The spectacularly blue October sky stretched high above the green fields and weather-worn barns where people had gathered to celebrate the season. Music sounded from the stage hung with a red, white and blue flag, as well as from a cantilever barn turned into another stage. My daughters sought out ice cream and apple cider […]
“Where does your body get its energy?” “Batteries?” “Your body runs on food…” “Who knows where we get protein?” asked the guest at the front of the room. “Protein bars,” answered the anxious 3rd grader holding up his hand! “Well, that’s a processed food,” retired teacher Marjorie Ford answered patiently. The East Tennessee farmer went […]
Get my newsletter by signing up here! As a young professional working in the news business, I didn’t think I had time to garden. So, on a summer trip home to see my folks, they sent me home with an entire paper bag loaded down with homegrown tomatoes. Somehow they survived the trip in the […]
Some of my uncles used tell a little white lie to the kids in the family about frog gigging in the Ozarks. Apparently, they discarded the frog carcasses in the creek after cutting off the prized legs, and they told the children those frogs would regrow their legs again. I don’t know much about gigging, […]
How much do you know about the food that will fill your family’s table this Thanksgiving? Will you know where it came from or how it was produced? Before you give thanks, will your gratitude include that for not only food abundance, but food quality along with a healthy community? Here are 5 reasons to […]
When you spend your hard-earned money to dine at a restaurant, do you savor ingredients from a giant can that traveled hundreds of miles via a food service company or would you rather eat from a local farm? East Tennesseans who prefer real, farm-fresh food have the chance to support the local food economy with […]
World leaders, Fortune 500 executives and climate scientists are all discussing solutions to impending climate change chaos. They’re crunching numbers and exploring how new technology could help. In our ongoing Green Goes Mainstream series, we hear from agriculture experts who’ve discovered that the solution to climate change could be right under our feet. Leading research […]
Venture inside the organic garden gate and you’ll find a bustling world of tiny inhabitants. These insects create an ecologically diverse community, giving to and receiving from various plants what each needs for survival. Sure, an imbalance of pests can threaten a crop. That’s why integrated pest management is the ideal aim of organic gardeners. […]
*The following is a sponsored post for Stonyfield Organic, in cooperation with Organic Valley. The evening sun was still a couple of hours away from setting when the cows lined up for their leisurely walk toward the milking parlor at Muddy Water Farms. The East Tennessee farm setting was mostly green pasture and overcast blue […]
Family farmers and seed growers are disappointed in the United States Supreme Court’s decision to not hear landmark case Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association et al v Monsanto. The organic and non-GMO farmers feel their concerns about defending themselves from genetically modified organism crop contamination should be heard. Their case also states concerns about the […]
Anne is a mother, wife and independent journalist blogging about carrying on the best of Grandma’s traditions while improving on what we know better.