Turtle Bend Farm

2012 brings new farm name, farm expansion

2012-01-17T06:59:00.001-08:00

Over the past three years of growing our vegetable farm business, Adam and I have learned a tremendous amount. Yes, we have learned a great deal about actually growing vegetables, with still more to learn, but we have also learned about ourselves and our business. We move forward into our fourth year of production with a new farm name, Jackson Lowe Vegetable Farm. In our learning process, we realized that we want to be represented by a name that says exactly who we are and what we are. "Jackson" is Mecca's maiden name and that of a family with farming heritage on the very soil we cultivate. Lowe is Adam's family name, and also one with farming heritage, and in 2012, we will be producing on new Lowe farmland down the road. Both families have been integral in supporting our farming operation, and now with our little one- Silas Jackson Lowe, we hope we can honor those families and our own hard work by building a successful and meaningful business that represents hard work, integrity and community. Please join us in the 2012 season at our local farmers markets, in our vegetable subscription program, and on your own plots of land as we work towards a successful and bountiful 2012 season. Our new website is now up: www.jacksonlowevegetablefarm.com.

Sincerely,

Adam, Mecca and Silas Lowe

Fall Season

2011-09-28T15:42:00.001-07:00

We are entering the fall season and now harvesting fall crops like Kale, Radishes, Arugula, Turnips, Mustard Greens and some Green Beans and Sweet Potatoes. We will soon be harvesting our first round of Broccoli for our CSA and the Marietta Square, Rockmart and Grant Park Farmers Markets. Later in the season we will harvest beets, cabbage, collards, rutabagas, lettuce, tomatoes and more radishes, kale, turnips and salad mix. We plan to be selling at these markets until Thanksgiving. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with our farm! (Pictured above: a view of part of our farm.)

FALL CSA spots available!

2011-08-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

We are opening several spaces for the fall session of our 2011 CSA program. Read below for the details, and email us for the application.

Our fall program includes weekly shares of seasonal vegetables for ten weeks beginning September 7th. We provide a weekly e-newsletter that includes description of the vegetables along with recipes. When available, we will also introduce you to some locally, naturally grown fruits and vegetables produced by local farmers we know and trust.

In the fall season you can expect to receive a variety of fall and summer vegetables. The following vegetables will be grown for the fall season: radishes, carrots, turnips, beets, lettuce, salad mix, arugula, spinach, kale, mustards, bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, fennel, parsley and dill, swiss chard, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, winter squash, green beans, okra, melons, corn, basil, peppers, eggplant and more. We will also include naturally grown apples from a local farmer.

Each weekly bag will include a minimum of five different vegetables or fruits and have an average value of $25. The cost is $25 per week for 10 weeks for a total cost of $250. A down payment of $150 is due with application by August 24th.

We deliver to Cobb county and the greater Atlanta area. Deliveries occur on Wednesday mornings and early afternoons, and in most cases, members can pick up sometime between lunch and the early evening.

Delivery Sites:
◊ Wed. 11am-4pm at Parsley’s Catering, 1127 White Circle, Marietta
◊ Wed. 12pm-5pm Kennesaw State University, Student Center
◊ Wed. 1-7pm, Vinings (residential site: email for address)
◊ Wed. 2-8pm, Howell Station, NW ATL (residential site: email for address)
◊ Wed. 2-7pm, Virginia Highlands (residential site: email for address)
◊ Wed, 3-7pm, Decatur (2 residential sites: email for address)
◊ Saturday 8am-noon, Marietta Square Farmers Market

We do have enough spaces to add one more delivery site if it's on our current route and if the site can host at least 8 members. Contact us to see if your delivery site would fit into our delivery route.

Momma's Fried Okra

2011-08-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Okra season is here so we're sharing the family recipe! Go buy some okra from your favorite farmer and get to cooking it up- When it's here, it's here, but when it's gone, it's gone!

Momma's Fried Okra

2 lbs Okra, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 cup oil for frying
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
salt
pepper

Optional: 2 green tomatoes, diced.

Place cut okra in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for several minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat. You may add more oil depending on the size of your skillet. Combine flour and cornmeal. Once okra is good and juicy and oozing it's famous "goo," toss it in the flour/cornmeal mixture until covered, then transfer to a colander and shake out additional flour to avoid burning extra flour in the skillet. Place okra in the skillet in a single layer once oil is hot (sprinkle a dab of flour into the oil and if it sizzles it's ready. If the oil is smoking, it's too hot). Do not "stir" the okra. Once you can see the edges browning, about 5 minutes, flip the okra with a spatula as best you can. Cook another 4-5 minutes and remove from skillet onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Serve warm!

Squash!

2011-06-22T05:00:00.001-07:00

Several delicious and unique varieties of summer squash and zucchini are in abundance at Turtle Bend Farm this time of year. We are growing some beautiful Zephyr Squash (pictured above), as well as tender Golden Zucchini, and the "cream" of the crop, White Scallop (or Patty Pan) Squash. They call all be used interchangeably but they all have their unique qualities. The Zephyr is the best raw squash with it's crisp sweetness, but it also holds a good shape when stewed or grilled. The Golden Zucchini is wonderful grilled or sauteed, and the Patty Pan is known for it's creamy texture when mixed in a casserole. To help our loyal customers and CSA members make use of these summer time treats, we would like to share a few ways that we enjoy summer squash and zucchini. The possibilities are endless (grilled squash, squash soup, stuffed squash) but we've just included a few of our favorites. Enjoy!

Mecca Mae’s Squash Casserole
This is a family recipe from Mecca's great grandmother.

1.5-2lbs fresh Summer Squash (or Zucchini)
2-3 Tbsp grated fresh Onion
1 Tbsp Butter
1-2 Eggs
15 saltine crackers, crumbled

Topping:
10 saltine crackers, crumbled
Paprika
Pepper
2 Tbsp Butter

(Optional): Grated cheese in casserole and topping
(Optional): Chopped fresh herb of your choice in casserole and/or topping. (we like basil, thyme or parsley)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Chop squash into like-size pieces and boil in salted water until tender, about 8-15 minutes depending on size of pieces. Meanwhile, grate onion. Drain squash, return to pot and mash up. Add next four ingredients, mix well and pour into a baking dish (I use the 8x8 glass baking dish).

Crumble remaining saltine crackers on top and dot with butter. Sprinkle with Paprika & Pepper and bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm, and leftovers are good too!

Fried Squash
This is Adam's favorite way to eat squash.

1-1.5 lbs fresh Summer Squash or Zucchini
1 cup cornmeal mix
1 egg
1 cup milk or buttermilk
salt & pepper
1 cup or more, vegetable oil of your choice for frying
iron skillet if available

Slice squash in half or thirds, and again lengthwise (especially zephyr and zucchini) into ¼ inch thick pieces that are about 2 inches long. Sprinkle with salt. Crack egg into a bowl, add milk and mix together. Put cornmeal and pepper into separate bowl. Dredge squash pieces first in milk mixture, then coat with cornmeal.

Meanwhile, heat oil to medium heat (not smoking). Once oil is hot (drop a sprinkle of cornmeal into oil- if it sizzles the oil is ready.), place battered squash pieces into oil in one layer. After about 3-4 of minutes, flip pieces over with a fork and fry other side for 2-3 minutes. Remove onto a plate with several paper towels to drain. Repeat. Serve warm or room temperature.

Stewed Squash and Onions
A simple and easy "old standbye" that highlights the real flavor of the squash.

