at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place>. His decision to begin gardening
was largely influenced by his father, Dan, who has had a garden for as long as
Haynes can remember. “My Dad told me I always liked to play in the dirt – since
I was at least 2 years old,” he says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Haynes first began gardening on his
own when he was 9. A neighbor plowed the empty lot next to Haynes’ house and
offered him some garden space. Haynes began planting and when his crops were
ready for harvest, they were bountiful. He sold the excess at the farmers
market during its very first season in 2008.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Once he sold the first tomato, he was
hooked” say parents Dan and Mimi Haynes.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">He has been a regular, full-season
vendor at the market ever since. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Haynes works hard to balance school
and gardening while pursuing other interests, such as golf and skiing. It isn’t
always easy. Haynes estimates he spends an average of 12 hours in his garden
each week. Depending on the weather and his homework load, the number of hours
that he spends outside may increase. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Sometimes I’m up until 10 p.m. doing homework,”
said Haynes. “Then it’s dark, so I installed a spotlight so I can work after
dark if I have to – especially when the days get shorter.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Haynes spends most of his time in the
garden either planting or weeding. “Weeding especially,” he said. “Weeds are
very prevalent around here. I have to make [my garden] look nice so that if
someone comes by they don’t see crazy 3-foot-tall weeds.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Haynes is doing extra duty in the
garden right now to prepare for the May 25 Garden Gala, when his will be one of
the featured gardens on the tour. “I’ve been on the garden tour before,” he
says. “ It’s great. I love to talk to people about my garden.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tomatoes, peppers, root vegetables,
strawberries, cabbage, leeks, greens, herbs and potatoes populate Haynes’
garden. “A little bit of everything,” he said. “I even grew cotton once, just
to see if I could.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">He also enjoys growing sweet potatoes,
because “it’s fun to dig them up and see what you’ve grown.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Last year, Haynes grew all the leeks
that were served at the Farm to Table Dinner.
New for this year? “I’m growing
lettuce for the first time,” he says with a grin, “and it’s selling really
well.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Kohlrabi or German cabbage is a
vegetable that Haynes grew by request. “One of my customers asked for it, and
gave me some seeds,” he says. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The first seeds didn’t grow well, but
eventually Haynes found plants to start with and he now raises kohlrabi for a
growing base of customers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This year, the cool spring weather has
slowed the garden’s progress a little, but Haynes expects to have some kohlrabi
at the market in the next couple of weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">While Haynes sells the majority of his
vegetables, he is particular about the quality of his product. “I eat the ones
that aren’t perfect,” Haynes says. “If it has a small spot on it I won’t sell
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“But there will always be countless
tomatoes like that, so our family eats those. We don’t have to go and buy a lot
of vegetables during the summer months.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">-----------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Recipe: Kohlrabi Sautee</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What is <b>Kohlrabi?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Martha Stewart living describes
it this way: “the texture of a radish with the sweetness of a jicama, and a
slight hint of broccoli, and the leaves are like mild collards.” Use the bulb
chopped raw in salads, tossed with salt and olive oil and baked, or sautéed as
suggested in the following recipe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sautee<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Cook cubes of peeled kohlrabi
and thinly sliced white onion in unsalted butter over medium-high heat until
almost tender. Stir in finely shredded kohlrabi leaves and cook until wilted.
Add a generous splash of heavy cream, and cook for a few seconds to reduce.
Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #343434; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Serve with chicken, pork chops,
or steak.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-74162411731827703282013-05-17T14:10:00.000-04:002013-05-29T15:43:11.157-04:00Felicia McKee: Midway Fields Microgreens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBzMtvo07N8/UaZELZq_78I/AAAAAAAANsc/kS_J2Df-DEE/s1600/IMG_1121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBzMtvo07N8/UaZELZq_78I/AAAAAAAANsc/kS_J2Df-DEE/s400/IMG_1121.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><b>By Kasey Jones<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just by driving by Felicia
McKee’s house, one wouldn’t know that she has a thriving gardening business. Unlike
most gardeners, McKee’s main product grows inside her house, rather than
outside. McKee grows and sells microgreens at the Jonesborough Famers Market.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">McKee began Midway Fields
Microgreens three years ago after going to the Jonesborough Farmers Market as a
customer. “I would see everything that everyone would have and it would be a
lot of stuff that I had in my own garden,” said McKee, “so I wanted to grow
something that no one else had — something different and unique. That’s when I got
the idea of the microgreens.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A microgreen is exactly
what it sounds like — a micro-version of a green plant. These nutritious plants
are harvested between the sprout stage and the full-grown plant stage.
