Farmtopia NC

A few more Fall Photos...

2010-12-04T12:32:00.003-05:00

Small Plate Crawl...

2010-11-25T12:57:00.015-05:00

During the second week of November we participated in the Small Plate Crawl of Hendersonville, NC. This event is put on by The Carolina Epicurean and over 20 local restaurants twice a year. Basically the restaurants produce small tasting plates which showcase some of their flavors while keeping the prices low and the portion sizes reasonable so patrons can try several restaurants in the same evening. By the way, if you are ever in the Western Carolina area and need some great foodie reviews, check out The Carolina Epicurean website...

http://carolinaepicurean.com/

The Small Plate Crawl was held over two days and we were able to try five restaurants the night we went. Since these restaurants claim to be "local" we went out with the goal of asking each restaurant how "local" the ingredients they use are and the answers we received might surprise you...

This was tasting plate A & B from our first stop of the evening, Umi Japanese Fine Dining. Plate A consisted of a spicy crab salad, stuffed mushroom, and basil chicken. Plate B consisted of a crab cake, sashimi ceviche, basil steak, and mussels dynamite. After the meal was over we asked, what ingredients here are local? The restaurant employee stated they didn't use very many local ingredients because they produce "ethnic foods" but some items like the mint in their drinks is local. She admitted the local food scene in our region is awesome and she wished they would use more local ingredients.

On our second stop we ate at Lime Leaf. Here we had a couple of spring rolls, some pineapple fried rice, pad thai, and beef salad. The employee offered us some great tips on how to order drinks, but when asked what local ingredients their restaurant uses, she looked a little confused. She admitted to us she was new to this restaurant and didn't know the source of their ingredients.

Our third stop was at Mezzaluna Brick Oven and Tap House. Here we tried a seared jumbo scallop with citrus risotto, micro greens and lemon infused olive oil on one plate, and a braised porkbelly with creamy polenta and molasses soy reduction on the second plate. When asked about the local ingredients used at their establishment, the employee was happy to inform us they do try to use a lot of local ingredients, but since it was late Fall they do not get much from the local scene this time of the year.

Our fourth stop was at the Flat Rock Wine Shoppe and Blue Note Grill. This place is known for producing some great meals and pairing it with great live entertainment. The night we went this two piece group was performing for the diners.

Here we tried the petite fillet mignon and shiitake mushroom nepoleans finished with bearre rough, and the pancetta wrapped jumbo shrimp with a pineapple chutney. We asked the employee about their restaurant and the local ingredients they use and received the most enthusiastic answer of the night. She claimed they are known for implementing local ingredients and even went as far as to say "it probably exceeds 70%"!

Our last stop of the night was at Never Blue. By this point we were full of savory dishes and ready to have some sweets so we ordered a Naughty Leprechaun which consists of organic coffee, Jameson Irish whiskey, Irish cream, fudge and whip with rainbow sprinkles.

We also decided to share some dessert so we selected The Brownie. Here is how it is described on their menu.... "You saw The Brownie, right? Mind you it takes 20 minutes, but it is worth every second. It's a double fudge brownie topped with a luscious layer of dark chocolate ganache, then wrapped in buttered phyllo dough and baked to a crisp bliss, served with house-made hazelnut praline ice cream, frangelico creme anglaise, and dark chocolate sauce."

After the meal was over we didn't forget to ask the employee if any of the ingredients they use are local. She was very proud to admit they use a lot of local ingredients and went as far as to name off some of the local farms and farmers they get ingredients from on a regular basis.

So there you have it. Just because you think a restaurant is"local" doesn't mean the food they serve you is produced from local ingredients. There are many pluses to using local ingredients too. It employs local workers, it doesn't have to travel as far from the source so it stays fresher and requires less energy be used to transport it to the final destination. Next time you select a "local" restaurant why not ask them, "what on your menu is truly local?" You just might be surprised at what you learn.

Decorative Items from the Pasture...

2010-10-30T15:27:00.003-04:00

After collecting the decorative items from various parts of the pasture, Leigh Ann returned to the barn house where she was met by Lily And Boo (who probably thought the items in her hands were edibles from the vegetable garden).

Leigh Ann, Lily and Boo in front of the burning bush.

Leigh Ann showing off her free bountiful collection of pasture decorative items.

Leigh Ann decided to create a small display out of the decorative items and place it in this old jar.

When brought together, the colors really pop and make a cheerful display.

A larger arrangement was created and placed in a vase using some bigger pieces of the decorative items.

Collecting Wild Flowers in the Pasture...

2010-10-30T15:22:00.003-04:00

After I raced the dune buggy around the track a time or three, Leigh Ann joined me in the passenger seat to venture out into the pasture to collect wild flowers.

Leigh Ann did not have to step out of the buggy to collect this Queen Anne's lace.

Another pick right from the passenger seat of the dune buggy.

Leigh Ann and Boo also spotted some interesting items growing along the overgrown fence line.

Leigh Ann collecting a piece of twisted vine off the overgrown fence.

Leigh Ann holding a piece of American Bittersweet collected off the old fence wire. Some like to use this to make wreaths.

Dune Buggy fun in the Pasture...

2010-10-30T14:41:00.008-04:00

After driving by a neighbor's house time after time and seeing this dune buggy displayed for sale for several weeks, I decided to purchase it. We call it "Mad Max" because it is really several dune buggys recycled to make this operational unit. I like to ride it to blow off some steam and it is a great way to get around to parts of the property we don't always visit on foot that often.

Boo standing next to me while I sit in the dune buggy and enjoy the view of the surrounding area.

The oaks in the pasture have just about lost all their leaves.

Boo wandering aimlessly through the lower pasture as I enjoy the long range view.

A view looking through the big oaks in the pasture back toward the barn house. The green color of the big green willow located next to the barn house really pops this time of year.

Boo, eat my dust! You can't catch me when I open up my dune buggy throttle!

Riding around in the upper pasture on the dune buggy. The fast track is located past the oaks in the lower pasture!

A Bounty of Colorful Peppers, Tomatoes, and Tomatillos...

2010-09-23T14:38:00.006-04:00

It is almost the end of September and our pasture garden continues to provide us with all kinds of goodies. We have some peppers which are cool and sweet, some which are very hot and require gloves in order to chop them up, plus yellow tomatoes and purple tomatillos. Yum!

These veggies were grown from heirloom seeds. What else did you expect?

In this photo you can see five types of peppers. Who knew they would do so well in the cool mountains of Western NC.

Pumpkin Time...

2010-08-31T10:20:00.010-04:00

Last year there was a pumpkin shortage due to disease and fungus. This year we hear things are better, but there are still some signs that all is not back to normal. So imagine our joy when Leigh Ann was able to harvest these pumpkins she grew from heirloom seed.

OK, so we didn't harvest enough to supply the whole town but we get to enjoy them and they are free!

It just doesn't feel like Fall without a pumpkin around the house.

