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!

Chattanooga Market Opening Day

The Chattanooga Market will begin another season in downtown Chattanooga, Sunday, April 27th. Vendors are very excited that they will again come together with the Chattanooga public to sell their locally grown or locally made wares. Possum Creek Herb Farm will be in booth I-33 according to the vendor layout. The layout of the market will change this year allowing more than 100 vendors to utilize the space. Be sure you come by and say hi. The farm will be bringing organically grown herb plants and perennials offering a chance to get your garden started with just one stop shopping.

See you Sunday. The Chattanooga Market will be open from 12:00-5:00 each Sunday.

Thyme & Seasons: China’s Shop and Gardens

The farm blog is all a buzz today with the virtual visit by China Bayles author, Susan Wittig Albert. As a China reader for many years, I am especially honored that Susan has included Possum Creek on her blog tour to introduce her new book. We have swept the porch, put on tea, watered the herbs and mulched the gardens in honor of her visit. Join us throughout the day by posting your comments and questions to Susan. You might even be chosen to win an autographed book from Susan and China. Here's Susan....

A big thanks, Michele, for hosting me here at Possum Creek today. I’ve wanted to visit your farm for ages, but Tennessee is a long way from Texas. A virtual visit is the next best thing!

This blog tour celebrates the launch of Nightshade, the sixteenth China Bayles mystery.

China is a former criminal defense attorney who has opted for a quieter life as the owner of an herb shop in Pecan Springs TX. Of course, her life isn’t really very quiet (there are all those dead bodies!) but she loves her herb shop and gardens—and so do I. In this post, I’d like to tell you how Thyme & Seasons came into being. (For posts on other subjects, check out the tour calendar.)

Thyme & Seasons: The Shop
If you’ve been reading the China Bayles series, you know how important the herb shop is to China. Like many of us, she had an active and demanding career that left no time for the simpler pleasures in life. She was doing well, but she knew that something was lacking: something that came from the heart. So she jettisoned her career (“People thought I’d gone crazy,” she says in Thyme of Death. “Me, I knew I’d gone sane.”) and headed for the Hill Country, where she bought an herb shop in a century-old stone building surrounded with herb gardens.

Why herbs? “I have a stock answer,” China says, remembering her experiences as a lawyer. “Plants don't argue. They also don't lie, cheat, connive, or hit below the belt.” There’s more, of course. China has loved plants all her life, as have many of us. When—in desperation, as I imagine it—she looked around for some meaningful purpose for her life, herbs beckoned. She accepted the invitation and has never looked back.

I’m sure (aren’t you?) that her shop has a great deal to do with the pleasure China has found in this way of life. I love the way she describes it in that first book.

Floor-to-ceiling shelves along the back wall hold jars and bottles of dried herbs, tinctures, salves, and ointments. Herb books are neatly racked in the corner, and shelves on another wall are full of potpourri and potpourri makings. A wooden display case houses essential oils, bottles, and perfume supplies. Other shelves hold various herb products that I make or buy from local crafts-people--gift-baskets, vinegars, seasoning blends, jellies, soaps, candles. Hand-made baskets are stacked in the corners and spill onto the floor. Dried flowers are everywhere, bunched in jars and hanging from the wooden beams, and braided ropes of red peppers and garlic hang on the stone walls.

It sounds almost too good to be true? It isn’t. This description is derived from the real-life herb shops I’ve visited all over the country, where the owners have put their hearts into their shops. Visit one, if you can, and see for yourself. In Pennsylvania, drop in at The Rosemary House. In Ohio, the Village Herb Shop is wonderful. In Indiana, stop at Carolee’s Herb Farm, where the shop is located in a big barn. There’s the Herb Bar, in Austin TX, where I used to sell the herbal wreaths I made from my garden. China’s fictional shop, Thyme & Seasons, borrows from all of these real shops—and more.

In the first three books, China’s shop is small, and she lives in an apartment at the back. But by Book 4, Rosemary Remembered, she has moved in with McQuaid and his son Brian and expanded the shop into what used to be her living room and bedroom. “Thyme and Seasons is just about perfect,” she says, looking around at her renovated space.