Microgreens are often confused with sprouts. Unlike the underdeveloped sprouts,
which are grown in damp, warm and dark conditions and could harbor E. Coli and
other bacteria, microgreens are grown with sunshine, fresh air and water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“A lot of people have
heard of sprouts, and you can go to the health food store or the salad bar and
see sprouts, but sprouts are the first stage of the microgreen,” said McKee. “I
actually start them out as sprouts, but then I take the sprouts and I put them
in dirt and grow them. That’s what makes them okay to sell, because a lot of
people don’t know that you can’t sell sprouts at a farmers market.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The tiny microgreen packs
a punch with respect to nutrients, containing protein, calcium, vitamins A, B,
C, G and E, as well as iron, phosphorus, magnesium and chlorophyll. “They’re
better for you than spinach,” said McKee, “The nutrients are more concentrated
because they are grown and harvested within 10 days.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b> “</b>Some plants don’t do well as a microgreen because they’re
hard to grow,” said McKee. “Some things like to really hold on to their seeds
and they’re just so labor intensive to cut and they’re just so tiny.” However,
there are a number of plants that can be more easily harvested in the
microgreen stage, such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, radishes, dun
pea, buckwheat, and McKee’s primary product, the sunflower. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For those who haven’t
tried microgreens, McKee encourages people to use try them, especially in
salads. The sunflower microgreen is
actually substantial enough that you can make a whole salad out of it, instead
of lettuce, and just use that as the base of your salad. “It’s 10 times more
nutrients, vitamins and minerals,” says McKee, “Pretty much anything you can do with raw
lettuce and more, you can do with microgreens.”</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-------------------------------------------<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Recipe: Veggie Wrap with Microgreens</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Spinach tortilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Goat cheese (plain, flavored,
or another spreadable cheese)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Microgreens<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">1 whole small chopped tomato*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">½ chopped cucumber<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Cracked black pepper <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Smear the goat cheese evenly
onto the tortilla. Place a thick layer of microgreens across the center of the
tortilla, following with chopped tomato and chopped cucumber. Add sea salt and
cracked black pepper for seasoning as needed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">*McKee also uses Roma
tomatoes because they have more meat and less pulp, seed and juice. She also
recommends almonds and dried cranberries as potential additions to the wrap. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6097064073243294350.post-43479894063053554282013-05-10T14:06:00.000-04:002013-05-29T15:43:18.437-04:00Perry Phillips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>By Lise Cutshaw</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">As the
cold winds and snow blew in February, Perry Phillips was at work in his humid
80-degree wood-stove stoked basement. At his well-equipped potting bench, seeds
are sorted and sown, cuttings are plucked and planted. “</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What I
like best is when you start your plants and cuttings in February that means
springtime is not far away,” he says. “The worst thing is when you leave things
outside when the weatherman predicts low 40s and it went low 30s, and you find
they’re all laying over sideways because they got chilled. That has happened
about once every year.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The
results of Phillips’ experiments, his “hobby”, are homegrown bushes, perennials
and vegetable plants that populate the perimeter of his spacious <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">East Main Street</st1:address></st1:street>,
Jonesborough, yard and fill his basement.
Phillips grows </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">bushes such as golden euonymus, nandina with and
without berries, spirea, althea, knockout roses in a rainbow of colors, holly,
butterfly bushes and “tame” thornless
blackberries; perennials, such as Lenten roses, hostas and ferns; and vegetable
plants such as heirloom and traditional tomatoes and ornamental peppers.
Cucumbers and squash are still snug in the warm basement until time for their
debut.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All flora seem to flourish in Phillips’ hands. His
affection for nature, he says, springs from his upbringing. “I grew up on
50-acre farm 10 miles below Jonesborough in the Conklin Community with my Mom,
Dad and sister,” he says. “I came along in 1950. We grew corn, tobacco,
alfalfa, oats and raised cattle, chickens, ducks, all of the above …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“We grew things from the time I was knee-high. We always
had big gardens because we grew our own food for the winter – beans and corn
and stuff. A lot of times we saved our own seed. You didn’t go out and buy it.
You can save your own seed for a year or two and it will maintain its genetic
qualities.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">As a
third- and fourth-grade teacher at <st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Jonesborough</st1:placetype></st1:place> <st1:place w:st="on">Elementary School</st1:place></st1:place></st1:placename> for 37
years, Phillips found ways to propagate his love for biology. “</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">While I
was teaching, we always did things with the kids pertaining to seedlings,
planting things in springtime, raising butterflies from larvae, turning them
loose when they had reached their maximum,” he says. “The kids always seemed to
like it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Phillips won’t sell a plant until it is large, lush and
hardy, and that takes patience, often years from seed to full flower. “I grew
those blue Big Daddy hostas from seed,” he says, reflecting on his experiment.
“All hostas bloom and produce seed, and I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just try to grow
me some of those.’ It took three years for them to be ready.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Phillips also likes growing knockout roses. “People tend to like my roses because they are
bigger than you can find anywhere else. I rehabilitate them, but it can take up
to two years to get them in the condition I like.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Phillips seems especially proud of his rows of carefully
cultivated tomato plants, all from seed, and mostly heirloom. Each is unusual:
the Cherokee Purple, an Indian heirloom tomato with “a real study big stem and
large foliage and large tomatoes;” Black Cherry and Lemon Pear that “will grow
like crazy, producing 200 tomatoes probably per plant;” Lemon Boy and Jubilee,
medium-sized yellow tomatoes; Dagma’s Perfection, an heirloom yellow with red
streaks; and Peach tomatoes, “the size of a golf ball to a tennis ball with
fuzz like a peach.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And don’t forget the Big Boys. “Some people,” he says with
a wry grin, “will say, ‘Don’t you just have any red tomatoes?’ ”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He’s ready for them.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Perry’s growing tip:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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As a result of his years of experimentation, Phillips has
unearthed one crucial secret to growing the biggest and hardiest plants and he
is not shy about sharing it: “Lay the fertilizer on it – plenty of water,
sunshine and fertilizer.”Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0