2010 Pasture Garden...

2010-07-22T12:26:00.007-04:00

This year a lot of our garden plants were started from heirloom seeds. Since we ran out of room for all the plants last year, Leigh Ann decided to make a garden area in our pasture. We drove out to Frog Holler Organiks and picked up a load of their specially blended compost. An area in the pasture was cleared of grass using a tiller and the compost was laid down. Bales of hay were placed along the edge of the compost to help keep small animals like rabbits out and prevent grasses and weeds from growing into the garden area. Small plants started from seed were transplanted into the area some time in May, and now we have tomatoes, corn, peppers, strawberries, lettuce, herbs, pumpkins, sunflowers, and tomatillos growing fresh on the property.

If you live in the area and need some great compost, check out Frog Holler Organiks. So far we have been very pleased with the performance of their compost. If you would like more info about their compost, you can view that here...

www.frogholler.net/plants.html

These are some of the plants which were started from heirloom seeds.

The Frog Holler compost was placed in the pasture near the Barn House.

Leigh Ann shoveling the Frog Holler compost into rows from the back of the pickup truck.

A few months later the plants are doing great and we have so many tomatoes even the dogs and chickens eat well!

Here are some strawberries which don't produce much the first year but should come back next year bigger and better.

2010 Raised Beds and "Smart Pots"...

2010-07-22T12:20:00.006-04:00

This year we grew too many plants therefore several did not have a "home in the ground" to go to. Some were transplanted into our raised beds while others are being kept in "Smart Pots" which provide a nice home too.

In case you are interested in starting some plants from seed, check out these Smart Pots. They really work great!

http://www.smartpots.com/

Here are some basil plants started from seed in a Smart Pot.

These plants were started from seed for our garden but we ran out of room so now they hang out on the deck in pots instead.

Here are the raised beds with various herbs and a few sunflowers.

This sunflower head is huge and provides a lot of great pollen to attract bees, plus it is nice to look at any day.

Here you can see a closeup of the bees collecting the pollen from the sunflower.

Farmtopia Flowers...

2010-07-22T12:11:00.004-04:00

Here are a few photos of some of the flowers seen around the property...

Princess Honey and the evil step hens...

2010-06-13T16:48:00.004-04:00

The other day Leigh Ann went out to check on the hens and our small bantam, Honey, wasn't looking so good! She was all puffed up, standing in a corner alone and having a hard time balancing herself. After ruling out an illness we determined she had been pecked silly by our two big Rhode Island Red hens, Bruiser and Sweet-Pea. We are not sure why, after all these months and a year of living together, they decided to act this way, but Honey got to move out and now lives a quiet and simple life in the front yard.

The two evil step hens now run the backyard, unaware Honey is living the good life nearby.

Honey now spends her days on the Barn front porch or under the wild bird feeder.

Honey seeking out stray bird seed in a patch of growing sunflowers.

Honey likes to hang out with our dogs on the front porch. At night she likes to look through the window into the Barn house and see what we are up to.

A new fence goes up...

2010-05-07T17:18:00.005-04:00

Back in March we reported the old fence at the top of our property was in bad shape and needed to be replaced. We also noted the wood was being recycled and it is a good thing! We took some of the old fence boards and had two different lumber specialists identify the wood. Most of the fence at the top of the property was made of fir, not cheap especially given the rising price of lumber.

There are some sections of very old fence in the pasture area and a few of those boards needed to be replaced so we took a sample board of that to the lumbar specialist too. We soon discovered this wood seems to have quite a history. The lumber specialist identified the wood as red oak. Saw marks created by a type of saw set up to run as an on-sight lumber mill were present and the lumber specialist felt the boards were around 60 years old and most possibly taken from a large red oak that once graced the property. Final conclusion: at about $2 a board foot each 12' four board section of old fence in the pasture is worth about $100 so the broken boards were replaced with cheaper cedar.

Here is a photo of the old fir fence we took down and replaced.

Here is a shot of the new fence from a similar angle. We used 4" goat wire to keep the cost down.

Here is a section of the very old fence made of red oak with one new board made of cedar.

We did rebuild part of the fence at the top of the property with cedar.

Some of our "cold blooded" wildlife here on the Farm...

2010-05-07T16:51:00.008-04:00

It must be warming up again because lately we have seen a few cold blooded critters running around the property quite frequently.

This American Five-lined Skink lives near our lettuce beds behind some landscape timbers.

This North American Box Turtle (or tortoise) however was just passing through.

Luckily for the turtle no one was driving down the driveway as it crossed to the other side.

If only movie stars could escape the flash of the paparazzi this easy.

FarmtopiaNC gets some visitors from Tennessee...

2010-04-25T12:11:00.011-04:00

A couple of weeks ago our friend Mamie stopped by with her daughter, Camille, and her son, CJ, to visit. This wasn't just an exciting time for us but also the Farmtopia animals.

CJ seems to be applauding Act I of "The Great Chicken Show".

SweetPea the chicken was not quite sure about the "downsized" human....

but if there is food involved she is willing to "take a risk"!

Honey was excited to get this lettuce from Camille because the big chickens usually don't share.

With an outstretched hand, Camille took this photo of us sitting on the porch.

Our white squirrel, White Lighting, is back...

2010-04-08T17:30:00.007-04:00

Maybe he was taking a Winter break or possibly he was too hard to locate in all the snow we received this year. Either way, we are glad he is back!

White Lightning enjoying an easy meal.

Ever have the feeling you are being watched?

I guess if I had white fur and lived in the wild, I would be paraniod too.

Nope, he didn't like having his photo made.

New deck added at the top of the property...

2010-04-08T16:52:00.013-04:00

In the last post we addressed the fact that the old fence came down but the wood boards were recycled. While we were working in that area we realized one of the best views from our property deserved a better sitting area, so we decided to build a deck.

Setting the posts for a new deck at the top of our property.

Installing the beams and joists. Not as easy as I thought it would be!

Time to put the decking in place and get this project moving.

Adding the final touch by using the old recycled fence boards.

Here is a taste of the view from the completed deck. Wish I could show you the 180 degree mountain ridgeline view we have from this spot!

An old fence comes down...

2010-04-08T15:32:00.004-04:00

There are plenty of projects around this place and one we have put off for some time is this old fence which surrounds the top of the property. Since it is falling down and has plenty of brush growing through it, we thought it was the right time to pull it down.

You can see from this photo that the wood fence is on its last leg. But that doesn't mean we should trash the whole thing.

Boards from the fence were used to construct part of this bar top.

The old fence boards help to hold this old planting bed together plus improves the look.

The area below the deck of the barn house was wide open so leaves and critters always got under it. Not anymore!

We still have plenty of fence boards for other projects...stay tuned.

What is this I see...

2010-03-27T17:51:00.013-04:00

As I walked around the property the other day, I noticed a few blooms have begun to pop out of the various trees. While I do welcome this hint that Spring is on the horizon, I still doubt this past Winter is truly over. After all, we did have some snow flurries last week!