But not quite, for her friend Ruby Wilcox (Ruby rents the other half of China’s building for her own shop, the Crystal Cave) proposes that they open a tea room at the back of the building. Ruby has won the lottery, you see, and wants to make a good investment. At first, China doesn’t think this is a good idea, but she comes around, and Thyme for Tea is ready for business in Mistletoe Man (where there is a slight problem with the new kitchen help, who turns out to be a murderer). The tea room thrives, but by now (Nightshade), it is mostly Ruby’s baby, with the able assistance of a new partner, Cass Wilde, a gourmet chef. This leaves China a bit more time to spend in the gardens.

China’s Herb Gardens
When China opened the shop, she turned the grassy yard into display gardens, front and back, so customers could see herbs growing and blooming. Mentioned in various books are her apothecary (medicinal) and culinary gardens, beverage garden (all those wonderful tea herbs!), dye garden, fragrance garden, and the native herb garden. I know you’ve never been able to visit Pecan Springs (except in China’s books), but if you’ve been to the National Herb Garden at the Arboretum in Washington D.C., you have an idea of how beautiful herb display gardens can be.

But the display gardens can’t produce the herbs China sells in her shop. In Dead Man’s Bones, she says: “Every year, I seem to want more of something--more lavender, more sage, more parsley, more thyme.” She buys wholesale (from herb farmers like Michele Brown here at Possum Creek), and she has a large garden behind her house, where she grows many of the herbs she packages fresh and sell in the produce section at Cavette's Grocery in Pecan Springs. “I always smile,” she says, “when I see those neat little raffia-tied cellophane packages of Thyme and Seasons basil and rosemary and marjoram, and think of somebody cooking with them, making soup, maybe, or a salad, or a main dish. Somehow, it's like spreading the wealth.” I imagine that Michele and Pat feel the same way about the herbs they grow at Possum Creek.

Of course, China is a fictional character, and her gardens are entirely imaginary. If you want to see how a real herb farm works, Possum Creek is a good example. As Michele tells us on her “About Us” page, her farm began with display gardens and a retail shop, but over the past nine years, her customer base has changed from retail to wholesale. She and her business partner, Pat Stewart, grow the young plants in their six greenhouses, pot them up, and ship them out to buyers all over the country. “The shop is now our shipping department,” she emailed me, adding a smiley face. The ladies retail their plants and other herb products at the Chattanooga Market—an important “buy locally” venue—and offers retail products from the website. Michele and Pat, are two extraordinarily busy people (especially at this time of year), but the greenhouse work will soon slack up enough to allow them to work in their own gardens.

Bet if you asked Michele, she’d say that China’s life as a fictional character may be fun (except, of course, for those dead bodies), but real life is a lot more work! And yet Michele has taken time away from the greenhouses and plant shipments to host me on her blog. That’s an herbalist for you—always generous and helpful.

Thanks, Michele. And thanks to all the readers who are following this blog tour through cyberspace. I appreciate your notes and comments—I’ll hang around today to answer questions. I’ve got to be out of town (really, not virtually) on Wednesday and Thursday, but I’ll check back at the end of the week.

About the book drawing and Susan’s blog tour
If you’d like to enter the drawing for a copy of Nightshade go here to register. But you’d better hurry. The drawing for Possum Creek closes at noon on April 10, 2008.

Want to read the other posts in Susan’s blog tour? You’ll find a calendar and links here.

Happy Spring...thyme to plant seeds

Starting Herbs from Seed

There are a great many reasons for starting your own herb plants from seed. Most gardeners are first prompted to venture down this road by this motivator: necessity. How many of you have wished for the perfect herb to fill in that one last spot in the garden or the perfect shade of pink in your flower border and then have gone to your local garden center only to find out that it is not available locally? Economics is another motivator for starting your own seed. Plants, especially exotic, can be expensive even to buy just one and often one is not enough. Starting plants from seed often gives us more plants than we need. Quality is another motivator for seed starting. Often the plants found at the local big box stores have been sitting around at the mercy of whoever remembers to water it. Starting plants from seed at home insures that plant health is controlled which gives the plant a good start for a long life.

For me, winter begins when the onslaught of seed catalogs hit my mailbox. I am like a kid in a candy store with wonderland stretched out in front of me. And all of this in the luxury of my nice warm easy chair. When the catalogs start rolling in, I take a few minutes with each one and circle whatever suits my fancy with a black magic marker. I go through all of the seed suppliers since there is a likelihood that one of the suppliers has the perfect basil or oregano that I don’t have yet. I then whittle down my selections to the chosen few and place the orders. Place your orders right after the first of the year because by March most supplies are starting to dwindle.

