What's New...

The summer season is still hanging on but there is a difference in the light and in the air. There is actually a hint of a breeze from the north. The summer has been hot. Okay, it has been hell hot but September is finally here and that means here in the south "something's got to give".

It has been a summer of change and of new opportunities. A change in the partnership here at the farm has also put a change in my perspective on how the business is doing and where is it that I want it to go.  Funny how things get into a rut and then when you give it all a little shake it brings things to the top that should be or could be changed.  Some of the changes won't be too obvious except to those who follow me religiously (my stalkers as I like to call them). Some may notice a cleaner, crisper logo. Some may notice new products in my booth at the farmers markets and some may notice that the farm is in a new venue.  If you have been snoozing through my Facebook posts then here's your chance to catch up.

This fall's lineup of new products that will make their way to the website but can be found on Sundays at the Chattanooga Market and starting Friday, September 7th at the General Store at Warehouse Row (Market Street, downtown Chattanooga) includes a wide variety of teas some of which you may be familiar with and some you may not.  The Herbfarmer's Fruit Tea is full of goodness straight off the farm. Rosehips, lemongrass, hibiscus, peppermint and a dash of orange peel gives the tea a fun, fruity flavor that can be drank hot or cold. Last year I introduced Autumn Apple Spice Tea but tweaked it ever so slightly for this year's fall season. Larger chunks of local dried apples, cinnamon and lots of clove blended with green tea.  There are so many new varieties I can't pick just one favorite but this one comes close. Bonfire Chai Tea, 4 ounces of yummy spicy goodness with ingredients such as organic ginger root, cinnamon, Red Rooibos tea, Assam Tea, cardamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla bean. Contains caffeine but with flavors like that WHO CARES?  Soaps, seasonings such as Curry Thai, and Herbs De Provence along with tub teas (yep, tea you can throw in your bath) round out some of the first introductions for fall. More to come. I have discovered new labeling and packaging ideas that I am having fun using. Check out the booth on Sundays and soon online at www.possumcreekherb.com

Some of you will notice a new lineup of plants that will be available for the Wholesale 2013 season. Pricing is a little different too. It has been levelled off so everything is now of similar pricing. The procedures in place are a little different but makes more sense for you and for me. A lot of it is now automated so you can click on a link to take you to the online cart for wholesale and order there quickly or download a pdf link of the order form that you can email back to me. Anything to make it easier and faster for all of us.  Retail is undergoing a change too. Some of the plants that did not sell or hold up in the heat are going away with new varieties taking their place. Stay tuned. I almost have that done.

Oh and lest I forget, big announcement is coming on Tuesday so be sure to check back here and on Facebook.

Until Tuesday, have a great Labor Day weekend!

Chattanooga Market....summer is at its best

July was such a gentle month in the way of weather. Cooler than normal temps and several days of rain made for weird gardening or no gardening at all. Tomatoes stayed green, squash didn't well make squash and zucchini was missing from the family table. But oh how things changed when temps heated up again. We're baking in the upper 90s now but the gardens are producing like gain busters. Dozens of tomatoes and peppers are being harvested several times a week and even the weeds seem to be behaving in the heat.

We're still going strong at the Chattanooga Market. Oh sure, plant sales are trickling off, but we would be surprised if they didn't. Seasonings and tea sales have been brisk which gives us the motivation to create more blends for the fall. And the bath brews are making a comeback as they always do about the time kids are heading back to school. I had to laugh today when I looked at the calendar and realized that in four months we'll be doing our annual Holiday Market. Last year it was in the low 30s for the entire weekend. Maybe that will keep me a little cooler tomorrow when my shoes stick to the pavement on the way out to the car. "Jingle Bells...Jingle Bells...Jingle all the way..."

For those of you who like a daily dose of Possum Creek Herb Farm check out the Facebook pages. Just type in Possum Creek Herb Farm and you will find us.

See ya Sunday....

Busy Spring Season

I can't believe how fast the time has gone since I last blogged. It has been a mad circus of keeping plants healthy, processing orders, pulling plants for orders or taking to the Chattanooga Market and then shipping plants early each week. Take a breath and then let it all start all over again the next week. Normally wholesale plant season wraps up by the middle of May. All of the nurseries have their orders in and shipments are usually on their way no later than the first of May even to the farthest portions of the country. This year is different. We are getting more last minute orders or orders that need to turn around in less than a week. We have several of these orders yet to go with the last one going out the middle of June. The greenhouses are going to look mighty empty after that. A good thing.

