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Simple Joyful Food

small ideas that add joy to life

NWAFOODIE

#Farm2Home14 inspiration.

July 8, 2014 Leave a Comment
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown bloggers taking it all in (c)nwafoodie

 

Hi there, friend.

Whatcha’ been up to lately?

I have been running around and slowing down, if that is even possible.

Something inside of me is blossoming, begging me to open up my eyes wider and marvel more.  Sometimes that means doing nothing other than savoring the moment while other times it means exploring.

 

I have been exploring a lot more lately.  Have you?

We’ve been taking the long way to everywhere.  Determining how long we can go without having to go grocery shopping and just make do with what we have.  Opening up the house more to family gatherings, both planned and impromptu.  The icing on the cake was coming home from a backwoods Sunday drive and meeting up with family who were having a lake swimming party in our backyard.  Yes, our home went and threw a party without us. Love that.

Mostly I want to open my eyes more to what is around me. Around all of us.  I am visiting the farmers markets more frequently and keeping my eyes wide-open to side-of-the-road fruit stands and pick-your-owns in our vast backyard. Even grocery stores are starting to highlight local produce with signs and banners.  Isn’t that awesome?

Life has limited hours, days, and moments to explore these kind of local gems.  How often do we even know what is actually available to us right outside our homes?  I do my best to share quick finds on twitter and facebook and am constantly keeping my ears open when you share your local finds and resources.

Neighbors helping neighbors.

That’s what we do.

Arkansas Grown.

There is a new neighborly resource for finding local grown.

It is called Arkansas Grown.

ArkansasGrown is a website that connects buyers (you and me) with locally grown produce (our neighbors) and products that are available at farmer’s markets, from the farm, and even at grocery stores.

Seriously, you totally have to check it out.

I learned about Arkansas Grown at the #farm2home blogger event at P. AllenSmith’s farm in Roland, Arkansas.  Allen invited a group of Arkansas bloggers, writers, and journalists to learn about the Arkansas Grown program from Butch Calhoun, Arkansas’s Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. Calhoun is proud of the program, saying, “We want everybody who wants to be involved, to be involved.”

Taking it all in.

I love Allen’s farm.

The main purpose of his farm is to “sell ideas,” as he puts it.

To me, he sells inspiration.

#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown learning from allen (c)nwafoodie

Allen took us all on a tour of his home, gardens, and poultry farm.  This is my third visit here (#bean2blog2012 and#bean2blog2013) and each time revealed something new and inspirational.  The first time I was in the middle of remodeling my home, so architectural elements jumped out at me.  The second visit inspired me to rethink hardscape in the yard, as we were progressing into remodeling the exterior of our home.

This time? The event’s theme of embracing local is one I love and heartily embrace.

This time I was there for the marvel of it all.

Farmer inspiration.

In addition to touring the garden home, the main focus was the opportunity to meet and mingle with local Arkansas farmers and producers and listen to small-farm lessons from a panel of Arkansas farmers: Beth Eggers of Wye Mountain Flowers, Mark Morgan of Peach Pickin’ Paradise, Chuck McCool of McCool Farms, and Bob Barnhill of Barnhill Orchards. You would have loved listening to their stories and honest revelations of hard work and dedication it takes to run a farm.  Here are my favorite quotes that personally inspired me.

#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown the farmers (c)nwafoodie
Beth Eggers, Wye Mountain Flowers & Berries – Mark Morgan, Peach Pickin’ Paradise –
Chuch McCool, McCool Farms – Bob Barnhill, Barnhill Orchards

Beth: “Support your local farmer and get to know them. When our customers and their kids appreciate us, we are encouraged.”  My takeaway:  Talk to each vendor at the farmers market.

Mark: “Pick-your-own farms are more like a tourism thing.” My takeaway: Tour more pick-your-own farms.

Chuck: “It doesn’t take a lot of land to grow a good crop.”  My takeaway: Plant more container gardens.

Bob: “Have high quality products and the best product possible.” My takeaway: Local tastes better.

The great thing about the Arkansas Grown website is that it allows us to browse local producers in our small towns.  It also allows the small-scale farmers to have a marketing presence and alerting us to their websites, newsletters,facebook pages, and other social media platforms that they are using to get the word out.

#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown farms going social (c)nwafoodie
Whether locally grown or locally made, buying local keeps revenue here in the community.
I like that.
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown Loblolly Creamery (c)nwafoodie
Loblolly Creamery – hand crafted ice cream made in Little Rock
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown Heirloom Kitchens (c)nwafoodie
Heirloom Kitchens – a brother and sister team that bakes vintage recipes
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown Post Winery (c)nwafoodie
Post Winery – the largest winery in Arkansas and the first commercial vineyard to produce
here
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown Diamond Bear Brewery (c)nwafoodie
Diamond Bear Brewery – made with “great Arkansas water”
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown Wicked Mixes (c)nwafoodie
Wicked Mix – manufactured from scratch in Little Rock
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown Greenhouse Grille (c)nwafoodie
Greenhouse Grille – local #Northwest Arkansas restaurant that sources 40% of its menu locally
Garden Inspiration.
I leave you today with a little garden inspiration.  No trip to the farm, whether actual or virtual, is complete without a gallery of photos and inspiration.  These six things stirred my soul.If your yard has a view, frame it.

#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown Arkansas River (c)nwafoodie
Make your porch/front yard/entry inviting.
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown porch (c)nwafoodie
A simple gate can be an object of beauty.
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown a simple gate (c)nwafoodie
Rethink your garden space.
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown small garden (c)nwafoodie
Trees are magical.
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown champion tree (c)nwafoodie
There is always a project in the future… all you have to do is look beyond the fence.
#farm2home14 P.AllenSmith GardenHome ArkansasGrown always a project (c)nwafoodie
Eat well, my friends. Eat well.

 

Lyndi

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My name is Lyndi Fultz, and I live in the beautiful Ozark Mountains, which span Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri.

I like to share small ideas for living simply and eating happily.

You will find that I talk a lot about food because we all need to eat. Why not add little bits of food joy where possible?

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“Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” – Julia Child

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