1-1.5 lbs fresh Summer Squash or Zucchini
1 medium/large white or yellow onion
1 tbsp butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
Optional: fresh chopped basil, thyme or parsley

Slice squash into 1-inch pieces. Slice onion into 1-inch eighths (“moons”). Add one cup of water and 1 Tbsp butter to a medium sized pot. Place squash and onions into pot and bring water to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain most of water. Add fresh herb and salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve warm.

Summertime...

2011-06-16T04:48:00.001-07:00

Above: Okra
Above: Melons on blue plastic

Above: Tomatoes!

Summer squash plants

Squash: golden zucchini and zephyr

Spring!

2011-04-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

It's that glorious time of year again when we begin to harvest our first spring crops! Below are some pictures to show you what we've been up to on the farm. We are now harvesting baby salad mix, easter egg radishes, french breakfast radishes, baby kale, parsley and smaller pak choi heads (bok choi). See you at the Market!

Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Collards, Parsley, Onions and Fennel

"Elegance" salad greens mix.

Pac Choi in the foreground with cabbage and the whole family (Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Collards) behind it.

Parsley

2011 CSA Information

2011-03-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

We are taking new members for our 2011 CSA (Vegetable Subscription). Please read below and contact us for a copy of the application and more information.

What is CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and represents a unique relationship between local farmers and the community in which individuals pay in advance for a seasonal share of the farm’s harvest. Farmers benefit by having a more secure market for some of their crops and having money at the beginning of the season for costly inputs such as seeds and fertilizers. Members benefit by gaining access to the freshest, highest quality vegetables in their community.

What is included in this CSA?
Our program includes weekly shares of seasonal vegetables for 26 weeks from mid-May until mid-November. The amount of vegetables will vary slightly depending on the weather and other variables inherent in farming. We will provide a weekly e-newsletter that includes description of the vegetables along with recipes. When available, we will also introduce you to some locally, naturally grown fruits and vegetables produced by neighboring farmers we know and trust.

What do you mean by “seasonal” vegetables?
Our program will span three seasons: spring, summer, and fall. In the spring and fall, you can expect to receive more root vegetables like radishes, carrots, turnips and beets as well as greens like lettuce, salad mix, spinach, kale, mustards, bok choi and other greens. You will also receive broccoli, cabbage, sugar snap peas, fennel, parsley and dill. In the summer you will receive more “fruity” vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, squash, corn and melons as well as green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, okra and basil.

Sample spring/fall box
½ lb sugar snap peas 1 bunch kale
2 heads lettuce 1 lb broccoli
1 bunch radishes 1 bunch fresh dill
1 bunch beets with greens

Sample summer box
3 lbs tomatoes 2 slicing cucumbers
4 ears sweet corn 1 lb green beans
1 lb crookneck squash 1 watermelon
1 bunch Genovese basil 2 bell peppers

What is the cost?
Each weekly bag will have an average value of $25. The cost is $25 per week for 26 weeks for a total cost of $650. A down payment of $100 is due with application by April 1st. There are several payment options listed on the application.
*Customers picking up locally in the Rockmart area will receive a discounted price. Email for details.

How do I receive my weekly share?
There are several methods for receiving your share. We deliver locally around Polk, Paulding and Bartow counties as well as Cobb county and the greater Atlanta area.
◊ Sunday, 10am-2pm, Grant Park Farmers Market, Atlanta
◊ Wed. 12-5pm OR Thurs. 2-6pm at Parsley’s Catering, 1120 White Circle, Kennesaw
◊ Wed. 12-5pm Kennesaw State University Student Center, Kennesaw
◊ Wed, 2-7pm, Decatur (2 residential sites: email for address)
◊ Wed. 2-7pm, Vinings (1 residential site: email for address)
◊ Howell Station/Berkeley Park (2 residential sites: email for address)
◊ Virginia Highlands/Inman Park (2 residential sites: email for address)
◊ Thursdays 4-7pm at the Rockmart Farmers Market behind 1st National Bank
◊ Wednesdays 10am-5pm at Elrod’s Garden Supply in Dallas, GA.

How do I join a delivery site?
Please contact us if you are located in one of the areas mentioned on the application and want more information about joining a drop site. Please contact us about forming new delivery sites.

When does the program start?
We are currently planning for our 26-week program to start during the week of May 15th. The program will run continuously with a possible one-two week break during the heat of summer, in late July (to be determined).

We will be gone for a week in the summer. Can I receive a make-up box?
You can choose to pay for 25 weeks instead of 26 if you will miss a week during the season. Total cost would be $625.

I’m ready to join! What do I do now?
Please fill out our application form on the following page and mail it to us along with your down payment. We will send you a confirmation email.

Still have questions? Please contact us anytime!

Adam & Mecca Lowe
678-986-9776 (Mecca)
turtlebendfarm@gmail.com

2011 CSA now taking applications!

2011-02-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

Winter is still in full swing, but it will not be long before we are preparing the fields for our first spring seeds and transplants. We are very excited about our third year in production at Turtle Bend Farm and are also excited to announce our 2011 CSA program. We have a few important changes this year so please read more details below. Please email us to request a copy of our application and information sheet. You can return the application to us along with your down payment and delivery site preference to reserve your spot. We expect to fill up in about a month so please do not hesitate if you are seriously interested, and as always, please contact us with any questions!

26 Weeks of Seasonal Vegetables
We are now offering one long subscription instead of two shorter sessions. We will deliver weekly boxes of seasonal vegetables for 26 weeks beginning Wednesday, May 18th. The cost of each week is $25 per week for a total of $650 for the entire season.* We have several payment plans on the application to help accommodate this larger up-front cost. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to arrange an alternate payment plan.
* For customers picking up at the Rockmart Farmers Market, the cost of the program is $23 per week for a total cost of $598.
New Delivery Sites
We are excited to announce that we will return to the Atlanta area with our CSA program. We are now forming new drop sites for the Decatur area and downtown Atlanta. Please let us know if you are interested in becoming a delivery site host and we will give you more information, including our discount for hosting. We require a MINIMUM of 5 members per site, depending on location, but we prefer 10 members per site. We also have a new delivery site for our Cobb county customers at The Gardens at Kennesaw Mountain located at 1127 White Circle NW in Kennesaw. More details are listed on the application.

Please email us for an application! turtlebendfarm@gmail.com

Fall on the Farm

2010-10-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

Broccoli growing on white plastic. The plastic was amazing at conserving moisture during our very dry year, not to mention the benefits of keeping the weeds down.
Adam harvesting turnips in one of several turnip patches.

Scarlet Queen Turnips!! Beautiful and delicious.

Swiss rainbow Chard growing beside our old stand of corn.

Cabbage plants growing on white plastic. The white plastic reflects more light, so the ground is not heated up like it is with black plastic. Amazing how the plants adapted to this environment and did better than similar plants not planted on plastic.

Late Summer pictures by Judi Jackson

2010-09-26T17:08:00.001-07:00

squash plants catching some rays

Adam in the Okra

Adam in the collards before the inch of rain we just received!!

Collards! and broccoli and cabbage...

Plan to Plate: Chicken Cacciotore!

2010-09-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

Turtle Bend Farm would like to introduce a new and exciting business in Atlanta, Plan to Plate! Ms. Ashli McMahon has been preparing Turtle Bend Farm CSA Vegetables during this late summer season and here's a recipe from her that you won't want to miss! Please check out her website and see if her business could help your family prepare fresh, homemade meals with more ease and efficiency, not to mention flavor! Read Ashli's column below!