We have been having a grand time each week at the Chattanooga Market. We began the season on April 26th with a double booth. Expectations were high for opening day but the crowds even impressed the market manager with their huge numbers. We capped out for the first time since we started there. Capping out is when you reach the sales number set by the market. After you cap out everything you sell is all profit. The three weeks since then have set record sales for us as well. We're just shaking our heads in amazement. The number one herb that everyone is buying? Why, basil of course! Followed by Rosemary, Pineapple Sage, Tarragon and Bay. There are going to be awful lot of pretty herb gardens in Chattanooga and the surrounding area in a few short weeks. We're looking forward to the rest of the spring season and the surprises it seems to be holding for us.

Thyme to Plant the Herb Garden

Herbs...herbs...herbs....orders have been coming in since January for everything from Basil to Thyme and we're so happy to see them finally go out of the greenhouses and into the mail or into the brown truck. Being that herbs are so easy to grow we often wonder why everyone doesn't grow them. They don't require an enormous amount of space and they thrive on benign neglect. They just need sun, some afternoon shade and water along with some well draining soil. Herbs will often grow in rocky soil and some even prefer that.

In the southern region of the country many herb gardens are already in and are giving their owners a daily fragrant harvest. Here in the mid-south we're still waiting on some drier weather before beginning the planting. If you have been reading our blog you know we're working on revamping the backyard into victory gardens. Well, the raised beds are built, dirt has been delivered and the kids will be wheelbarrowing the dirt into the beds on Saturday. We added an additional bed for just herbs such as Parsley, Sage, French Tarragon, Lovage (love my Lovage), Chervil and so on. I will have a couple of pots full of mint and want to start a Bay once again since my ten year old Bay died last fall.

Up north the weather is much improved since a few weeks ago. Garden centers are opening up and many offer our herbs in their selections. Planting begins after the last frost date which can vary depending upon where you live.

So, from our farm to your garden Possum Creek offers some of the healthiest and strongest herb plants on the market. Try some in your garden this spring. www.possumcreekherb.com/shop.html or if you live in the Chattanooga area come see us at the Chattanooga Market every Sunday from 11:00-4:00 (eastern) beginning April 26th.

Garden Planning Round I

Though the weekend is cold and rainy, the upcoming week is suppose to be nice and warm. Perfect weather to begin planning the garden space. I am starting with a blank slate this year. We had one garden last year and that along with the produce from the great farmers at the Chattanooga Market and some mooching from Pat's garden we made it through. But, looking at the pantry here in mid-March I know we will run out of all things tomato long before tomato season comes around. So, expansion must take place.

I have a slightly sloping backyard but it is in full sun, near a water source and the kitchen so it makes for a perfect spot. The grass is sparse from years of neglect and drought so scraping that away will not be troublesome. I will be using raised beds since the soil in the backyard is poor and will set them up to work with the slope. The plan is to utilize ten to twelve inch wide boards in a four by eight pattern. I am planning on building five to eight beds if room allows. That gives me room for the onions, potatoes, tomatoes, herbs, lettuces, peppers and sunflowers we want to grow.

I had a lot of fun choosing seeds this winter. Most of you know that I love the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. In her book she goes into great detail of the kinds of vegetables that she and her family grow in their Appalachian garden. So, in my research, I found Seed Savers Exchange located in Decorah, IA, www.seedsavers.org. There I found several of the vegetable seeds mentioned in Barbara's book which would work in our zone. Most of these seeds are heirlooms and have been saved for several decades and even further back. Many of these were found in our grandparents victory gardens during the first and second world wars.

I chose the Yellow Onion of Parma for its size and storage ability. Right now, it and the long red onion, is on the heat mats in the greenhouse. Green shoots are up about four inches and as soon as the beds are built and filled with soil they'll hit the ground. We eat a lot of onions so two eight foot rows will go in. On the other side of the onion bed goes the lettuces. Asian baby leaf, mesclun mix, and buttercrunch will be sown the first of April and then again every three weeks until it is too hot. Lettuce is not happy after mid-June in the south. I will sow a fall crop which will grow until a killing frost takes it out. For the tomatoes, I chose some very interesting old timers. Silvery Fir Tree tomato has been around for hundreds of years originally coming from Russia. It is an early producer. Cherokee Purple and Red Brandywine will go in as well as two I couldn't resist because of their names Isis Candy Cherry and Jaune Flamme. I also chose Martino's Roma based on Barbara's description of her spaghetti sauce's best ingredient. Of course I will add in Pat's Health Kick and German Stripe and some Celebrity to round out the tomato harvest. After all, I am trying to make enough sauces, pestos and pastes to last us through to next tomato season. For the peppers I chose Purple Beauty and Quadrato Asti Giallo which is a yellow and green mix with a very sweet flavor. We're even giving potatoes a try so I ordered a patriotic grouping of Yukon, Red and All Blue. And of course I have to try the fingerling potato, LaRatte, from the book.