This willow tree has started the process of producing its leaves. Still a long way to go before it fills out. This maple isn't far along either. Advice from a Tree

By Ilan Shamir

Dear Friend,

Stand Tall and Proud

Sink your roots deeply into the Earth

Reflect the light of a greater source

Think long term

Go out on a limb

Remember your place among all living beings

Embrace with joy the changing seasons

For each yields its own abundance

The Energy and Birth of Spring

The Growth and Contentment of Summer

The Wisdom to let go of the leaves in the Fall

The Rest and Quiet Renewal of Winter

Feel the wind and the sun

And delight in their presence

Look up at the moon that shines down upon you

And the mystery of the stars at night.

Seek nourishment from the good things in life

Simple pleasures

Earth, fresh air, light

Be content with your natural beauty

Drink plenty of water

Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes

Be flexible

Remember your roots

Enjoy the view!

Ice and Snow "Eye Candy"...

2010-03-02T15:18:00.003-05:00

Enjoy...

Snow Day: Part II...

2010-03-02T14:34:00.004-05:00

We continue to see consistent snow storms rolling into our area even though we are now in the month of March. The school children are unable to make it to school, ever. People have been trapped overnight on the Interstate near our home as truckers find themselves unable to drive their rigs up steep mountain slopes covered with slick ice and snow. Streams and rivers have overrun their banks as they try to drain the mountains and plains of all the snow melt. Landslides and slumps have occurred in our area due to the unusually consistent snows. Snow can become a real nuisance- if you let it. We prefer to accept it and enjoy it...
These wild birds enjoyed their day by visiting our feeders.
These domesticated birds however enjoyed their day by mostly staying inside their heated coop.
Lily enjoyed her day by running through our pasture and collected these snowballs on her fur.
I enjoyed the day by running through the pasture as I tried to stay warm.
Leigh Ann enjoyed her day by climbing a snow covered tree.

Looking for an easy meal...

2010-01-21T15:08:00.008-05:00

We have a bird feeder hanging outside our kitchen window. Usually you can look out and see a cardinal or finch, but the other day was not a usual day. The goshawk was back! This time it wasn't looking for our chickens but instead seeking any easy meal from our bird-feeders.

This hawk is not small but we think it is a juvenile. Most male goshawks are 19-22" long and the females are 23-25" long. This one was estimated at 15" long, so not a small bird but obviously it has room to grow.

The hawk trying to look "small" to its prey

"Hey where did all the dove go?"

Staring at the feeder waiting for a mistake

Looking out over the pasture ready to give up on this idea!

I want my truck back!...

2010-01-21T14:51:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Lily, the mother of our golden retriever Boo, had to make a trip to the vet. As the truck pulled off Boo wasn't too pleased to find out she was not invited along for the ride in the bed of "her" pickup truck. To see what happened watch the video below...

More 2009 Snow photos...

2009-12-20T12:45:00.009-05:00

The county came out and plowed but left a huge snow berm in our driveway.

Eat rubber snow berm!

Testing out the traction of these tires.

Truck bed iced up and ready for tailgating, just add beer.

Dogs ready to ride rain, sleet, or snow!

More Snow Storm photos...

2009-12-20T11:37:00.008-05:00

Friday's storm dropped over 15" of snow according to the National Weather Service.

Looking out over our neighbor's pasture.

Are you sure it wasn't 26" of snow that fell?

Looking out over our pasture.

Snow dogs with snow dreads forming on their fur.

Bird in the bush waiting for me to leave so it can hop on the feeder

BATTLE TIME!

SNOW DAY!...

2009-12-18T12:09:00.008-05:00

Last week I worked on the outside of the house caulking and making repairs in pleasant temperatures in the low 60's. Today is a different story- we woke up to snow...

Lily and Boo like to catch and eat snowballs.

"That snowball was yummy!"- Boo

Lily making snowdog angels.

Boo trying to warm up her front paws.

The chickens didn't care much for the snow and preferred the view from inside their heated coop.

This story not for those with "soft hearts"...

2009-11-30T12:31:00.008-05:00

A couple of nights ago around 3:00am the power to our home was knocked out for about an hour. There was no storm in the area so we were unsure why the power had gone out, but a man from Duke Power showed up quickly and got it back on. Since it was very late, we didn't get a chance to walk out and directly ask the power worker what had knocked out the power. Still curious to figure out what had happened, the next day I walked out to the power pole to look around the area where the work had been performed and found the culprit...

Doesn't look like Mr. Coon is sleeping!

The raccoon was climbing where it should not have been, obviously.

Curled up whiskers from a power surge. Ouch!

This is what the raccoon was climbing on. What was he thinking?!

You can see where the wire burned the raccoon and fried the whiskers.

Looks like Fall in the Mountains...

2009-10-31T12:02:00.005-04:00

There isn't much new to report so I thought I would share a few Fall shots of the local mountains...

This is Gerry's Fall located outside Hot Springs, NC

Looking down a road out into the Pisgah National Forest

Beautiful Fall leaf colors

Driving the mountain roads in the Fall at about 3400' elevation

Here is photo looking out from some property we own near the Appalachian Trail

Flooding in our area...

2009-09-28T18:33:00.010-04:00

We had more rain this past week in Western North Carolina than I can ever remember. The rain fell for days and days with little hesitation which resulted in several rivers leaving their banks. The French Broad River, which runs near our home, flooded several pastures, greenhouses, and a tree farm. The apple orchards were also affected as they were unable to harvest their crop on time.

For the past couple of years our region has experienced drought, but with this much rain I would say the chance of finishing the year with a rain deficit is very slim!

Here is a shot of the French Broad River as it floods a road.

Flooded animal pasture near our home.

Animal pasture, shelter, and corn under water.

Animals grazing on their remaining pasture.

Tree farm near our home.

Another shot of the French Broad River flooding the tree farm.

Rows of trees at the tree farm flooded.

Local news on the scene to report the flooding.

News helicopter hovering over our house filming the flooding.

Another news team in the area reporting on the floods.

We toured a Blue Agave Farm and Tequila Factory...

2009-08-20T13:27:00.045-04:00

Last week we had the pleasure of finding ourselves in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico which is located in the state of Jalisco. Jalisco just happens to be the center of the Mexican tequila industry and the town of Tequila, which gave its name to the famous liquor, is also located in Jalisco. While in Jalisco we toured two agave farms that manufacture tequila on site.

The process of manufacturing tequila is a great example of taking a base plant and turning it into a high quality value added product. We were told we could purchase a blue agave shoot for a few dollars yet some bottles of tequila are sold for $25, $50, or even as much as $2500 a bottle once the right type of aging and processes are applied to the blue agave's juice.