-----

Another week of sweet, beautiful tomatoes leads me to an old classic, Chicken Cacciatore. Many recipes that you will find call for canned tomatoes, but I had no need to grab my can opener. These pink beauties are full of juice and, paired with fresh basil and oregano, effortlessly make this Italian dish sing. Of course, my fiancé and I had to add our own little twists while we built this meal in our kitchen. He’s a Price, and I am a McMahon. Our friends have always called us the “McPrices”, so this is Chicken Cacciatore: McPrice Style. Hope you enjoy!
For more recipe ideas or to have me plan diverse ways to utilize your CSA ingredients, contact me at ashli@plantoplate.com.
Happy cooking and eating,
Ashli

Chicken Cacciatore: McPrice Style
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 – 4 boneless, skinless breasts of chicken
2 small or 1 large onion, sliced into rings or thin strips
2 small or one large green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 jalapeno, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ C of wine (you can use red or white)
3 - 4 large ripe tomatoes
¾ C chicken broth
¼ C basil, chopped plus basil ribbons for garnish
1 sprig of fresh oregano, leaves minced (save some for garnishing)
pinch of sugar
juice of ½ a lemon
your favorite pasta
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat a large skillet with EVOO in the bottom to medium high heat. Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper. When the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken to the pan. Seal in the flavor by cooking for about 3 -4 minutes on each side. The outside will become golden brown, but the inside will not be cooked all the way through yet. When both sides are browned, remove the chicken to a plate.
Turn your heat down to medium, add the onions and peppers, and season with salt and pepper. Allow the veggies to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, before adding your jalapeno and garlic. Cook another minute and then deglaze your pan with wine. Allow the wine to cook out and then add your big, ripe tomatoes, broth, fresh herbs, sugar, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. (You can use dried herbs here instead of fresh, if that’s what you have on hand. A teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning will do the trick.) Let the liquid come up to a boil, and then turn your heat down to low. Allow the flavors to combine and the liquid to cook down for about 15 minutes. When you are happy with the thickness of your sauce, taste it and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Next, add the chicken breasts back into the pan, turning to coat them with the sauce. Allow them to finish cooking in the sauce, about 15 - 20 more minutes.
Meanwhile, cook up your favorite sauce-soaking pasta to al dente.
To finish, put some pasta into your bowls, top the pasta with chicken, and ladle on your sauce. Grate some fresh parmesan cheese over each bowl and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Buon appetito!

More Summer photographs

2010-08-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

One more post with a few more photographs courtesy of Mecca's mom, Judi Jackson of J Jackson Photography.

Above: Adam holding a Rocky Ford Cantaloupe.

Above: Pink-eye purple hull peas flowering.

Above: Golden Zucchini in the golden sunlight!

Above: Our intern, Kevin, carrying a half-bushel of french green beans across the field.

2010-08-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

More summer photographs courtesy of Mecca's mother, Judi Jackson of J Jackson Photography.

Above: Butternut squash growing on plastic mulch.

Above: Rattlesnake pole beans climbing high.

Above: Mecca harvesting cucumbers.

Summer Photographs by Judi Jackson

2010-08-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

Mecca's very talented mother, Judi Jackson of J Jackson Photography, has been generous enough to take many pictures of our farm this summer. Here are a few in several posts.

Above: Charleson Grey watermelon growing in the field

Above: Five 300 foot rows of Okra! Our intern, Kevin, in the background.

Above: Adam proudly holding a Charleston Grey watermelon on the farm.

Fall Vegetable Subscription Full!

2010-08-05T08:02:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all of our loyal customers and to the new folks who are trying out our program. We are now FULL and are excited to start the late summer and fall subscriptions. You can still find us at the Marietta Square Farmers Market on Saturdays, The Sandy Springs Farmers Market on Saturdays, and the Rockmart Farmers Market on Thursdays! Please email us to join our weekly newsletter and stay on top of new developments with our farm, including options to buy locally during the winter months!

Late Summer/Fall Vegetable Subscription

2010-07-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

We are now taking applications for our late summer and fall season of vegetables. We will offer 12 weeks of seasonal vegetables from our farm and occaisonally from neighboring naturally grown/organic farmers. Beginning in August, members will receive at least 5 varieties of seasonal fruits and vegetables each week. The cost is $22 per week for a total of $264. Deliveries and pick-ups are arranged at the Rockmart Farmers Market, Marietta Square Farmers' Market, Elrod's Garden Supply in Dallas, Kennesaw State University, Rome, Vinings and Buckhead area. New drop sites can be arranged. Please email us for application and information sheet at turtlebendfarm(at)gmail.com and we will reserve your spot.

Thanks,
Adam and Mecca

More summer pictures

2010-07-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

Pink-eye purple hull peas!

Baby watermelon on the vine

Surprise tomato harvest! Mecca didn't have a basket with her while strolling through the tomatoes.

Beautiful Summer squash and golden zucchini harvest

We have our photographer in residence to thank for all of these wonderful pictures of the farm- Mrs. Judi Jackson of J. Jackson Photography!! (Mecca's mother).

Summer Pictures on the Farm

2010-07-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Rattlesnake Pole Beans climbing high.

Drip irrigation at work on Rattlesnake pole beans, summer arugula and okra.

Checking on the beans and squash.

Update From the Field: New intern and field activities

2010-06-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

We would like to welcome Mr. Kevin Hebert to our farm this season as Turtle Bend's first Intern! Kevin is from New Hampshire and came all the way down to Rockmart, Georgia to learn about sustainable agriculture and see a new part of the country. Sofar, Kevin has enjoyed being outdoors and working hard on our farm, as well as the new sights, sounds and most importantly, tastes of the beautiful Southeast! Kevin is interested in pursuing a masters degree in Sustainable Agriculture and also joining the Peace Corps. We look forward to working with Kevin this season and hope that most of you will get a chance to meet him at some point. Here is a picture of Kevin and also a video of him helping lay drip lines on our farm with narration by Adam... enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes

2010-06-30T04:25:00.000-07:00

While waiting for the tomatoes to ripen, it's hard not to pull a few off the vine and fry them up. Of course, green tomatoes are good in other ways (throw them in a stir-fry, make green tomato pie), but we couldn't resist frying them. Here's my recipe.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Basil Lemon Mayonnaise

3-4 Green tomatoes
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup oil (vegetable oil)
8 inch iron skillet, (another type will do, but a larger skillet will require more oil)
2-3 sprigs fresh basil
1/2 lemon
2/3 cup mayonnaise (may cut mayo with some yogurt if desired)

Slice Green Tomatoes 1/4 inch thick. Break and beat eggs in a small bowl. Place flour in a bowl. Salt and pepper green tomatoes on both sides. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat until a pinch of flour thrown in the skillet sizzles upon contact with hot oil. Dredge green tomatoes in egg mixture and then in flour and place in hot oil. Fill up the pan with one layer of tomatoes. Tomatoes will fry quickly. Flip over, giving each side 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a plate with a paper towel on it.

For the mayonnaise- Chop basil as small as you can and mix with mayonnaise. Squeeze about half of the lemon juice in and taste, adding more if needed. Squeeze remaining lemon juice on fried tomatoes.

Serve Warm!

Below is a green tomato sandwich I made for the boys (Adam & Kevin) for lunch. It was delicious!! Basil Mayo on bread, some crunchy lettuce and the tomatoes- yum!

Summertime...

