Farm Feature: Red Moon Farm

                We’ve all heard the saying “Beauty is only skin deep, true beauty comes from within”. If you’ve been to the Rose City Farmers Market you know how gorgeous everything from Red Moon Farm looks. However, it’s all that goes on behind the scenes and the people who lovingly care for it that makes Red Moon Farms truly beautiful.

                Justin and Jessica Bullock met in college while studying religion. After college Justin went off to do mission work overseas and Jessica began volunteering with World Hunger Relief in Waco. Each of these experiences sparked their passion for sustainable farming. They would go on to work on farms all over the country before settling down on the land Jessica’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Studinka, purchased in Van. Thus began Red Moon Farm.

                Justin and Jessica are committed and passionate about sustainable farming. No pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used and great care is taken to build healthy fertile soil. Passionate about conserving water they use a special irrigation system which you can read more about here. Their happy chickens and bees each have important roles on the farm keeping everything fertile and pollinated.

                In their words Justin and Jessica believe that “honest food builds strong communities”. Community is so important to local foodways. It builds relationships that benefit both the farmer and the consumer. From giving cooking recommendations to customers, asking advice from seasoned farmers, and giving advice to new farmers, to letting a couple of food nerds into their home to write a blog post on them, they go out of their way to help build community in our area.

                Red Moon Farm is a busy place. Beautiful produce, happy chickens, and bees that make the most delicious honey. In addition, Jessica makes homemade soaps and personal care products, while Mrs. Studinka grows gorgeous flowers, all of which you can find at the market for purchase. Everyone works hard and they make a wonderful team. As busy as farm life can be, they are the most serene, patient, and incredibly loving family. Much like the other farmers we have visited, we felt incredibly welcomed and could feel the love this family had for one another.

                As we visit more farmers we notice a common theme; the love of family, community, and great food. They are the values that each farm and this blog are built upon. Justin and Jessica couldn’t be a better example of these values in action. Our community is blessed to have them.

Thank you to Justin, Jessica and the Studinkas for having us over. 

We were blessed to prepare with the family a delicious meal consisting of a Chili and Mustard Rubbed Roasted Chicken, Marinated Summer Vegetables, Baked Tomatoes, and a Tomato Lemon Basil and Red Onion Salad. Recipes will be up soon!

Farm Feature: McCurry Produce

        Courtney McCurry is one of those people who will make you feel like an old friend. He was thrilled when we approached him and couldn’t wait to have us out to see his garden. For Courtney McCurry, however, growing produce was never the plan. 

Courtney’s father planted a garden on a Monday, and by the following Friday he was gone. Courtney was a cattle guy with no interest in growing produce, but after the funeral he decided to finish the garden his father started. What started as homage to his dad would become a life changing decision. He fell in love with gardening, sold his cows, and began growing produce full time. 

Mr. McCurry leases his land from a wonderful couple in Marshall. No pesticides are used, but he employs some creative techniques to keep away pests, such as a buttermilk mixture and hot sauce. Yep, hot sauce. Courtney swears by it to keep the deer from gobbling up his delicious strawberries. Oh, those fabulous strawberries! If you didn’t get the pleasure of trying his strawberries this year you really missed out.  

Courtney doesn’t grow a wide variety of produce, but he grows an abundance of the things he is good at. This gives him the ability to only bring the best of his harvest to market. Everything else is turned to jam and jelly by the couple he leases the land from. That is why you never saw an ugly strawberry at his stand.  He was excited to show us the watermelon crop he will be harvesting soon. Courtney says he has the sweetest watermelon you will ever taste and we can’t wait to try some.

Courtney shared with us his desire to expand as he gets to know his market. After getting to know him we are confident that whatever expansion occurs will be done with the highest quality product in mind. We can’t wait to see and taste what he has in store next. Courtney has come a long way since the decision to finish his father’s garden, and even though we never met the man, we know he would be so proud.

We made a Sweet Hoecake with Strawberry Sauce and Whipped Sour Cream. Recipe here.

Farm Feature: Whistler's Farm

  Most people's vision for retirement is a laid back leisurely one. Perhaps spent on the beach with a cool drink in hand. Houston Morrow is not most people. His retirement dream looks like, well a whole lot of work. Houston bought his 17 acre homestead a little over a year ago and has been working tirelessly with the help of his family to turn it into his dream of a self-reliant family farm. This lifestyle is more than just a dream to the Morrows, it is engrained in who they are. It's rooted in a deep respect for the land and animals that was evident as Houston and Colby, his son and right hand man, showed us around.

  Sunday we spent the day with the guys behind Whistler’s Farm and are truly impressed by what we experienced. Colby took his time showing us their operation as Houston would join between working to tell us history about the buildings and animals. The three large plots of land dedicated to growing fruit and vegetables are full of young plants all started from seed( non GMO/heirloom/organic). No small accomplishment given that the land has not been worked for the past ten years. No harmful chemicals or pesticides are used on their crops because; well they’re not good for you or the soil.

 There are a lot of animals at Whistler’s Farm. Besides the quail that they are known for, they have chickens, goats, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, and two cows. The love and care they have for their animals was easy to see as they walked us around often introducing the animals by name and taking time to stop and show them affection.  This is why they take the extra effort to butcher their quail by hand instead of using a machine that can bruise up the meat.

  After our tour of the farm, we invaded their kitchen to make our own version of a fried meat pie. We had prepared the crust the day before, but everything else we needed was picked, plucked, and butchered that same day. We used the ingredients they will be bringing to market this week including potatoes, quail, quail eggs, and a fresh salad using baby spinach, radishes, and the vinegar from the pickled eggs.

 Whistler’s Farm is truly a family operation that requires lots of hard work. From tending the fields and taking care of the animals to pickling eggs and baking bread everyone does their part. We had the pleasure of meeting Houston’s wife Joyce, daughter Whitney, and Colby’s girlfriend Katie. Everyone was so down to earth and made us feel welcome. While I am sure it isn’t always easy, the amount of cooperation and love it takes from a family to accomplish what they are doing is something to be admired and aspired to.
Thank you Morrow family for welcoming us into your home and being the first of our farm visits. We are truly grateful.
Click on the recipe tab for the recipe!