Finding the space to start your seeds could pose some logistic problems, so before you actually begin, decide where you plan to keep the trays. Seeds need warmth and moisture to germinate and once germinated they will need light. My suggestion is that if you don’t have plant lights or fluorescent lights use what you have in the house. Seed germinates between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The top of the refrigerator or the top of the TV. or a warm windowsill are all good places to start the germination process. Before you begin your seed starting adventure gather a few key items. Containers can be of various shapes and sizes. From propagation trays with domes to clean egg cartons, these will work as long as they can hold a little seed starting mix and can handle a little moisture. They must be clean and free of contaminates. Wash the trays with one part Clorox to 9 parts water and rinse well. As with anything else in life the preparation of growing medium for seeds can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. We chose to be as simple as possible with our growing mix opting to pick up several bags of the Jiffy like mix at our local home improvement stores. Pre-moisten your growing mix before using will kept the dust down and make sowing those tiny, tiny seeds a whole lot easier.

Most seeds can be sown straight from the packet, but on occasion seed jackets are too tough and germination is virtually impossible. By chipping, nicking or soaking the seeds for a period of time in warm water, the jackets will more likely open up and receive the moisture needed to germinate. Most seed companies give you some information about the best method of preparation so read the back of the package carefully.
Eliminate confusion at sprouting time by marking your trays with its contents. Little white tags with name of seed, when sown and any other pertinent information can be written down. Tamp down the medium and level off in the container. Make indentations or rows for the seed keeping the depth according to package instructions or your own experience. Either with a pinch of two fingers or a gentle shake of the package those tiny seeds will be on the growing medium. Tamp down the seed to make contact with the medium. Cover your seed trays with plastic wrap or plastic domes to retain moisture. Place under growing lights or on top of refrigerator. Most seeds will germinate in 7-10 days with some exceptions. There are some herb seed that requires refrigeration before sowing. Again, experience and a little research will give you the information needed to reach a high rate of germination.

Once germination has occurred take the domes and plastic wrap off the seedlings. Place seed trays under grow lights or near a sunny window. Turn the trays often to insure that the seedlings are receiving enough light and watch for drying out which occurs quickly. Damping off occurs when the stems of the seedlings rot at the soil surface. The seedling falls over and dies. Water the seedlings by sitting the tray in a pan of water or the sink and let the moisture absorb from the bottom. Once the herb seedlings have a true set or their second set of leaves it is time to transplant to their new homes. Pot up the new herb babies in clean and sterile pots. Use a potting mix that is friable and light. Poke a small hole in the potting mix. Gently pry your seedling out with a popsicle stick under the roots and gently place into hole in potting mix. Lightly tamp soil down and gently mist. Water until well established.

Excerpt from “Starting Herbs from Seeds” by Michele Brown, 2002.

Spring Tease...a sea of green

While a major portion of the U.S. is under a blanket of winter snow, I thought it might be nice to send a little springtime tease to our blog buddies. Something to get that green thumb itching for the soil... The daffs came through right on time. Always in bloom by the third week in February, even in the ice, wind and cold.

Up close and personal in the greenhouses. The following images are from Possum Creek's greenhouses. Butterfly bush, chive, coral bells, basil, rosemary and Echinacea all lined up and ready for their new homes.

China Bayles author Susan Wittig Albert does it again

Nightshade, the newest China Bayles novel from author, Susan Wittig Albert, hits the bookstores on April 1, 2008. But, you can get a sneak peek into China's life by visiting here on March 31, 2008. Susan, herself, will visit our blog during her nationwide blog tour promoting her newest book.

Susan Wittig Albert is a nationally-recognized speaker on the history and lore of herbs and the creator of the critically-acclaimed China Bayles herbal mysteries. Her latest book is titled Nightshade. Albert's novels have catapulted her into national bestseller circles and onto "must-read" booklists across the country. Publishers Weekly says that China Bayles is "in a class with lady sleuths V.I. Warshawski and Stephanie Plum," and the Dallas Morning News calls them "engaging, entertaining, interesting, and instructive." Ms. Albert's enormously popular books are known for their snappy dialogue, humor, and regional background, as well as for the information about herbs that is woven into each book.