2010-06-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

We are officially into the summer months and we can feel it out on the field! All of our spring crops are done and we are focusing on summer production. Below are some shots of the field this time of year as we begin harvesting the first crops of summer: green beans, squash, cucumbers and basil. Our tomatoes will be in very soon, along with the bell peppers and eggplant. We're watching the okra shoot up and the cowpeas start to flower. Our winter squash and melons are taking off as well and our sweet potatoes are growing like weeds (and that's something because we have some killer weeds!!). Enjoy the pictures and we will post more soon- as you can imagine we are very busy on the farm this time of year. Also, notice the shot of the new Rockmart Farmers Market, which is being held every Thursday from 4-7pm in historic downtown Rockmart (100 church street). We have had a great response and we are full of vendors selling homemade and homegrown products!

Full Swing

2010-05-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

We are almost in full swing this year with all of our spring crops in the ground. We are harvesting many greens and expect some of our root crops to come in soon. The Marietta Farmers' Market has been open for a couple of weeks and we have been selling our kale, mustard greens, spinach, arugula and lettuce mix. People seem to like our vegetables and have been sharing some great recipes with us. The following recipe comes from an anonymous customer at our booth last Saturday with a few additions from us.

For kale, and possibly other hearty greens:
Saute garlic and a little onion if desire in some (2-3 Tbs) oil in a skillet or frying pan.
add red pepper flakes if desired.
Wash and de-rib kale and roughly chop. (1-2 bunches)
Throw into pan and coat with oil, stirring around a bit.
Once kale has some heat in it, add 1-2 cups broth or stock (chicken or vegetable).
Add 1-2 teaspoons stone ground mustard.
Simmer as long as desired, 10-25 minutes.
Serve warm, with slotted spoon or tongs if you still have liquid in the pan.

Internship Opportunity

2010-05-10T14:39:00.001-07:00

Turtle Bend Farm is now accepting applications for summer and fall internships. We can host 1-2 people that are interested in learning about sustainable agriculture, community food systems, or southern foodways. Room and board and a modest living stipend are included during the internship. We grow 5 acres of certified naturally grown vegetables and raise pastured poultry for eggs. Work includes harvesting, weeding, planting and other farm activities. We also have a small library of organic and sustainable farming books and other interesting social, cultural and political topics as well as high speed wireless internet. Interns are expected to work a full work week with a day or two off each week. Plenty of local natural beauty, hiking, swimming holes, biking trails and more.

Contact Mecca at turtlebendfarm@gmail.com for an application or call us at 678-986-9776.

Irrigation is important...

2010-04-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

Last year we learned just how important a proper irrigation system is for a diversified vegetable farm. I know it seems crazy to think about irrigation after all of the rain we have experienced in the past 8 months, but we can't forget last June, not to mention the previous years of drought. But irrigation ain't cheap, so we applied for a grant through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to install a drip irrigation system on 5 acres of our field. About a month ago we were awarded participation in their cost-share program, which would also include drilling a well. About a week and a half ago, Henry Duke of Abernathy Drilling in Armuchee, GA came down the old logging road into our field to drill the well. They had already come out and surveyed the road to see if their HUGE rigs could make it and decided they could do it in the drier weather. We got our well (200 ft. with 23gal/minute!), but what follows is our home video of two bulldozers who just happened to be in the nieghborhood pulling one of their rigs out of the swampy area beside the road. Just one tire ran off in the mud, but that was enough to strand the truck all day until both dozers could come and pull it out. Luckily, it was not the larger rig that got stuck! Thanks Henry Duke, Henry's son, Goat Cummings, Robin Brooks and the Rome NRCS for making irrigation a reality on our farm!

More photographs from Emily Dryden Photography

2010-04-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

Check out Emily's latest visit to our farm- notice the well drilling rig in the background of the last picture. This was a crazy, hot day, but we hit water at 190 feet!
http://emilydryden.com/2010/04/03/turtle-bend-farm-project/

Spring!

2010-03-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here and the farm is rolling into action with more planting, soil preparation and fence expansion. In the past two weeks, we have planted approximately 800 broccoli plants, 1600 cabbage plants, 200 collard plants, 1600 cauliflower plants, and tomorrow we will plant another 1,000 onions and 400 bok choi. We are also beginning our weeding regimen, beginning with our garlic rows, and moving on to the onions next week. We are also happy to report that many of our english peas we planted before the 4 inch rain are popping up out of the ground! We are so thrilled to begin our 2010 season and are enjoying the hard work in the great outdoors. Our 24 hens are also beginning to lay and we are receiving over a dozen eggs a day at this point. We are pursuing our license to sell eggs at the farmers market, but we can still sell them from the farm, so if you live near Rockmart, give us a call or an email and we will tell you where to come pick up a dozen brown eggs from us for $3. We now have egg cartons too. Our chickens will provide a vital source of soil nutrients as we rotate them around our field in fallow areas throughout the year. We are also happy to report that our first CSA session is now FULL! We will have another session beginning in mid/late July and running for 10 weeks- this session will include a large portion of summer crops and then some early fall crops towards the end. Email us if you would like more information. Turtle Bend Farm is now in full swing and beginning in mid-May we will be attending both the Marietta Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings in historic downtown Marietta, and the Decatur Farmers' Market on Wednesday afternoons (4-7). You can find the websites for these markets here: http://www.mariettasquarefarmersmarket.net/ and here: http://decaturfarmersmarket.com/wordpress/

Next week we will also begin planting our 1800 kale plants, the rest of our bok choi, and seeding other crops like carrots, turnips, radishes and greens. Stay tuned! Pictures to come!

First Spring Planting!

2010-03-09T13:44:00.001-08:00

What gorgeous weather we have had the past several days! We took advantage of it out here at Turtle Bend Farm and made our first spring planting. In the far right of the photograph you can see our 4,000 onion plants, including red, yellow and white onions, and 1,200 leek plants as well. This could not have been possible in one day without the help of our friends who were passing through, Maisie and Eric. Thanks ya'll!! Then, yesterday we seeded a large amount of sugar snap peas, snow peas, english shell peas, carrots, spinach and turnips. That's Adam on my dad's old ford tractor with our 5 foot tiller hooked up and running to make a good seed bed. Today, Adam went back and planted collards, more shell peas, more carrots and arugula! We were so excited and satisfied to have some seeds in the ground, and now we hope for a good amount of rain to water these seeds in the ground. Adam is now fertilizing the onions and our garlic (that we planted last fall) with fish emulsion fertlizer. We will be working on developing our trellis system for the climbing peas as well, and next week we will seed more spring vegetables. Later this week we will begin starting our tomato and pepper plants indoors. We are starting over 20 varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomato plants of all shapes, sizes and colors!! Get ready for some yummy vegetables this year from Turtle Bend Farm!!!

Turtle Bend's Vegetable Subscription Now Open!

2010-02-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

We are now accepting applications for our 2010 Spring Vegetable Subscription! This is the same thing as a CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The idea is that local farmers need the direct, deliberate support of their surrounding community in order to be successful, and likewise, community members need the direct exchange with local farmers in order to fully meet their food-related needs.

The CSA, or vegetable subscription, begins during the week of May 1st and runs for 10 weeks until the first week in July.

What quantities of vegetables are included in the subscription?
Each subscription includes a weekly bag of our seasonal vegetables for ten consecutive weeks. Each week, members will receive 5-8 different varieties of seasonal vegetables. Portions will be standard sizes such as one bunch of carrots or ¼ pound of salad greens. Each week’s vegetables should be enough to provide a typical family with vegetable side dishes or main dishes for several meals per week.