Good tequila requires great blue agave plants and it takes about seven years to grow one to harvest. These plants are harvested by jimadores using a tool called a coa which allows them to cut away the branches of the blue agave and leave only the meaty center called pinas. The pinas are then shredded and the juices are pressed out into fermentation tanks. After the fermented juice has been distilled you are left with blanco tequila. The blanco tequila can then be taken a step further and placed into oak barrels which once contained whiskey or bourbon, then aged for several years to create reposado or anejo tequila. To make sure you are consuming the best tequila your bottle should state that it is "made with 100% blue agave". Some brands of tequila are made with a dilution of the blue agave juice and this leads to impurities which can cause hangovers and headaches, so you get what you pay for!

Overall we had a great time on our tequila tour. It was easy to see the people who produce this product are proud of their heritage and strive to create the best drinking tequilas possible. Most end of up with very distinct flavors and tastes based on an array of variables from the soil the blue agave grows in to the process each manufacturer uses. Some of the tequilas we purchased were even infused with almonds, coffee, and other flavors, something we have not seen available for purchase in America. So if you ever find yourself in the state of Jalisco Mexico, do yourself a favor and take a tequila tour. You too will be impressed by the heritage behind this 400 year old process and the simple blue agave plant.

Here I am standing among some blue agave plants.

Our guide shows us a Coa used by the jimadores to clean the blue agave.

Leigh Ann standing next to Pinas that will be crushed and shredded for their juice.
This machine is the modern way the pinas are shredded.

Here our guide holds some of the shredded pinas called Musto. It tastes like a sweet potato with the texture of sugar cane.
The Tahona is used to press the musto and extract the juice.
The blue agave juice is distilled here in these stainless steel tanks at least twice to produce the blanco tequila.
These old barrels sit for months or years in order to create the reposado or anejo tequilas. Here are the tequilas we purchased on our tour. Many of them have been infused with flavors. Some producers get very creative with their tequila bottles. This bottle has a hand-blown jimadores inside using the coa on a blue agave.

Sunflowers are blooming...

2009-07-31T16:39:00.004-04:00

There is not much new to report this month so I thought I would post a few images of our sunflowers. The small birds have really enjoyed them and they help brighten up the outdoors.

These sunflowers are located between our guesthouse and barnhouse.
Several varieties were planted but some did not bloom or were taken out by squirrels.
My favorite is this variety with the dark orange hues.
Here is a twist...we purchased this old propane tank converted to a sunflower at Bele Chere last year.

2009 Family Farm Tour...

2009-06-28T16:21:00.011-04:00

This weekend we toured six farms on the 2009 Family Farm Tour. There was lots to choose from as 38 farms in 6 Western North Carolina counties took part and for $25, a car load of people could enter the farm, take a tour of their operation, and purchase items directly from the people producing it. If you would like more info on the Family Farm Tour I have provided the link below...

http://www.asapconnections.org/thefamilyfarmtour.html

The first farm we toured was Maple Creek Farm. They sell meats and vegetables, but the most interesting aspect of their farm is that they are North Carolina's only commercial producer of maple syrup. We were given a tour of their sugar maple forest and provided an explanation on how the trees are tapped. It was very interesting to see how they use gravity and a system of hoses to bring the sugar maple sap down the mountain to be processed. We were given a lecture on the maple syrup making process, provided some samples, and met some very friendly people. Needless to say, we learned a lot about maple syrup! One important fact: darker maple syrups are sweeter and preferred by people of the South while the lighter syrup is not as sweet and preferred by people up North, where they pay a premium for it.

The second farm we toured was Bee Tree Farm. We did not take a tour at this farm, but we were able to purchase some organic wines they make on site.

The third farm we toured was the Spinning Spider Creamery. Here we were given a tour of a micro-dairy which utilizes 100 goats to provided milk for all kinds of artisan cheeses. On this tour we saw goats being milked by hand, received an explanation on how goats are milked by machine, took a guided tour through the kitchen, and heard an explanation of the cheese making process. We also got to view how the milk goats live and even play with some newborn baby goats (kids).

The fourth farm wasn't on the tour, but it should have been. As we were driving to our next destination, we were stopped in the middle of the road by Nathan Beachy of Nate's Farm. Nate raises natural grass fed beef, has it butchered and sells it by the whole cow or the piece. We purchased some New York Strips, fillets, and ground beef from Nate, and having already tried the fillets off the grill, I can tell you we will be back for more.

The fifth farm we toured was Sunset Valley Farm. This farm makes a huge variety of high quality value added products such as herb blends, jams, dressings, etc from their produce and from produce they purchase inside a 50 mile radius. We were given a demonstration on how to make apple butter and provided with several great samples of the tasty products they make. The owner also spoke to us on how government regulations are making it tougher and tougher on the small farmer.

The sixth farm we toured was Holly Hill Farm. Here the farmers gave us a tour of their certified organic vegetables and herbs. We were able to hear about some techniques they use which are not common on large scale farms, and also learned how tough it is to meet certain regulations in order to keep an organic certification (lots of paperwork!).

The seventh farm we toured was Queen's Produce and Berry Farm. This is a berry u-pick which also sells vegetables, eggs, and cut flowers.

In this photo you can see some sheep being raised for meat on Maple Creek Farm.

These donkeys were also on Maple Creek Farm and protect the sheep herd from coyotes and other predators.

Here you can see what a sugar maple tap looks like. Notice the hose runs down the mountain to the building below.

This is one of the evaporators used by Maple Creek Farm to turn the maple sap into maple syrup.

On our way to one of the farms we saw this wild turkey in the road with her babies. Once they saw us they quickly took flight!

In this photo you can see hand milking of a goat at the Spinning Spider Creamery.

Spinning Spider Creamery also showed us how goat cheese is made.

The creamery uses swiss goats to provide their milk. This kid is too young to milk and just wanted to play with Leigh Ann's hat.

Rocky Top Mountain Lettuce Mix growing...

2009-05-23T12:31:00.006-04:00

Here are two photos of a lettuce mix started from seed a few weeks ago. It is being grown in one of our raised beds which works great for keeping the rabbits out.

This raised bed is located next to our home so once ready, we will be 20 steps away from a fresh salad.

In this photo you can also see some edible nostrums popping up with the lettuce.

OPERATION: Black Rat Snake Relocation...

2009-05-23T12:04:00.007-04:00

The other day Leigh Ann was walking around outside making preparations to give our two golden retrievers a bath. As she began to walk over and grab one of the dogs, she happened to look down and notice a black rat snake curled up next to the house. Not wanting to see a confrontation between the dogs and the snake, we scooped it up, drove it down to the state park and released it. This is the third black snake we have relocated in the past two years.

We know the black snake is harmless and actually helps keep rodent populations down, but any time we see a snake that close to the house, we always worry one of the dogs will harm it. Besides, I'm sure there are still plenty more in our pasture and hopefully it can stay that way.

As for poisonous snakes in Western Carolina there are two snakes we have to look out for, the Copperhead and the Timber Rattlesnake. Fortunately we have not run into any of those yet!