So, be sure to mark your calendars for March 31, 2008. Visit our blog throughout the day and as often as you like. Be sure to post comments and questions for Susan as she talks about China's gardens and her shop Thyme and Season.

Chattanooga Market will Open!

Good news came early this morning with a phone call imploring me to read the headlines of the Sunday paper. "Second Life for Chattanooga Market" screamed the headlines. Finally, some good news regarding our retail venue. A new owner has taken on the task of organizing the market while his partner will run the day to day end of things. Plans are to keep the market similar to the one which ended in December, 2007 which highlights the farmers, artists and charities which utilize the market for fundraising.

So, now it is up to Chattanooga and the surrounding communities to really come support the market. We have all been given a second chance to buy our produce, cheese, bread, meat and gift items locally instead of reading the "made in China or (you choose which country)" labels. We'll be at the market April 27, 2008....will you?

Farmers Market....big disappointment....

Thump went the newspaper against the door. Ding went the email. Ring went the phone. All very early this Sunday morning. "This can't be good", I thought to myself as I got out of bed and padded to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and to answer the phone. "Have you heard?" asked a frantic voice on the line. "Heard what?" I asked slurping down the coffee. "The Chattanooga Market is not going to open in April". I almost dropped my cup. No, it cannot be. I immediately went for my email and sure enough our market manager was calling it quits and as usual sent the announcement via email to all 100 vendors. The reason? Money....the market was not turning a good sustainable profit by its sixth year and the money was running out. It is understandable that money is needed to run such a large weekly event such as the Chattanooga Market. 2007 was the most profitable year with attendance averaging 3,000 people each week. Here's the rub, though....those 3,000 people did not all support those vendors that were there in the frigid and hellish hot temps. Many people may "visit" the market to enjoy the chefs events, the music, walk around and visit with friends, but did they always buy their bread, plants, tomatoes, berries, potatoes, veggies and so on there? No, they didn't. We often heard people walk by our display of soap, plants and bath brews or our neighbor's delicious gourmet cookies, or our other neighbor's bright red tomatoes and say "hey, honey, we need to stop at the grocery store on the way home for bread, soap, salad stuff...." Just when I thought maybe I was the last one to get on the local food train I find out that I am no where near the end of the line. Many, many, many people in this town are not getting it. And now the one best source for local foods all in one area will be gone.

Well, maybe not gone. Remember I said in the opening paragraph how the phone began to ring? Well, it has rang most of the day with vendors calling to question, share experiences and bond together. Calls will be going out at the open of the business day to the local powers that be trying to see if something can be salvaged of the market. Time will tell if the campaign will be successful or not. And if it is you can be sure you'll hear about it here.

For now we'll continue as we have to grow our plants for our wholesale accounts and make a plan on how to handle the retail end. The local Chattanooga area can find our plants at The Barn Nursery and Ace Hardware Highway 58 this spring. You will find me starting a vegetable garden this year. Bigger than originally planned since I will grow everything the family needs for summer canning to enjoy next winter. The fantastic breads that we brought home from the market can still be bought locally or we'll learn how to make them ourselves. But, it's those cookies that Jean makes that I will miss the most. Missed will be the friendships and the energy of the space we were in, but, oh those cookies......

So Essential...Herbal that is....

Wintertime is for reading according to the gardeners, herbal or otherwise. We thought you would enjoy reading the sold out March/April 2007 issue of The Essential Herbal magazine. It will bring a little spring into the dreary days of winter. Enjoy.....
http://www.essentialherbal.com/March%20April%202007.pdf

Christmas Window

Even in the winter you can always find something green on my windowsill. Often it is a grouping of small containers filled with growing herbs. Thyme, chive, rosemary and sage usually thrive well in the window's western exposure. Fresh herbs add a nice flavor to even canned tomatoes and veggies until the fresh produce is ready yet again.

Christmastime usually has me decorating the whole house and the windows are no exception. Simple items such as plants along with a candle and a handmade gingerbread man make up this vignette. The bright red amaryllis bloom and the hot pink of the Christmas cactus add light and holiday cheer to the drab scenery outside.

If you look really hard you will see a couple of snowflakes falling past the window.

Wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving

Here at Possum Creek, Thanksgiving is a time to pause in our demanding little world and reflect on the blessings and gifts that we have been given over the past year. The end of the harvest has come and winter is not far behind. Time for a little quiet pause with family and friends is very much needed after a year of hustle and bustle.