What types of vegetables can we expect in the spring subscription?
Spring vegetables are often forgotten in the Southern garden, but we have a wonderful opportunity in our climate to grow both cool weather and warm weather foods. You can expect to receive some of the following foods each week: Arugula (spicy salad green), Beets, Bok Choi (asian green, good in stir-fry), Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Celeriac (related to celery, great for soups), Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, Upland Cress (AKA Creasy Greens- spicy green, native plant also grows in wild), Fennel (bulb), Garlic, Kale, Kohlrabi (related to broccoli, good raw or cooked), cut Lettuce, head Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Onions (red, white and yellow), Peas (English, sugar snap, snow), Parsnips, Radishes, Shallots, Spinach and Turnips. We will provide recipes for unfamiliar and familiar foods.
We try to give you the most variety possible so you won’t have all of one type of food. Each week will be slightly different according to what is maturing in the field.
For example, the first week’s bag may include the following:
¼- ½ lb spinach ½ -1 lb sugar snap peas
1 bunch carrots 1 bunch radishes
1 bunch collards 1 bunch turnips
¼ lb Arugula

What is the cost?
Our subscription costs $20 per week for ten weeks. We prefer that members pay the total amount of $200 prior to May 1st if possible. We have several payment options listed on the application. If these options do not suit you but you are enthusiastic about joining our subscription, please contact us directly to discuss other payment options.

How do I receive the weekly vegetables?
We are opening the spring subscription to 40 memberships this season. Our goal is to serve the communities of Rockmart, Rome, Dallas, Marietta, Kennesaw and some points in between. We offer four options for receiving your vegetables:
1. Pick up your subscriptions at the Marietta Square Farmers’ Market. This is the preferred option for members in the Marietta and Kennesaw areas. We will be at our booth at the Marietta Square Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings between 7am and 12:00pm. This is also a good way to see what other vegetables are available from our farm.
2. Form a drop-site. We are happy to deliver vegetables to groups of at least three or more subscribers. We have a couple of groups of friends or neighbors that have formed collective drop sites and we greatly appreciate it. We have high demand for our subscription and will give preference to subscribers that participate in a collective drop site. All deliveries will be made on Wednesdays.
3. Arrange a home delivery. We may be able to deliver vegetables to your home if it is not too far out of our way. We ask that you add a $20 to your total payment to help us offset our additional costs of delivery. If you are able to find several friends or neighbors interested in the subscription, you can avoid the additional charge by pooling your deliveries.
4. Pick it up from our house in Rockmart. You can pick up your vegetables directly from our house. Rockmart customers must choose this option in most cases.

If you are interested in joining our vegetable subscription, send us an email at turtlebendfarm@gmail.com and we will send you our application. Just return it with your payment and we will include you in our subscription! We expect a high interest in our subscription, so don't wait until the last minute!

Emily Dryden's Photo-documentary of Turtle Bend

2010-02-23T10:33:00.001-08:00

Talented free-lance Atlanta-based photographer, Emily Dryden, is beginning a photo documentary of our farm. She visited us last fall and has recently posted some of these photos on her own blog. She will continue to visit and produce her creative, tasteful and artistic images of our farm. We are so excited to welcome Emily Dryden to our farm and to share with you her wonderful work. Look for more photographs from Emily in the upcoming year, but in the meantime check out her blog and the entry about our farm: www.emilydryden.wordpress.com

What do farmers do in the winter?

2010-02-10T07:13:00.001-08:00

Winter time is a unique time on the farm because all of our crops are finished. We did sow some winter rye on parts of the field as a cover crop and it is bright green if you can believe it. We have also been working this winter on building our infrastructure on the field and planning for the upcoming season. Our winter projects have included field clean-up, fence moving, and drainage improvement. We have been removing row covers and taking down trellises from last year's season. We are also expanding into the entire 8 acre field so we are moving our deer fence to accommodate more growing space. Some of the new space will not be in production until the fall or even next spring, but we want to begin working the soil and growing cover crops so we can improve soil structure, nutrient content and suppress weeds. We have been tearing out an old beaver dam that has clogged some of our field drainage. We have also ordered a tractor implement called a "disc bedder" that will mound up our growing beds so that plant roots can have more space and better drainage. We do have one crop growing in the field: GARLIC! We planted about 700 row feet of garlic for harvest in early summer. The next crops we will plant are onions and leeks, followed by spring peas and carrots! We are getting very excited for our 2010 season and have already ordered and received MOST of our spring and summer seeds! We will begin starting plants indoors as early as this week. We plan to have a larger variety of herbs and vegetables this year, along with a larger quantity. See our next entry (above) for information about how to purchase vegetables from us this season.

2009-11-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

A variety of pictures- Top, Chickens free-rangin'; a full view of our field!; our fall veggie patch featuring our frost protective row covers; our green bean patch that produced so much; watermelons all in a row.

More pictures

2009-11-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

More of our veggies- Top, parsley and basil herb mix; radish bunches; burgundy and green okra; delicata squash- yummy!

November already?

2009-11-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

Wow- we cannot believe November is already here! We have had a busy fall, with many plantings and subsequent flooding. We also added some chickens to the field, and have been making our deliveries to our vegetable subscribers. Although we lost many crops to the rain, we have still had a productive fall. Below are some more pictures of our farm from this season. The first set are from the first week of our CSA, with my mom helping us pack our hot peppers and herbs. Adam is the radish-buncher and I like to weigh out green beans. Also pictured are some of our acorn squash. My parents have been patient and kind enough to let us use their garage for a storage and packing space while our house is being finished (that's another story...).

More pictures, including new chickens on the field!

2009-10-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some more flooding pictures, along with some other pictures around the farm. One of Adam with the new chickens in their rotating chicken tractor. This adds a vital element to our farm- fertlizer! We are now rotating the chickens through our expired summer crops where we will plant in the spring!

Recent Flooding

2009-10-14T13:12:00.001-07:00

Turtle Bend Farm recently suffered some flood damage. We lost some of our baby plants (twice) and here are some pictures from around our field.

Marietta Square Farmers' Market

2009-09-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

We will be attending the Marietta Square Farmers' Market beginning this Saturday, Sept. 26th. Our local Dallas Farmers' Market has come to a close and we are still producing lots of vegetables. We hope you can come find us there on Saturday morning between 8am-12. This week we will have green beans, okra, crowder peas, radishes and more! Find out more about the Marietta Square Farmers' Market at their website:

http://www.mariettasquarefarmersmarket.net/

Above picture is a sweet potato flower!

Close Call

2009-09-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

We had a close call with the recent flash flooding that occurred in Georgia over the past week. While many others had it worse with 14 inches of rain in one downpour, we were worried about our new fall crops that are in the ground. Our entire field is surrounded on three sides by a creek that is always flowing. We saw it rise higher than ever before. Our entire 7-acre field was under 2-3 inches of water in a matter of minutes. Needless to say, Adam said that he felt nauseous during that experience. Thankfully, our losses were minor because the water was able to drain off in a timely matter. Below are some more farm pictures from before the rain. You can see our trellis for our summer field peas, and that's my niece holding a container of our french green beans. Most of these crops are coming to an end and we are transitioning into our fall crops.