If you are interested in viewing the snakes of North Carolina check out the link below...

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/snakes.html

With a little broom push into an empty garbage can, this black rat snake was ready for relocation.

Farmtopia now has Twitter Updates...

2009-04-22T23:13:00.005-04:00

We are improving the Farmtopia blog! As of today I will be adding Twitter feeds to this site. I believe the micro-blogging service Twitter will add a new perspective to the Farmtopia site and allow me to post more frequently from all over the property and on special relevant trips around the area. From my iPhone I will now have the capability to update the blog with photos and shorter descriptive lines of text.

If you have your own Twitter account, you can also follow along @FarmtopiaNC

Unsanctioned rooster fight leads to separate pens...

2009-03-30T11:24:00.010-04:00

A couple of weeks ago Leigh Ann noticed Colonel Z was chasing Flash all over their pen, pecking at his head, and grabbing his wing with his beak. We had seen them stand off before, but usually it was over food and ended quickly. Not this time! They battled over and over and at one point Flash was so exhausted from fleeing Colonel Z, Leigh Ann had to remove him from the pen and give him his own home.

The next day Leigh Ann let Flash out of his new home to freerange. When we came back to check on all of them a few hours later, we noticed Flash was at his old pen's door fighting Colonel Z through the fence! They managed to beat each other up pretty good so now they have separate pens to live in and do not freerange. Crazy roosters, can't you all just get along?

Here is Colonel Z beat-up after fighting through the fence for a couple of hours.

Another photo of Colonel Z looking rough.

Flash appears to have faired better after the battle through the fence.

Here you can see the large pen with 3 hens and Colonel Z next to the small pen with Flash.

Flash in his new pen. Yes it's smaller and doesn't have any hens, but it's a less violent place to live.
Cock fight!

New truck already saving us time and back pain...

2009-02-27T16:09:00.006-05:00

This past weekend we drove the new truck over to the mulch yard near our home where they were able to dump a fresh batch of mulch directly into the bed. This was a great improvement over previous years when we had to get the mulch delivered to our home in a dump truck.

In the past, working from a huge pile of mulch created a few extra steps that added a lot of time and labor to this basic task. First we had to scoop the mulch into a wheelbarrow, then push the load to the spot we needed to cover, then dump it and spread it out. Now we just drive up and start tossing it into place. Why didn't we buy a truck sooner?

Leigh Ann got to tossing the mulch so fast a cloud of smoke appeared, haha!

Here you can see some of the progress.

Once this area gets some new plants it will look great.

Constructing a new Chicken Coop...

2009-01-08T16:48:00.013-05:00

Last week we realized we could no longer allow our chickens to roam freely around the property. After some thought on the best way to manage this situation, we bought a 10'x10' kennel from the Tractor Supply and used the new truck to haul it home. That took care of the predator issue but these fine chickens needed a fine home. I'm not much of a carpenter but after some thought on what worked in the past and what didn't, I came up with this design in my head and then it was off to the lumber yard to pick up supplies.

The coop has nesting boxes in the back and perches in the front.

We put a clear roof on the coop so the chickens would know it was time to wake up, haha.

Here is the final product. A fine job if a say so myself.

We put hinges on the front wall so we can open it and maintain the inside.

Doors were built on the side of the nesting boxes so we could access the eggs easily.

Here is a photo of the new coop with the old coop in the background.

The perches are built over a wire mesh for easy cleaning.

Below the coop we built a sheltered area to protect the food and water from the elements.

Happy Birthday truck...

2009-01-08T16:22:00.010-05:00

We have talked about buying a new truck for some time now and the opportunity finally presented itself. As you know, the economy has seen some rough times lately and one area that has been hit hard is the auto manufacturing sector. Last week I noticed a local Toyota dealer was trying to unload a 2007 Tundra at a huge discount so we took a trip down to their dealership to check it out.

The Tundra they were selling had an original MSRP price of almost $28,000 but after a little wheeling and dealing we were able to drive off the lot for just a little over $16,000. Now that's deflation! And hey, gas is under a $1.60/gal too!!! What a deal.

So now Leigh Ann has herself a new birthday truck and with the biggest bed in its class, she can haul lots of big items back to the farm. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Leigh Ann!

American truck built in San Antonio, Texas

It didn't take long to get some good use out of it.

Ready to hit the town and shop for more deals on her birthday.

Unwelcome guest to the Farm...

2009-01-08T15:52:00.009-05:00

A couple of Saturdays ago after we returned from running a few errands, Leigh Ann went to look for her hens. They are usually let out of their coop early and free-range around the yard until they put themselves up for the day. After a little looking she found a couple of them making crazy sounds and hiding under the front porch. But one was missing, Luna.

We thought a stray black cat that roams our area may have nabbed her, saw him in the pasture, and was able to verify he in fact did not have our hen. We continued to search and I saw something strange in a thick bush. It turned out to be a huge hawk, a goshawk!

The goshawk was massive and it is easy to see how it was able to take our small hen. We have sighted hawks on our property before and even have a hawk's nest in one of our big oak trees located in the lower pasture, but I have never seen such a huge hawk up close. It really was a beautiful bird and you can read more about it and see some close up photos here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goshawk

Anyway, as much as we enjoyed watching our chickens roam the property and free-range, we now realize there is too little cover for them in the Winter with the leaves off the trees and plan to build them a coop in the future to help protect them.

Here is a photo of the hawk after we startled it and it flew up into a tall tree.

Luna before the accident feeding with her man, Colonel Z.

Farmtopia Christmas gift donation (follow up)...

2009-01-08T15:32:00.007-05:00

In December we reported Farmtopia had purchased a mini bike to donate to a lucky child for Christmas. Finding an individual to offer this to turned out to be harder than we thought though, so we contacted Toys for Tots and offered it to them. They were pleased to receive it and in conjunction with 99.9 Kiss Country Radio, they were able to auction it off over one of the DJ's radio shows. The individual who purchased it provided enough payment so Toys for Tots could buy gifts for 34 children! The individual also stated he purchased the mini bike to give as a gift to a needy child in his community. We were very pleased with how this turned out and hopefully we will be in a position to do something like this again for Christmas 2009.

http://www.wnctoysfortots.org/

Our 2008 Christmas Tree...

2008-12-14T17:47:00.013-05:00

We picked out our Christmas Tree this week and managed to get it set up and decorated. It is a 10' tall Fraser Fur grown here in the mountains of North Carolina. This years official White House Christmas tree is also a North Carolina Fraser Fur. You can read more about that here...

http://ncchristmastrees.com/white_house_trees.htm

Leigh Ann had to trim some branches so we could make the tree fit.

Yes, this is our biggest tree ever.

Here is how it looked before we added all the flare.

It was hard to capture a full photo of this massive tree.

Once decorated we turned off the house lights.

The Christmas lights look festive in the dark.

Here is a photo looking down onto the decorated tree.

Over 95% of the decorations on this tree were made by 3 generations of our family.

