He doesn’t hop on and off the John Deere the way he used to. Doesn’t even try getting behind the wheel of the GMC pickup. Yet, the highlight of each day is surveying the Brock family farm and its inhabitants from the truck. He has to be outdoors. Has to be in charge. It’s who […]
Archive | farm
Museum of Appalachia Invites Families to Explore Year-Around
October 20, 2015
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 […]
Continue Reading By FlourSackMama on October 20, 2015 in antique, Appalachia, education, families, family, farm
Kids Day at Oak Ridge, Tennessee Farmers Market
May 22, 2015
“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 […]
Saturdays in the Garden 2015
May 9, 2015
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 […]
Why GMO Labeling is as American as Frog Legs & Apple Pie
February 16, 2015
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, […]
Continue Reading By FlourSackMama on February 16, 2015 in agriculture, family, farm, food, GMO, organic
5 Reasons to Pick Local Thanksgiving Food
November 21, 2014
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 […]
Back to the Roots Restaurant Week for East Tennessee with Certified Naturally Grown
September 9, 2014
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 […]
Continue Reading By FlourSackMama on September 9, 2014 in agriculture, conscious consumerism, eating better, farm, farming, food
Green Goes Mainstream: Rodale Institute says Organic Agriculture Could Reverse Climate Change
July 31, 2014
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 […]
Continue Reading By FlourSackMama on July 31, 2014 in agriculture, farm, farming, organic, pollinators, sustainable
Saturdays in the Garden: Tiny Insect Inhabitants & Organic Care for the Ecosystem
May 31, 2014
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. […]
Continue Reading By FlourSackMama on May 31, 2014 in agriculture, environment, environmental health, family, farm, garden, gardening, organic, outdoor, parenting, pesticides, safer chemicals, toxic, wildlife
Organic Valley Farm Family Takes Pride in Pampered Dairy Herd
April 23, 2014
*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 […]
Continue Reading By FlourSackMama on April 23, 2014 in agriculture, family, farm, farming, food, green, non-GMO, organic, sustainable