Trust, Integrity and Social Accountability

2009-08-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there are opportunities to stand up for something that you believe in. We recently had one such chance at one of our local farmers' markets. We thought that the Powder Springs Farmers' Market would be a good place to bring our vegetables and meet folks in our area including other farmers. Well, it was a good place for some of those things, but we soon realized that the market was not keeping their end of the bargain. The farmers' market is operated by a board and a market coordinator. They set their rules at the beginning of the season and all vendors signed an agreement to follow the rules. Among their rules is a restriction on selling produce that was not grown by the vendor- wholesale produce. It's the same stuff you would find in the grocery store- these vendors go down to the Atlanta Farmers' market where other wholesalers are selling commercially grown produce from around the country and the world for dirt cheap. The re-seller then takes this produce to a local farmers market, gussied up with bushel baskets and a thick southern accent- oh, and don't forget the boiled peanuts, and hocks his wares for cheap and makes a killing off of unsuspecting customers. "Oh yeah, I grew ALL this stuff- best watermelons you've ever tasted- just put them on the truck last night." You can hear the lies echoed through the farmers market parking lot. One customer recently found a "grown in the USA" sticker on this wholesaler's "homegrown" cantaloupe. Well, many farmers markets around Atlanta have wised up to ol' vegetable hockin' Joe and have created rules that prohibit this practice. The Powder Springs Farmers Market has some similar rules on their books- with a few exceptions, or loopholes as you might call them. You see, several board members for this market are from the local Merchants' Association, and they have one goal- to increase the downtown foot-traffic in order to increase patronage in their stores. They want as many vegetables as possible all season long, even when the vegetables are out of season- like tomatoes in May, or watermelons for the 4th of July. Vendors who resell are supposed to post a sign that the items is not grown by them, and the items must also be Georgia grown. But instead of enforcing these rules that would help keep the market fair, the board just looks the other way and allows the rules to be broken. The result? Rampant wholesaling, lying vendors, and the "real" farmers get undercut by the low prices of resold vegetables. Well, we brought our complaint about the lack of enforcement to a member of the farmers market board. He not only refused to enforce the rules, but threatened to call the police if we came to the market and caused a "disturbance." He didn't appreciate our point of view to say the least. Somehow, because he was in a "volunteer" position, he was not responsible for enforcing the rules they had laid out. It is our belief that in these types of situations, a long lost tool called "social accountability" must be resurrected. Somehow it is offensive to hold someone accountable- he even threatened legal action if we went public with this- well here ya go sir- no, I won't print your name, but it's pretty easy to figure out who's on the board that's not a farmer.

What has happened to community values? Why must everything be rationalized along economic lines? Can't we understand that a constant predisposition towards "earning a buck" is not what's best for our society? I hope that anyone who reads this will take seriously their position as community members, as people in society, and live with integrity, honesty and claim some values and stand by them! Contrary to what Mr. Merchant board member or Mr. Lying wholesaler think- it's OK to believe in something and stand up for it. So, we will no longer be selling at this unfair and corrupt market- I hope that customers of this market will get to know their produce vendors- a few bad apples can spoil the bunch in this case. I would tell you, like I have before, to ask the vendor if he or she grew their produce, but in this case, you would have gotten a bold faced lie. If we are going to change our food system then we have to stand up for the values that it must represent- honesty, transparency & sustainability for starters. If farmers' markets begin to sell the same food that is available in the grocery store, then we have not really changed anything- "local" and "natural" become just a marketing scam. If local food networks are to be more meaningful than the conventional food system, then consumers must begin to gain more knowledge about agriculture and food so that they can hold farmers and vendors accountable. Likewise, farmers may need to raise their expectations of consumers. Perhaps there should be more than just a monetary transaction over food? Should consumers be more involved in farming and food so that they form closer relationships with farmers? I don't know the answer, but I know that sometimes you have to look closer to understand the difference between a scam artist and a hardworking farmer.

Busy as Bees

2009-08-12T07:45:00.001-07:00

Man this summer has absolutely flown by. I'm not saying it's over- but there are signs that the seasons- both cultural and ecological- are changing. Kids are going back to school, we are ordering our fall seeds like crazy, and some of our summer crops are winding down. The tomatoes will soon give in to the late blight, cucumbers succumbed to the powdery mildew (although we have another succession coming on), but the green beans keep rolling! We are harvesting some of the most beautiful french green beans I have ever seen! Adam has been working really hard to help all of our crops along- weeding, watering and most importantly- harvesting! We are also beginning to see the first of our okra!! We have the traditional clemson spineless variety, a slender burgundy variety, and a fat hill country red variety. Our silverqueen corn is almost ready- begging for rain!! We also have another crop of black-eyed peas maturing. We will have some red ripper peas very soon- they are nice and plump and pinkish in color- if you like peas you will have to try them.

As a part of our efforts to support ecological diversity on our two cultivated acres of vegetables, we have strategically planted buckwheat in rows between winter squash, around the second succession of summer squash, and anywhere in general with open ground. We use the buckwheat as a cover crop and it is useful for several reasons. The first is that it is fast growing, shading out other weeds. Second, it produces a nice head of small white flowers that attract THRONGS of bees and wasps which are beneficial insects- they help polinate plants and some of them will actually eat other bugs, like squash bugs, that like to eat our crops. THere is a serious vibration of bees going on early in the morning in the rows of buckwheat- I will post a picture of this soon. We are going to mow down the buckwheat before it goes to seed and leave it as a mulch for our winter squash to grow on.

We are still gearing up for our fall vegetable subscription. I will be sending out an email to all of the folks who have shown interest or signed our email list at the farmers' markets over the past month. We will start our subscription during the first week in October and it will run for 10 weeks until the first week of December. If you are interested in receiving a weekly box of organic vegetables this fall, please contact us as soon as possible to be considered. We only have room for about 25 shares, so space is limited. We will be serving our surounding area- including Dallas, Powder Springs, Rockmart and anywhere in between. We need to have a cluster of customers for each delivery location so tell your friends!! See the previous post for a list of the vegetables that we will be growing.

We hope that all of you continue to visit the farmers markets as the seasons change. There is no reason that most of the farmers markets should have to end anytime soon- we will continue to produce food for several more months!! Come say hello to us at the Dallas Farmers Market in the historic downtown every Saturday morning between 8am & 11:30. We are also regulars at the Powder Springs farmers market in historic downtown Powder Springs on Thursdays from 4-8. The farmers markets are alot of fun because they offer a variety of products in addition to vegetables, such as baked goods and honey. Both markets also have live music on some days. In Dallas we have enjoyed seeing the Llama's come visit (that's right- live llamas!) and the greyhound dogs! We also really enjoy talking to folks who come by and talking to the other farmers. We love seeing families come and it's a great way for kids to learn more about where food comes from.

Fall Vegetable Subscription

2009-07-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

As summer vegetables are in full swing, we are already looking to the fall production. We have decided to offer a 10-week subscription to a weekly box of seasonal fall and late summer vegetables. Some of you may not be very familiar with this new way of connecting with a farm to enjoy their seasonal harvest. The way it works is that a farm finds interested customers who want to enjoy their fresh produce regularly and support the local farm in the process. Farmers need to have an idea of how many people are going to buy their products before they spend all that time and money producing it, so the customers sign up to become members of a seasonal vegetable subscription. Many people now call this model "Community Supported Agriculture" or CSA for short because it is literally through the support of the local community that the farm is able to be successful. As you might have noticed, most of the produce you buy in the store, and even some that you buy at farmers' markets (see previous post), is shipped in from other states, namely Florida and California. Many times the produce is picked unripe and allowed to ripen in transit, compromising the taste, nutrition and overall quality of the food. With our farm, we pick the produce the day before we sell it, if not the same day! And, your money is able to stay in the community, benefiting other local businesses and helping to preserve surrounding farmland. So, that's some of the reasoning behind it, now here are some of the logistics: Our Fall CSA will begin during the week of September 21st and will run for 1o weeks. During that time, we will provide you and your family with a weekly box of fresh, naturally grown vegetables. Each box will contain 5-7 different vegetables. We are selling the boxes for $20 each, but the vegetables are often worth more than that. We ask that each member commit to the entire season through one of our payment methods. Please ask us about those options. Finally, once we know where our customers are located, we will arrange some drop-off sites where we can meet to deliver your vegetable boxes. Ideally, we would like to have several customers for each drop site, so tell your friends! Vegetables will include: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, radishes, lettuce, winter squash, sweet potatoes, collard greens, mustard greens, turnips, swiss chard, garlic and spinach. Some of our late summer crops will also be included, such as green beans, summer squash and anything else that is still producing. Please contact us for more information and to sign up. We will only have 20-25 slots available so space is limited. To learn more about CSA programs, click here. To sign up for ours, email us or call. Our contact information is on our blog and on our listing here.