Farmtopia Christmas gift donation...

2008-12-14T17:02:00.008-05:00

Life has been good on the Farm in 2008. This year we thought we would share some of the harvested profits by awarding a mini bike to some lucky child this holiday season...

New and still in the box.

Mini bike after assembly.

I had to take it on a test drive to make sure it works, haha!

Big boy on a little toy!

While the farmers away, the chickens will lay...

2008-12-14T16:30:00.008-05:00

We recently took a vacation to Las Vegas. While we were off playing, Sweet Pea, Bruiser, Honey, and Luna were hard at work. This is what we found when we returned...

Looks like Luna has been given the job of babysitter.

Lots of fresh eggs waiting for our return.

"I'm tired of this job! I need a vacation."- Luna

The Las Vegas Strip as seen from the Stratosphere.

"Haha, if those crazy Farmtopia chickens could see me now."- Kirk

"I'm ready to win another spin on the Wheel of Fortune slot machine!"- Leigh Ann

Fall Leaf Colors- A one month look

2008-11-15T12:28:00.004-05:00

This year the Fall colors were awesome! The reds were noticeably brighter and even though we currently have a 12"rain deficit for the year, the leaves seemed to stay on the trees longer than in past seasons. Below you can see several images of Fodderstack Mountain taken over our back pasture...

Taken on OCT 18th

Taken on OCT 25th

Taken on OCT 31st

Taken on NOV 15th

Upside down tomato planter an alternative to raised beds (UPDATE)...

2008-10-18T11:15:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we finally harvested the last of the tomatoes for the year and packed our hanging planters away until next season. The planters worked great but we did notice some problems keeping it watered properly. After further investigation we realized the soil used inside each planter was not intended for pots and planters. Oh well, we still produced lots of tomatoes and even had to enlist some help to eat them all.

July

August

September

Yes the dogs are crazy for our tomatoes and even steal a few off the lower vines when we are not watching.

Farmtopia fresh eggs...

2008-10-12T10:13:00.013-04:00

Our two bantam hens, Luna and Honey, finally started laying eggs about two weeks ago. They usually provide one or two eggs per day, and even though the eggs are almost a third smaller than regular ones, they look and taste great.

One day Leigh Ann walked in to check the hen-house and this is what she saw.

About 2 weeks later the eggs were already stacking up.

You can tell these are farm fresh eggs and not from mass production because the yolks are very bright yellow and firm.

Biscuits and scrambled eggs, YUM!

"I hope you enjoyed my eggs as much as I enjoy living on your farm!"- Honey

Adventures in establishing the pecking order...

2008-09-06T16:47:00.029-04:00

Our two Rhode Island Red hens, Bruiser and Sweet Pea, have it good. A big yard, plenty of food, free-ranging all day, and a large coop to come home to in the evening as the sun begins to set. But today is a new day, a different day, and as we join Bruiser and Sweet Pea, we also join a new adventure in establishing the pecking order...

Bruiser and Sweet Pea make their way home to their coop after a hard day of free-ranging.

They are very polite hens and don't have a mean bone in their body.

But they are suspicious birds and rightly so. Looks like some new chickens are moving into their hen house.

"Hey Sweet Pea, who is the new guy? He looks kind of small."

"My name is Colonel Z and even though I'm 1/3 your size, I am twice your age and I NOW RULE THIS ROOST!!!"

"Oh no, not another tiny rooster with little chicken syndrome!"

Flash struts his stuff alongside Colonel Z in their new coop.

New additions to the Farm...

2008-09-06T15:36:00.029-04:00

This morning we took a trip to the Little Farmer's Market near our home. It's a small business that sells local produce and offers an alternative to driving into Asheville to shop at the true farmer's market. On the first Saturday of the warmer months people show up to the Little Farmer's Market for about three hours to sell small animals, mostly chickens. We went to look for two hens to join the other two hens we currently own but ended up with something a little different, a bantam chicken.

Bantams are a miniature version of a chicken. You can find out more about their history here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantam_(chicken) )

The bantams at the market were so tiny and cute but displayed a proud attitude for their size, and we could not believe the amazing colors! We just couldn't pass up these four (two rooster/hen pairs) so check out our new additions...

The guy who sold them to us placed all four bantams in this produce box.

Peering through the hole in the produce box I saw something staring back at me.

Even though four were placed in the box their small size left them plenty of space.

We placed the box in the coop and popped the lid open so they could begin to enjoy their new home.

It doesn't take long to make friends if you have some homegrown tomatoes to offer.

The pair on the left are Blue Light Brown Dutch Bantams and the two on the right are Light Brown Dutch Bantams.

Here is a photo of the Light Brown Dutch Bantam. His name is Flash for all the color he displays in the sunlight.

Here is a photo of the Blue Light Brown Dutch Bantam, Colonel Z.

Here is another photo of the four bantams out free-ranging. Life is good!

Upside down tomato planter an alternative to raised beds...

2008-08-17T12:55:00.014-04:00

We have had plenty of success this season growing tomatoes in our raised beds, but we've seen this product advertised on TV so many times we though it might be fun to try. It's called a Topsy Turvy and it provides the perfect solution for those who do not have room for a garden space but do have deck railings, planter hangers, etc available.

We planted our Topsy Turvy on July the 6th and so far it seems to work great. It doesn't require any maintenance and uses water more efficiently than hosing down a whole garden. Plus you can hang it high out of the reach of rascally rabbits!

https://www.hangingtomato.com/

Here is what it looks like set up with a new tomato plant.

There is a small sponge like plug that holds the plant in place.

We hung ours from a deck but you could hang it just about anywhere that gets sunlight.

Exactly one month of growth and you can see tomatoes forming already.

Farmtopia Fresh in the kitchen...

2008-07-13T12:11:00.012-04:00

The best part always comes after the harvest! We took our fresh bounty, headed for the kitchen, and prepared our meal. We used at least one ingredient from the harvest in each part of the meal as you will see.

It almost looks too good to eat.

Fresh picked and pesticide free.

A marinade for the chicken was made from the basil, cumin, balsamic vinegar, and blackberries

A cornbread was prepared with fresh rosemary.

This squash received some fresh rosemary and crushed dried herbs purchased from the local farmer's market.

The cucumber was sliced and mixed into the salads and a couple of edible flowers were used to add some color.

All the items were placed on the grill to be cooked. Dried hickory was used to smoke the items and add flavor.

Dinner time! We pared our meal with a local red wine from the Biltmore Estate.

There were plenty of vegetables left over to complement the dogs and chicken's meals. Yum Yum!

Free blackberries for the taking...

2008-07-13T11:42:00.011-04:00

A fence line can be a problem to maintain as plenty of brush grows in thicker and thicker each year. But there are a few perks you may neglect to realize. An overgrown fence line provides a sanctuary for birds and other critters, and this time of the year it provides lots of wild blackberries. We have a couple thousand feet of fence line so there are pounds of blackberries for the taking...