So, from our farm to yours, from our house to yours and from Possum Creek to you and your family, a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Potpourri - A Recipe

Our assignment this week was a simple one. Tina (Yahoo blogsters list) wanted us to blog a recipe. Didn't matter what kind of recipe it was. Could be a craft, culinary, oil, vinegar, soup, soap and so on. We are also talking about making herbal gifts for the holidays at The Essential Herbal Yahoo list so I thought I would kind of kill two topics with one stone and post one of my favorite potpourri recipes. It is very simple and makes as large a batch as you need it to be. It is a good seller in shops and online and looks really pretty in a bowl as you can see by the picture.

Hips N Stix with Gingerbread Boys

Part 1 Salt Dough Gingerbread cookies

1 cup salt

2 cups flour

1 cup water

2 TBS vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add oil and water until well blended. Knead with hands until smooth. Roll out dough (I divide dough into smaller balls to make it easier to roll out) and using a small cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as you can. You can find trees, gingerbread men, and seasonal cookie cutters at stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby in the cake decorating area. Into a 250 degree oven for two hours. Check to be sure they are hard all the way through. If the weather is humid it might take more time. Let cool completely.

Part 2 Potpourri Blend

Take several cups of rosehips that are completely dried and blend with several cups of small cinnamon sticks. You can buy cinnamon sticks at the health food store or online in different sizes. For this project they need to be about an inch. Mix the hips and sticks together in a large bowl. Add fragrance oil of choice. For this blend we used Gingerbread which you can find at many of the soap or candle making websites. We used 2 ounces for our blend but we are making a very large batch (10 pounds or more). Gently stir the oil all the way through the hips and sticks. Add your now hard cookies and very, very gently stir then in the blend. This blend can be covered and sit for a few days to finish blending together.

This keeps very well in a covered container. If using a plastic container it will leave a scent in the container. Looks great in a large glass jar too.

Possum Creek introduces its new Website

I can't believe how busy I have been the past month or so. The last entry was almost a month ago with pictures of the festival we did. Time fast forwarded when I wasn't looking, I guess. Making holiday products for the website, shows and the farmers market has taken up much of our time. Add to that we're in a mad scramble to get the plastic on the new greenhouse so we can actually start using it this winter. We're almost there and need one more calm, windless day to finish.

What I have spent a good majority of my time on, and it is time well spent, if I say so myself, is the farm's website. With the help of a fantastic web designer from the Big Apple, I completely re-vamped, polished and brought the website into the modern era of web technology. Technology is constantly changing and leaving a website to sit fallow is not good business. I learned that websites much load faster, images must be smaller, sharper and quick to download and text must be concise and search engine friendly. I spent quite a long period of time researching web host companies who offered the right system, security and assurance that they would be up and running 24/7. It has been quite a liberating experience with completely redesigning the site, finding a new cart that fits what I see for the future of the farm and have it all fit together with few glitches. I know some of you know what I mean about glitches.

I haven't been completely chained to my computer these last few weeks. Plant material is coming into the greenhouse almost faster than we can pot it up. Wholesale orders call for organically grown herb plants to be ready earlier in the spring than mail-order and retail. We have to be ready to begin shipping by the end of February so that means planting and potting up begins now. There are going to be some incredible looking gardens and nursery centers this spring, because our herbs and perennials are heading all over the U.S. and in the local Chattanooga area. I will be blogging about our new selections in the weeks to come, so stay tuned.

Fall Festivals

Last weekend was a culmination of many weeks of hard work. Growing plants, mixing batches of potpourri, bath brews, salts, vinegars, making wreaths and not to mention getting it all where it needed to go was a little wearing, but once everything was set up and the tent raising was mastered, it was smooth sailing after that. We had a fantastic time meeting old and new friends. We had a perfect spot along the river (another blog entry) and the weather could not be more perfect.

I thought I would share a couple of pictures of the spot we had and some of the products we brought. Enjoy.

A Woman Possessed...

Twice this week two different people made the same comment to me. A "woman possessed" these two kind hearted souls said as they heard the list of things to be accomplished in a short period of time. How odd that they both said the same thing. Odd because they live in two different states, are in different trades and aren't even of the same gender. What could they mean I wondered? Did I sound half crazed with panic over my "to-do" list? Were my sentences running on like a train off its track? Was I even making sense?