Harvest and going to Market

2009-07-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Our summertime vegetables have finally started rolling in and we have been able to start providing naturally grown produce to our surrounding community. We first visited the Dallas Farmers Market and we have really enjoyed meeting folks there and sending them home with a couple of pounds of green beans, some tasty cucumbers or some colorful heirloom tomatoes! So far, we have the following items for sale from our farm: heirloom tomatoes, green, red and orange bell peppers, hot peppers, french-style green beans, regular bush snap beans, fresh basil, black-eyed peas, corn, pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, squash and zucchini. We have also been visiting the Cedartown farmers' market on Tuesdays- it's quite a bit slower but we have enjoyed getting to talk to folks and meet the other vendors. Finally, we visited the Powder Springs Farmers' Market yesterday. We met some really wonderful people from My Dad and Me Family Farm who produce vegetables, raw cow's milk, broiler meat chickens and homemade breads. Much of our time was spent getting to know these wonderful people. The market would have been better had it not been for a few produce vendors who were simply hocking stuff they had bought from a wholesaler. They sell the same produce you would find in a grocery store for dirt cheap and many consumers can't tell the difference. It is the worst thing for farmers like us who have worked so hard to produce clean, fresh, local food only to have somebody who has not sweated and worked undercut us. I challenge all of you reading this to ask the vendor if they grew it or where it came from- You can tell the farmer who has been working hard to bring you good food because they will be able to look you honestly in the eyes and tell you it came from their own hard work. Then you will know why it cost an extra dollar or two- because it is reflecting the true cost of food, keeping your local farmers in business, and it is going back into your own community. Ok, enough soap-boxing but we just had to vent about that. Please come out and say hello to us at any of these local markets: Peek's Park in Cedartown on Tuesdays from 6:30am-8:30am, Downtown Powder Springs on Thursdays from 4pm-8pm, and Downtown Dallas on Saturdays from 8am-noon! If you cannot make it to one of these markets and especially if you are Rockmart, please contact us and we will make arrangements so that you can buy some fresh, naturally grown produce from us. We follow organic standards but we are not certified- no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides- and we are growing our crops from organic and heirloom seeds!

Late June Update

2009-06-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

Well things have been very busy over at Turtle Bend Farm this month. The top picture is Mecca and her niece, Alyssa, in the field of blooming buckwheat at sunset. The bottom picture are the freshly staked and tied heirloom tomato plants.

Adam has working sun-up to sun-down this month to get the farm running and he has succeeded! The plants are about to catch up with us, but until then, here's our mid-June farm update:

Irrigation

Despite the fact that the rest of the continental United States has received record rainfall for the month of June, Northwest Georgia has not. East Tennessee, North Carolina, and Northeast Georgia have been hammered with afternoon thundershowers, while 50 miles to the south Turtle Bend Farm has seen no June rain. The farm field has literally received 0.3 inches of rain for the month of June in a month that normally gets around 4-5 inches of rain. To make matters worse, temperatures have remained in the low to mid nineties everyday. Needless to say, irrigating our two acres of vegetables has become a time consuming task. Fortunately, the drip irrigation that we have installed beside the tomatoes, peppers, and beans conserve labor, time and water. The dry conditions have forced us to water crops such as corn and sorghum, which can usually be drought resistant. We do not have a good system for overhead watering yet, so Adam has been moving the tanks and the water pump around the field in order to irrigate with overhead sprayers. If we continue without rain the irrigation system will have to be revamped so that it is not so time consuming and laborious. The creek levels have dropped from the lack of rain but are still maintaining their summer flow.

Harvest

Even though we got a late start in our first season, everything looks good and we are fairly close to our first big harvest. We are planning to attend our first markets next week, possibly on July 4^th. The heirloom tomatoes look good and are tied to tobacco sticks we picked up while visiting family in North Carolina. It was a time consuming task so hopefully it will support the weight of the tomatoes. We will have to figure out a better system for next year, when we anticipate doing twice as many tomatoes. Our bell pepper plants are heavy with green peppers and some are starting to turn their beautiful shades of yellow and orange. We will likely bring some green bell’s to sell next week while we let most of them ripen on the plant. We will also have a good first crop of green beans, squash and zucchini. Our black-eyed peas are looking extraordinary with their dark green leaves and yellow flowers. We aren’t sure if we will have the time to actually shell the peas for our customers or if they will just have to do that on their own. We have considered investing in a pea sheller but we have heard that they can damage the delicate peas.

Planting

In anticipation for our fall season we ordered plenty of winter squash like butternut, pumpkins, and spaghetti so they can be ready in October. Winter squash are planted in the summer and stay on the vine till it dries in the fall. They are called “winter” squash because they will keep through most of the winter. We have also been keeping up with our successions of green beans so that we can have tender, young green beans for our customers throughout the entirety of their season. We have also recently planted a crop of sorghum sugar cane, which will hopefully provide a small bit of molasses and a good seed crop for next year’s larger sorghum patch. If we have any extra molasses we will pass that on to our customers this year, and next year we plan to have a larger quantity.

Local Harvest Website

2009-06-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

We have created a listing for our farm on a website that has been successful at creating a database of local farmers, farmers markets and restaurants that produce, sell or buy locally produced foods. Local Harvest is a good tool for anyone looking for sources of local food. You can see our listing here and view the list of crops we are growing and see when and where we will be selling them at farmers' markets around our area.

Early June 2009

2009-06-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Irrigation:

Our system is set up and is complete with two 275 gallon water tanks, a gas powered pump, drip irrigation, and cool spring-fed creek water. Special thanks to Morgan Hardware, of Rockmart, and their friendly staff for helping us with the proper PVC pipe connections. (wow, that was confusing). Another big thanks to Chaz Holt of Holt Heritage Farm & Supply in Euharlee, GA for his help with ordering our drip irrigation set-up. There were a lot of unknowns when it came to the amount of pressure coming from our tanks to the drip lines but, it is up and working without a problem. So basically the water is pumped into the tank and then gravity and the weight of the water pushes the water through the drip lines which are at the base of each plant. If only we could eventually find an affordable solar powered water pump we would not be using any fossil fuels to irrigate our fields. We will post pictures soon.

Planted and Planting:

We got a late start this year because of the move from Alabama but have been busy to get in everything that we can. So far we have about 300 heirloom tomato plants that are looking really good, 150 sweet and hot peppers, 2 varieties of green beans, various southern peas, sweet potatoes, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, black beans, silver queen corn, several types of melons, and swiss chard planted. We got our second round of seeds in yesterday so we are really enjoying watching the rain fall today. We have yet to plant our pumpkins and our sorghum sugar cane. We also have a good crop of buckwheat coming in- we are just using this for a cover crop but we might try to harvest some of it depending on how difficult and laborious it might be without the proper equipment.