Well, now that the plan is out there and published so to speak, I guess that makes it so. The kids are on spring break so we'll get wood and soil and get to work. Will post some pictures as things progress. I can't wait for that first tomato sammich.

Victory Garden Challenge

Over the past couple of weeks we have been spending time with our local Master Gardeners groups here in Hamilton County. Each year we visit the group presenting an herb program. And each year we come away renewed by their passion and vigor for gardening. This year the group is sponsoring several community gardens throughout the Hamilton County area. One in particular at the Chattanooga Food Bank is going to be extremely useful and from the discussion of their plan a very beautiful garden.

As my readers already know I am a pretty passionate gardener and it seems that now more than ever (and I won't spoil this post with talk about the economic situation) I see a need for more vegetable gardens to be planted for my family and for the community at large. Our grandparents had a name for those gardens. Victory gardens. Back during WWII people were asked to grow more of their own food so that that tin that vegetables were packaged in could be used in the war effort. People were scrimping and going without anyway so growing their own vegetables and then harvesting and preserving those vegetables were extremely important.

Last summer we had a small garden here in the backyard. It was more of an experiment to see if there was enough time to handle yet something else in the schedule along with whether there was enough sun to produce the tomatoes and peppers, fennel, basil, squash, cukes and lettuce. I found that there was indeed enough time in the schedule and plan to add another 500 square feet of beds this year. I even heard Pat mention she was going to add on to her 30x60 bed this spring as well. I think 50 tomato plants went into her garden last year. My plan with the raised beds is to grow tomatoes in one bed, lettuce in another, potatoes in another and so on. Leaving enough room between the beds to scrape away the grass and layer with mulch to keep the mud down will keep us from having to weed wack or mow around the beds. I will start blogging the operation once beds start going in. I am hoping the Master Gardeners will let me know how their projects are going or even email me some pictures of their new gardens.

So, back to the challenge as this blog was titled. I challenge anyone who wants to save a few dollars on their grocery bill, get some exercise, get their children away from the T.V. and video games to foresake some of their back yard, side yard or even front yard (which ever gets the most sun) and put in a Victory Garden. I would love to hear your comments on your plans, successes and yes, even the failures. Tell your story. Talk to your neighbors and see if they would like to build a garden for the whole neighborhood. Use a vacant lot or a portion of ajoining lots if you really like your neighbors. The great thing about gardens is the friends you will make, the food you will grow and share.

And for those of you who live in the Hamilton County, TN area, join us at the Chattanooga Market. We will have some wonderful herbs and vegetable plants to get you started.

Taste of Herbs

Possum Creek's Taste of Herbs e-cookbooklet is now available at our website, http://www.possumcreekherb.com/tasteofherbs.html . A culmination of our very favorite tried and true recipes all in a compact format. Along with recipes in categories such as main dish, desserts, salads, and breads you will find tidbits on growing and using herbs throughout. For $5.00 the cookbooklet will be emailed to you in an Adobe pdf. As an added bonus you will find a coupon for a free herb plant to be redeemed on your next order or at the Chattanooga Market. Please order through our website.

Note: our website cart is charging $1.50 for shipping which we will remove when we process your order.

New Year's Ramblings

It's the first Sunday of the New Year and I am already missing the Market. It's been about a month since we all packed up our wares, gave out goodies and hugs, and headed for home. Totes, bags and containers are still packed. The holidays and the boys on vacation have sapped a little of the energy level, but there is always tomorrow. There isn't alot left over from the Holiday Market so it is really all about taking a quick inventory, washing out the big display jars and finding a spot to put it all in. The Holiday Market is always festive and fun and this year was no different. However, I can't wait to start rolling the carts back in at the end of April, 2009, loaded with herbs, vegetables and perennials. The greenhouses are already full and I am at that stage again that I come to every winter of wondering where the next potted up tray of rosemary, sage, thyme or stevia is going to go. But, where there is a will there is always a way. For those of you that are sitting and drooling over the plant catalogs that are falling out of your mailbox, circle your choices, plan your gardens and then wait a few months. April will be here before we know it. You know if you order plants right now this very minute they will be tiny and frostbitten when they hit your mailbox. Wait for the lush, healthy herbs and veggies you have come to know us for. Now is a really good time to draw out your gardens and plan for what you want to grow for your family. Come down to the Chattanooga Market on April 26, 2009 from 12:00-5:00. We have asked Chris and Paul for a little bit bigger of a spot so we can bring as much as possible. Maybe they can squeeze another two feet into the floor plan. :)