The list of things "to-do" is of the products I want to make and package before our largest show begins in just a week. Ketner's Mill, http://www.ketnersmill.org/, is one of the largest outdoor festivals in our area. The vendor waiting list is lengthy and the judges are tough, so we were very pleased to be chosen to participate this year. It is an outdoor show which means a tent and all the assorted minutia that comes with it. It means making and packaging products, grooming plants, fluffing wreaths, sewing dolls and finding tables that fit the booth space. It means a lot of things must all fall into place for everything to work. Did I mention rain is forecasted for both days of the show?


While all of the festival prep is going on, the kids have been on fall break from school. They are usually old enough to entertain themselves and did extremely well this week. The oldest helped me plant a beautyberry bush and two blueberry bushes and rolled two half whiskey barrels into place in the yard for next spring's abundance of herbs I will need to grow. There was time to hit the mall, eat out and see a movie during the week along with a short camping trip.

There was some business to attend to this week. Cost cutting efforts are taking place with the business. You all know how that is. We got tired of paying extra fees for things we just didn't need or paying fees for things when we weren't getting anything in return for our money. Services had to be cancelled and then bought with other companies. This went on for most of the week. Today was quiet business-wise for which I was grateful. I did actually get to have lunch on the screened in porch watching the birds cavort around the new feeder I had just put up.

Next week will be hectic but manageable. The kids will be back in school so that means band and basketball practice after school along with homework and the usual chores. Thursday will be the last day to finish anything before the show or just say "to heck with it" and let it go. Friday morning we head to Marion county and begin the set up. I will fit in a little house cleaning (or not) and try to keep things organized.


The mess you see in the picture is my cubbyhole room under the steps in the basement where I keep all the supplies. I am hoping all the shelves will be bare when we come home. Oh and did I mention that rain is forecasted for next weekend....significant rain.


Possessed? Bah....not me.

Dirt....a blogster's challenge

As a member of the blogster's list at Yahoo we are spending more time with our blogs as you would imagine. This week's challenge from blog leader, Tina, is to find something that may look insignificant to most people, but actually plays a very important role in our every day lives and where does it lead us.

I chose dirt as the subject of this challenge. Dirt covers a multitude of sins as they say here in the south. Dirt is found everywhere no matter how obsessive one cleans. Dirt clings. Dirt blows in the wind. Dirt can turn dirty. Dirt can be black gold if it is organic, rich and fragrant. Dirt is everyone's and no one's problem. Dirt is here to stay or so we can hope.

The picture shown here is a pot full of dirt with the last vestiges of a basil plant giving up and calling it quits for winter. Though the days are still warm, the plant has fought the long fight of the effects of a long hot, dry summer. The dirt is dark and rich but tired from water being poured into it to nourish the plant every day. When the dirt dries out it becomes hard, harsh and crumbly. The plant becomes sad and starts its journey to compost.

Dirt.....it is in the air, on the ground, in a pot, against the house and under my fingernails. An herb farmer likes it that way. If it wasn't for dirt the herb plants, as one small part of this planet, would not have anything to spread their roots in. The herb plants would not survive (nor anything else for that matter). Most dirt is made from leftover construction materials, foundation sand and other inorganic materials. Luckily there are sources for rich organic material that can feed and nurture the herb plants. The plants cannot survive without this black gold.

Blog Challenge-Sweet Annie

A few days ago I presented a challenge to the Blogsters list at Yahoo. The challenge was to blog everything they knew about Sweet Annie, 'Artemisia annua' and provide a picture. The goal is to get them writing and creating a blog that they would enjoy presenting to the public at large. Most of these women are business owners and most own their own business or partner with others to create an unique niche. Some of these women are a little timid while the others jumped right in and completed their challenge. Might be the reward of receiving a handmade Sweet Annie wreath that is motivating them....Whatever it might be I am humbled by a group of women who pretty much started their businesses from scratch with very little money and for some, very little support from their families. Circle around several years later and these women have successful businesses, happy families and full lives all centering around their love of herbs. Please visit our links section here on our blog and on our website, Possum Creek Herb Farm, and visit the links of these very important women.