Here you can see some have begun to ripen.

It's good to be careful around barbed wire and blackberry stickers.

I'm not joking! There are hundreds of feet of these blackberries running along our fence line.

Hey, I didn't say I was going to pick them all today!

Victory Garden ready for the first harvest 6 weeks after planting...

2008-07-13T11:14:00.015-04:00

Last week we finally had our first harvest from our Victory Garden. Some items like the tomatoes and peppers were not quite ready but there were plenty of herbs, squash, and cucumbers for the taking.

These cucumbers grew to be huge very quickly.

We only removed the two biggest ones. That was plenty for us anyway.

There were many squash that were ready to harvest as well.

A couple of snips later and they are ready to head to the kitchen.

We also removed some basil and rosemary during our first harvest.

Free Shiitake Mushrooms coming soon...

2008-06-29T18:50:00.010-04:00

A few weeks ago we attended the 5th annual White Squirrel Festival in downtown Brevard. Unfortunately we left our camera at home and didn't take any photos, but we did have a great time. It was free so you really can't complain! If you want to read more about the festival and check out some images you can go here...

http://www.whitesquirrelfestival.com/

As usual there were several interesting vendors selling crafts and foods. One that stuck out and we just had to try was the Shiitake Mushroom Log. These logs have been inoculated with the shiitake spawn by boring small holes into the log. The logs are then soaked 2-3 hours once a week and leaned against a tree in the shade. It takes 6 to 9 months before the first fruiting and the log fruits for about 7 to 10 days. After the mushrooms are collected, the logs should be left alone for 6 to 8 weeks so it can produce another harvest. As long as the temperature remains in a range of 55-80 degrees the log will continue to produce and with proper handling it will fruit for 4 to 5 years.

We use this tub to soak the logs. You can also use a soaker hose or sprinkler.

Here you can see the area where the log was inoculated with shiitake spawn.

Here Chick Chick!...

2008-05-27T18:10:00.014-04:00

This Memorial Day we finally got around to purchasing four chickens for our backyard coop. We found our chickens through a person selling them in our local paper and since they did not have very many for sale, we ended up with two different breeds. The first breed is a white and black striped bird called a Dominiker. The second breed is a Rhode Island Red.

You can read more about the different breeds at the McMurray Hatchery website...

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/product/dominiques.html

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/product/rhode_island_reds.html

Here is the Dominiker standing over a tiny Rhode Island Red.

The Dominiker seemed to like being held.

We named this chick E.T. because she likes stretching her neck WAY up into the air.

Here you can see the three baby Rhode Island Red chicks.

A closeup of a Rhode Island Red chick.

Victory Garden planted...

2008-05-24T13:14:00.010-04:00

On May the 12th we finally planted our garden. That may seem late to some but the North Carolina Cooperative Extension actually suggests our area wait until May 3rd before planting. We usually get one more frost in April and even a little snow! Last year the local apple crop was ruined by an April snow and sleet storm, but the weather has been great and I think we are finally in the clear.

Here you can see the planter boxes filled with vegetables and herbs.

We also added some blueberry bushes to the area.

This peach tree was marked down half price so we added it too.

Shout out to Carolina Green Sense...

2008-05-24T13:02:00.004-04:00

Farmtopia's Victory Garden was recently featured on the blog, Carolina Green Sense. You can read the full article here...

http://carolinagreensense.com/2008/05/victory-gardens.html

Carolina Green Sense states it, " is your resource for eco-friendly living in North and South Carolina. Making it easy to find people, places, and things to help us live green and protect our environment."

Combat High Food Prices with a "Victory Garden"...

2008-04-17T11:48:00.011-04:00

So this past week we built some planter boxes for our "Victory Garden". Victory Gardens were typically built during World War I and World War II to reduce pressure on the public food supply, but these days with high inflation it just makes sense to grow a few items. Anyway, if you are interested in the history of the "Victory Garden" you can read more here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden

Also, if you are interested in a "No Dig" garden similar to the one we built, check this website out for some great tips...

http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/

Here is an original Victory Garden poster from World War I

We picked this sunny area near our guest house for our planter boxes.

To be on the safe side, don't use pressure treated wood for your edible garden. It contains arsenic!

With the price of tomatoes and peppers rising, these boxes will pay for themselves easily.

The base of each planter box was filled with old leaves, hay, mulch, and will eventually have compost added.

Lily and Boo enjoyed working with us on the planter boxes.

Lily had a Birthday this week...

2008-03-29T13:07:00.008-04:00

Lily had a big celebration this week for her 7th Birthday. She got some great toys and treats at the party and even a Jello smiley faced "cake". Lily's daughter, Boo, enjoyed the party too.

Lily is wearing red and has her Birthday tiara on.

The anticipation builds!

Boo moved in closer as she didn't want to give up her piece of the "cake".

Lily got some great gifts to tug and squeak.

Lily couldn't wait for the photo to end and rushed in for her next treat. Boo looked to be eying some too!

The Leaves are peeping out...

2008-03-08T16:10:00.003-05:00

The blooms and leaves have begun to pop out and yet it snowed some today. Last year it snowed in April and ruined the area's apple crop. Hopefully Spring will win the battle this year!

Here you can see a few red blooms on the trees.

A close up of a few popping out.

Is Spring really here?

Sunday drive...

2008-03-08T14:52:00.014-05:00

Last Sunday we drove to the Davidson River, which is located less than 10 miles away from our home. After stopping to enjoy a picnic lunch and let the dogs swim, we continued our drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. When we got there it was shut down due to ice and we had to turn back, but it was still a scenic trip.

If you would like to enjoy the Davidson River, this link should help get you there...

http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nfnc_fishing/davidson_river_area.htm

You may spot some people fishing as there are some great trout to be had and you can also find spectacular camp sites.

Here is what you see when you drive up.

Boo enjoyed the water and fetched us a big stick.

It was a nice warm sunny day but the water was a little chilly.

The path to the river has some interesting boulders.

There are also some great polished rocks and mini-falls.

A few miles from the Parkway we saw this Christmas tree farm.

These ice falls were located a couple of miles from the Parkway on the side of the road.

Too Funny!...

2008-02-22T00:02:00.002-05:00

I looked out the window the other day and saw a new visitor to our bird feeder....

There is such a thing as a free meal!

Lunar Eclipse and an Early Sunrise on the Farm...

2008-02-21T23:47:00.006-05:00

Last night at about 10:30pm our time we experienced the lunar eclipse. I took some photos with a standard digital camera. Unfortunately the photos of the total eclipse did not turn out but we did manage to capture the beginning.

Here is the beginning of the eclipse.

Sunrise the next morning.

It's a Snow Day!....

2008-01-18T00:32:00.001-05:00

So last night before we went to bed we noticed the snow was already coming down. Then we woke this morning to find 6"! Someone even got to play hooky from work, haha.

Here you can see how deep the snow was.