The holidays were great this year. Very low key and almost stress-free. Many of the gifts we gave our family and friends were thoughtful and useful and were well received. We also connected with some family and friends we hadn't seen in awhile. The weather has been a little inconvenient with nine inches of rain in December alone, but oh, do we need it. We actually finished up the year being only a few inches down according to the local weather dudes. Here at the farm, the pond is still full, the grass is still soggy and leaves are permanently glued into the goopy mud. I think we have had plenty. More is coming later this week.
New Year's Eve was a lot of fun this year. Mom turned a spectacular age this year so we all went to our favorite hometown restaurant, Flavors of Italy. Located in Soddy Daisy (where everybody is somebody), Flavors of Italy is owned and operated by a true Italian family. The restaurant was decorated for the holidays with noisemakers and champagne for all the adults. If you are ever in Soddy, Flavors of Italy is open Tuesday thru Sunday. Mamma Mia!

This week the kids head back to school and I am heading back to the greenhouses full time. Much of the vacation was spent keeping the plants either warm or cool depending on their needs. Seed starting all of the annuals is on the agenda this week. That's right! Basil, dill, cilantro, and other flavorful annuals will be seeded this week and ready for purchase in late March. As many of you know we do not publish a plant catalog anymore. With 90% of households hooked up to the internet we made it easy to visit our website and choose your plants from there. Shipping will begin in March weather permitting.

The phone has been ringing with the all important questions about the Rosemary trees that everyone purchased over the Christmas season. The "what happened to my....., it is dying!...and how can I keep it until spring" questions will all be answered in the next blog. Until then....

Holiday Market Wraps up the Season

It's December and I already miss the homegrown tomatoes. The two green ones I bought from Rainbow Hill Farm turned red and were eaten two weeks ago. I think I am a tomatoaholic and now have to get back on the dry wagon for the winter. Fortunately for me the pantry is full of tomato sauce and salsas to get me through until late June. I hope.....

If you are a market goer you know what the first weekend of December means! And if you have never been to the Chattanooga Market and you go this weekend you are in for a serious treat! It's the annual Holiday Market at the Chattanooga Market. Vendors will be selling their wares for the last time this weekend. Saturday the market will be open from 10:00-8:00 with lots of festive Christmas music, food and fun. Sunday, the market will be open from 12:00-6:00 and will be celebrating Winter Roast with lots of coffees to try and purchase. Note the time change this year. The market will not be open on Friday night as in years past so the managers extended the hours so everyone can enjoy the festivities.

If you are still maintaining your local challenge and purchasing as much as possible within 100 miles of your home then this weekend is perfect for you. Fresh bread, cookies, cakes, pies, fudge, sauces, jellies and salsas for the foodies while the pampering ones among us can stock up on lotions, potpourri, bath brews, rubs and heat packs for those winter evening aches and pains. Got a blank spot on that Christmas tree? Handmade ornaments may be the answer. Got a hard to buy for relative? How about a fresh wreath, birdhouse, pair of earrings, a copper fountain, or even a hand hewn piece of furniture could fill the stocking of the hardest to buy for. I treated myself to a beautiful handknit scarf a few weeks ago. I get compliments wherever I go and stay cozy too.

Come see us this weekend! Get yourself a warm spiced lemonade and enjoy the last market of the season.

Local Food Challenge

Earlier this year my family made the decision that we would try to eat more locally. This would include buying more locally grown or raised meat and vegetables, eating in restaurants that bring in local foods and buying locally from the grocery stores if that was possible. Local for us is defined by any meat or vegetable that is brought in to our area from a distance of no further than 250 miles away. I felt that number would keep us away from the produce one finds all year long at the local discount and grocery stores that comes from the warmer states out west. But, it would give us access to the fruits and vegetables from the southern region of the U.S. to a point. That distance number will come down as we get better at this. It would also force us to do several things. One, grow and preserve some of our own food. Two, frequent restaurants that bring in foods that do not come from thousands of miles away. And three, and you will probably snicker at this, cook at home more. More about this later....