Now, on to our challenge....I fell in love with Sweet Annie about twenty years ago when someone gave me a wreath that she made from a patch she was growing. She told me with a smile to shake the wreath over an area on the ground where I wanted the Sweet Annie to grow. I followed her instructions and to my amazement I had several little Sweet Annie plants growing the following spring. Ferny green and sweetly scented (not for the allergic) the Sweet Annie grew and grew like Jack's beanstalk until I had towering trees. As the summer passed into fall the Sweet Annie changed to a bright golden yellow green with little seeds along all of the branches. As September waned and October color began taking over the gardens, the "trees" changed to a russet gold and became almost powdery. I knew it was ready for wreath making and for other projects I had only seen in magazines or in upscale herb shops. I promise that I will blog how to create one of these wreaths very soon, but I wanted to show you what can truly be done with what most people consider a "weed" in their gardens. These wreaths pictured were done last year for two upscale garden centers and for a wedding. NOTE: sorry gals, these are not one of the wreaths for the blog challenge reward. :)

You may notice that the wreaths' base is a darker green. These wreaths were done in August while the Sweet Annie was still in its "green" state. During this state it is easier to work with for those whose nose cannot handle the dust Sweet Annie creates. Misting with water or working with the Sweet Annie while the dew is still on it helps somewhat. A beautiful wreath can last forever if taken care of. Keep out of sunlight, away from moisture and heat and gently blow the dust off with a hair dryer all helps preserve the beauty. And remember, shake your wreath over a spot on the ground for next year's new plants....and the year after.....and the year after that.

Soup's On

Cooler weather calls for comfort foods. And in our family homemade soup tops the list.

This recipe has been refined over the years with some changes to the ingredients, but the one constant is fresh herbs. If you don't have access to fresh herbs then dried is fine. Just use a little less.

Sage Sausage Soup

In a large crockpot or soup kettle add the following:

One large onion and one clove of garlic (more if you desire)

One ring of smoked sausage or sausage of your choice

40 ounces of fresh tomato juice and tomato quarters

Bring this to a slow boil in order for the sausage to cook all the way through. Then, turn down the heat to a simmer or low on the crockpot.

Simmer for several hours.

Add two medium size potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks.

Add one can of pinto or kidney beans (leftovers work very well).

Add two carrots chopped into small pieces

At this point decide if more broth is needed. If so, add about a cup or two of more tomato juice or water.

Add a large handful of chopped herbs with sage being the focal point. We like to add lovage, sage, a tad of rosemary, basil, and parsley.

Simmer for another half hour (while the cornbread is rising in the oven)

Delish!

You say "tomato" I say "tomAHto"

Ah, Fall. My favorite time of the year. Harvesting is in full swing if, unlike me, you were lucky enough to get your tomatoes to grow this year. We are in a third year drought that has devastated the gardens sending tomato consumers to the farmers markets, roadside stands and sneaking into their neighbor's tomato patch for the juicy fruit. Tomato sauces, tomato pies, chili, spaghetti, canned and frozen. We have been putting "them by" as we say here in the south for winter's soups and stews.

I thought you might enjoy a few recipes for that abundance of tomato harvest. Even a green tomato recipe for those of you who can't bear to wait. :)

Green Tomato Chutney

Yield: 4 half-pints if you're canning

3 pounds green tomatoes, cored and chopped

1 pound sweet green peppers, cored, seeded and chopped

1 pound apples, cored and chopped

1 pound onions, chopped finely

1 cup raisins

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh red or green hot pepper, cored, seeded and minced

1 pint tarragon vinegar (recipe to follow make ahead)

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon non-iodized salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Follow standard pressure canner method of preserving if so desired.

Tomato Dressing

Can be served over salad greens or raw veggies

2/3 cup tomato juice

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 basil sherry vinegar (recipe to follow)

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, minced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped fine

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate for one hour before using to allow flavors to blend. Store in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.

Herb Vinegar

Yield: One cup

10-20 sprigs of any favorite herb such as tarragon, basil, rosemary, chive or mint

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, whole

1 cup white wine vinegar (white vinegar can also be used as long as it is 5% acidity)

Rinse and dry herbs. Bruise all the herbs with a wooden spoon and place in sterilized container such as a jar. Add vinegar and seal. Store is cool, dark place for at least three weeks. Strain into decorative bottles. Store in a cool, dark place and use within four months.