Harvest:

We just harvested our first crop of Turtle Bend Farm: Garlic. It is planted and the fall and matures in the late spring and early summer. Most of this garlic will be cured, dried, and used for seed garlic next year so we can have giant harvest and have some for sale. The varieties were artichoke and creole which are suited for warm weather. Special thanks to our first summer intern of the year and long time friend, Zack Pozebanchuck. He is pictured in the bottom photo weeding the garlic plants and Adam is in the middle photo.

Our Standards for Production

2009-05-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

Adam and I believe in following sustainable agricultural practices. Although what is considered "sustainable" may change over time, we are committed to constantly learning about new and existing ways to produce healthy food that help preserve our surrounding natural resources, promote ecological diversity on and around our farm, and protect the food we produce from any harmful substances. Although we are currently undecided on whether to become certified "organic" or certified "naturally grown" or not certified at all, our customers and neighbors can rest assured that our agricultural practices meet or exceed the requirements of these certification programs. Simply put, that means that we will employ natural methods for building soil fertility, such as cover crops and organic or natural soil amendments. We will never spray crops with harmful pesticides or other chemicals that have not been approved by organic or naturally grown certification programs. We will encourage biodiversity on our farm in order to promote natural processes of insect and disease control and we will rotate our crops to discourage disease. Although Adam and I have a lot to learn about agriculture, we are committed to providing our customers and our community with the cleanest, highest quality fruits and vegetables possible. We are also committed to transparency and we are happy to address any suggestions, questions or comments that you may have. We hope to bring high-quality, nutritious foods to your table this season.

Turtle Bend comes alive!

2009-05-18T08:50:00.001-07:00

The farming has officially begun!! Adam and I finally put some seeds and plants in the ground on Friday and Saturday as the rain held off until dark on Saturday night. Our tomato starts look wonderful- all 300 of them! We have a great assortment of heirloom varieties. We did buy about 45 organic tomato starts from Melanie Hernandez at Youngs Mill Plant Farm in Kingston, GA because we were unsure about how ours would do- but it turns out that our method of seeding in soil blocks (prescribed by Elliot Coleman) made beautiful, strong tomato starts. We will have the following varieties: Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Yellow Brandywine, Arkansas Traveler, Roma, Aunt Ruby's German Cherry, Principe Borghese, Kellogg, and one more I can't think of at the moment. Get ready to have heirloom tomato sandwiches, salsas and more!

We also planted about 100 pepper plants. We have a good mix of sweet peppers and hot peppers. We planted eggplant (2 varities) and basil. We seeded our first successions of green beans (2 varieties), black eyed peas, sweet corn, pickling and eating cucumbers, zucchini and summer squash. Oh, and we planted about 90 sweet potato slips! Next weekend we will be putting in our okra, along with more corn, peas, squash and more! We also finally took some pictures of our area, although we still need a panoramic shot of the field.

Adam also got the fence up and running. Now we just have to install the gate and get another charger to increase our voltage. The fence will hopefully deter the deer from eating our crops! The other good news is that Adam only has one week of teaching school before he becomes a full-time farmer! He spent every waking hour this weekend tirelessly working on the farm and loving every minute of it. He used our new tiller and my dad's tractor for the first time this weekend and really transformed our field into beautiful beds of rich soil. We also planted 1 acre of buckwheat for a cover crop. We are competing with some aggressive grasses (Johnson Grass) so we are trying to introduce some healthy competition!

The pictures from top to bottom: Those are our sweet potato slips freshly planted; my brother, Jordan, and his daughter, Alyssa on my dad's Ford tractor; a beautiful storm cloud headed for us; our first bed of tomato plants; Mecca seeding flats of tomatoes about a month ago.

Irrigation blues

2009-05-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

One issue that we have had the most trouble figuring out has been irrigation. We decided early on that we were going to irrigate from the creek using a gas-powered pump because there is no well closeby and no electricity run to the field (yet). We contacted our local NRCS office about applying for a cost-share for irrigation and to learn about how to set up our irrigation. We got good news and bad news. The good news is that they have engineers who can design a system for us since we qualify as "small-scale" producers, but that wouldn't be ready for several months. The bad news is that we can't get any cost share until we clear $1,000 of farm income, and even then, our application wouldn't go through until next year. So, we were on our own. After scouring the internet and coming up short on technical information, we finally figured it out ourselves with a little help from random people who sold different pieces of our irrigation system. We bought two 250 gallon tanks from a guy who listed them on craigslist. Then we went to Tractor Supply and bought a gas-powered water pump, hoses and other fixtures. We finally got a good farm boy who knew something about moving water and he was a big help. The last piece was the drip lines. Because we are going to run a low-pressure system, the drip lines are our best bet. We are lucky to have the Holt Family Farm Supply in nearby Euharlee, GA. Charles Holt is a dripworks distributor and he is ordering our drip lines and other fixtures. We hope to get this system going this weekend and I will post some pictures of that as well. Whew! Water is important! One thing we have realized in trying to figure out everything from straight fencelines to pumping water is that there IS a use for that math we learned in high school! If only we could remember it!

Weekend Farmers

2009-05-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Right now we are weekend farmers. We have been traveling up to Rockmart, GA from Auburn, AL every weekend for the past month or so to start working our field and getting the farm ready. Initially, we thought we would go work on some other farms this summer and start our own farm next year. My dad plowed the field for us because we were going to plant a cover crop of buckwheat to start preparing the field for next year. Once we saw that beautiful soil and beautiful surroundings, we decided to go ahead and start our farm this year. We figured that half of learning how to farm is learning at the particular piece of land you are farming with. Plus, we just bought a small house across the road from our field and just couldn't imagine going to live somewhere else with a perfectly good house sitting there. So, that's why we are currently farming on the weekends, but only for another two weekends. Adam's teaching job will be ending in a week and a half and after that he will be on the field full time. Mecca still has to finish up her master's thesis, but she will still be able to spend more time farming this summer.

So, last weekend we made some progress. Although it was still too wet to till and plant, we made some headway on our fence and will be able to finish it up this weekend. Unfortunately I forgot to bring the camera, so pictures will be up next week.

Starting up!

2009-05-06T08:45:00.001-07:00

My husband and I are starting a small organic vegetable farm in Northwest Georgia. We are farming on some of my family's land that has been in our family for generations and was used by my grandfather for a dairy farm. Now we are plowing up one field and starting our own farm. We have been talking about doing this for several years and since our two year stint in the public education realm (Adam has been teaching 7th grade geography and Mecca has been going to graduate school) we are eager to change our lifestyles. We are going full throttle into self-employment. We also just purchased a foreclosed home across the street from our field and are renovating it (lifting it up and putting a foundation underneath it!).

In our initial set-up of the farm, we are almost done building a deer exclusion fence. We were able to remove some old cattle fence posts from other parts of the property so we have saved a pile of money doing that. We are doing an electric fence in the hopes of staving off the deer.

We also just purchased a King Cutter 5 ft. tractor tiller. My father has a tractor so we are going to use that for now.

We are going to grow all kinds of seasonal vegetables and specialize in southern heirloom varieties and cultural favorites, like cowpeas, okra, tomatoes, corn and cucumbers. We will start out selling to four different farmers markets around our area, including Rome, Dallas, Powder Springs and Cedartown. We want to sell as locally as possibly but we know that we will probably have to reach into Atlanta in order to find sufficient demand for our organic veggies.

I will post pictures soon!