I felt this was an important undertaking for myself and my two sons and one that others might enjoy reading about...even possibly getting on the local bandwagon. We'll blog our successes and failures here for you to read about. So, here goes....

Late spring and early summer are better times of the year to get a family started on eating locally. Winter time would be difficult if we weren't prepared by growing vegetables that will keep over winter. More about that as the season progresses. Back to the present.....here in the southeast spring comes early and with that comes early vegetables. Lettuces, cabbage, cauliflower (as pictured of Rainbow Hill's display this past Sunday at the Chattanooga Market), snow peas, radishes, new potatoes, green beans, zucchini and squash are now becoming plentiful. Salads are a staple at every dinner that we are managing to eat at home. We're on the road a lot right now with baseball games so planning ahead and taking it with us is working right now. Eating before or after a game at home is an option too. It has been tricky finding any restaurant that does not truck in their produce and meat from huge distribution centers thousands of miles away, but we do have a couple local restaurants that give a good selection of homemade and homegrown dishes on their menus.

We are very late getting our vegetable gardens in this year. A very busy wholesale and retail spring season here at Possum Creek pushed off a lot of work that should have gotten done earlier but just didn't. Pat is frantically trying to get the big "canning and freezing" garden installed at her family homestead. Most if not all the vegetable starts came from seed that she started over the winter and early spring. Most if not all the vegetables will be organically grown as well. Another huge plus for the families. Plans are that both families will come together to keep the garden watered and semi-weed free. Harvesting and preserving will be our jobs later this summer when the bounty comes in. Preparation here at home began with a purchase of a deep freezer for the basement. Vegetables that benefit from freezing will go in there as will the half of a steer we are currently waiting to grow larger and are expecting in a few more weeks. The steer is being raised on pasture only in Georgia. Two pluses are the steer is not being fed by-products, antibiotics and other harmful additions to its diet. The other plus is the steer is just a few miles away from us which falls into our local "mileage" specification. Score points for our team!

We didn't come by this decision lightly. After reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver at least three times in the past year we felt this was an important move for our family. I know you all read the newspaper and watch CNN. Can you blame us for trying this?

In the weeks ahead I will blog how things are going and each Wednesday I will be sharing some of the recipes we have come across and how they added to our challenge. And what has been working for us as a family. We would love to hear comments from you all and see who else is locally eating this summer. But for now....back to the garden.

Herb of the Week at the Chattanooga Market

We have been enjoying getting reacquainted with friends, customers and new gardeners over the past several weeks at the Chattanooga Market. While the weather has been more wet than dry (no complaints here, though) sales of organically grown potted herb plants have been extremely good. What that is telling Pat and I is that Chattanooga and the surrounding area are planting gardens like never before. Whether out of necessity or entertainment or whether it is just the cycle we're in, people are asking questions, buying plants and planting containers, raised beds, small and large gardens. Many are combining herbs with their vegetables or growing their herbs near the kitchen door and grill with the intent of using them not just looking at them.

Pat and I have enjoyed answering many questions about herbs. We are often seen with an herb book in one hand and a plant in the other as we try to answer vital questions. So, with that in mind, we would like to introduce something we did with much success in the fall of 2006. We would like to bring back the Herb of the Week to our booth at the Chattanooga Market. Each week we will highlight one particular species of herb by offering handouts featuring home care, craft and culinary uses for the herb. And as before, we will offer the highlighted Herb of the Week herb at a discount.

This coming Sunday, June 8th, Herb of the Week will be lavender. Lavender is very hardy to our area with a little help from you. Planting lavender that is hardy to zone 6-7 is the first step. Possum Creek only grows lavender that is hardy to our area so the search is done for you. Adding a mulch of white gravel around each plant ensures that the heat and humidity is thrown back to the foliage and not the roots that can succumb to fungal disease. Leave plenty of space between the plants that you will be growing. Yes, I said plants. How could you grow just one when there are so many to choose from? Lavender can be used in crafting and in culinary recipes as well.

So stop by our booth and pick up a couple of lavender plants and some growing and usage tips. Disclaimer: we will not be offering Herb of the Week specials on our website. You must purchase your plants from us at the Chattanooga Market.

See you Sunday!