Our neighbor's rooster was trying to stay off the snow...

while others used the snow as an excuse to relax...

but Lily mainly used it as rocket fuel (as you can see from her launch)!

Snow and fog in the pasture.

Our Christmas Tree photos...

2007-12-18T11:13:00.000-05:00

It's almost that time of the year- Christmas! When we put up a tree, we always select Fraser Fir for its thick branches and to support local farms. You may not know this but North Carolina is first in the nation in Fraser Fir production and second in Christmas tree production behind the Pacific Northwest. North Carolina also accounts for 15 percent of the nation’s Christmas trees. So if you bought a Fraser Fir this year you might have a little bit of North Carolina sitting in your home. Even the White House's Christmas tree came from North Carolina this year.

Take a closer look at the ornaments that decorate our tree and you will find 3 generations of handcrafted art. Almost all are handmade by my grandmother, mom, and wife.

This Fraser Fir is about 7' tall.

Here you can see the variety of handmade ornaments.

Some are hand stitched.

Some have sequins that are placed one by one using pins.

Our tree even displays a little bit of patriotism.

This ornament is made with local pressed wildflowers.

Our snowman ornament is about as close as we will get to real snow if this weather doesn't cool down soon.

Have you been naughty or nice this year?

White Lightning's new look...

2007-12-06T11:25:00.001-05:00

So a few weeks ago we noticed our white squirrel, White Lightning, had a bit of his tail cropped. I doubt he voluntarily decided to go with this new look!

Notice that White Lightning is having a stare off with a distant cousin. Who will dominate the seed pile?

White Lightning wasn't backing down off his seed pile!

In this photo you see his new look. Kind of sporty!

"I see you watching me!"

A few photos from a Fall hike in the DuPont State Forest...

2007-11-09T12:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we took a Fall hike in the DuPont State Forest which is less than 10 miles down the road from our property. The area where the photos were taken is called Cedar Rock Mountain and contains some of the most exposed granite anywhere in the region.

Here is more info on Dupont State Forest from a local website...

Dupont State Forest is the perfect blend of incredible scenery, unbelievable waterfalls and easy to hike trails. Five major waterfalls and at least 6 "minor" but still large, waterfalls make this a great concentration of Falls and Trails.

The Forest is made up of over 10,000 acres of forest, trails and waterfalls located between Hendersonville and Brevard, North Carolina.

There are over 80 miles of roads and trails in the forest and it is open to the general public. Hiking, biking and horseback riding are permitted in designated areas.

It is a great place for honeymooners, weddings and anniversary and birthday get-aways. There are portable rest rooms placed around the part, as well as rain shelters. Camping is not permitted.

http://www.dupontforest.com/

This shot was taken from the granite top looking back to the Southwest.

This shot was taken from the same spot but looking to the Northwest. Notice the exposed granite.

Many areas of the granite are bare and covered with patches of moss and lichen. Some trees even grow on the moss.

In this photo you can see that the 'carpet' of moss covering the granite was unable to support this pine, which blew over.

Here is a shot from the trail between the granite top and parking area.

Fall color has finally arrived...

2007-11-09T12:01:00.000-05:00

These photos were taken on a frosty morning about 2 weeks ago. Fall came late this year and the drought conditions effected the vibrancy of the leaf colors, but at least it finally cooled off.

By the way, the mountain behind our pasture is called Fodderstack Mountain and it is 3,009 feet (917.14 meters) above sea level. It has lots of great trees and we can see it from just about every part of our property, especially the South facing windows of both the 'Barn House' and the guest house.

http://www.mountainzone.com/mountains/detail.asp?fid=1711656#cr

This photo of Fodderstack Mountain was taken from the deck of the guest house.

Here is a zoomed image of the same mountain and our huge oak trees.

Another similar shot from a slightly different angle.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol & Trooper Hemphill honor me...

2007-10-31T15:05:00.000-04:00

The day I helped capture my neighbor's four loose horses was quite an experience. If you don't know the story, go back and read "Roundup at the Farm".

http://farmtopia.blogspot.com/2007/09/roundup-at-farm.html

I didn't expect any recognition for my assitance...I simply did what I hope any neighbor would do for me. But when I received a message on my phone later that day from one of the two troopers who helped with the 'roundup' saying he wanted to honor me with an award, I was caught off-guard.

I called Trooper Hemphill back and left him a message. Basically I said I appreciated the fact he verbally recognized my efforts but felt a little awkward accepting an award with so many doing so much for our country. You have to admit, we tend to take our law enforcement and soldiers for granted. These individuals are the real heroes, putting their lives on the line so we can live safe and normal lives. But Trooper Hemphill called me back and insisted he wanted to recognize me and the other lady who helped them capture the horses. I was speechless but also honored so I agreed to accept this recognition.

Trooper Hemphill stopped by today with my award and made a nice statement about why he was doing this as he presented me with a plaque. To summarize, he basically stated he appreciated the help and that most people these days would watch from the sideline but not likely get involved. He noted he never worked with horses before and without my help and the other lady's help, getting four horses back to their pasture would have been a daunting task for two lone troopers. He reminded me that common citizens are not expected to do what I did, but he enjoyed honoring those that do go above and beyond.

So to the hard working North Carolina State Highway Patrol and in particular Trooper Hemphill, I tip my hat to you and say thanks again for the award and recognition.

Here I am receiving the award from Trooper William Hemphill.

Here is a close up of the award.

A few photos inside the 'Barn House'.

2007-10-20T12:37:00.000-04:00

We still do not have the place decorated the way we want but I thought it might be time to put a few photos of the inside of the 'Barn House' up on the blog.

Here is what you see as you walk through the front door.

This shot is looking back toward the front door and the upstairs loft.

Here is a shot looking across the living room area.

This is a photo of our kitchen. Compared to our past kitchens, it's small!

This is Leigh Ann's massage room. Ahhh..relax.

Here is the guest bedroom. It has two twin beds and its own bathroom.

Roundup at the Farm!

2007-09-19T14:49:00.000-04:00

syn·chro·nic·i·ty -Coincidence of events that seem to be meaningfully related

So I'm indoors standing next to the clothes dryer switching out laundry when I receive a call on my cell phone that doesn't ring but instead goes directly to voicemail. I get so sick of this! Since my cell phone is not working indoors, I walk outside onto the front porch to check the message- it's Leigh Ann.

Leigh Ann had left about an hour earlier to stop by the duplex and check on things. Usually I would ride too, but this time I decided to stay behind and take care of the laundry. We begin to have a conversation when suddenly I notice my neighbor's four horses are walking up my driveway and heading toward the road, which leads to a major highway in 0.2 miles. I run to the owner's house to alert them but no one is home. Not knowing how to reach them and with no other neighbors in sight I call 911.

Within 10 minutes of walking around I spot the horses again. They have been out on the major highway bringing traffic to a halt and are now spooked and heading back toward the neighborhood. I follow but keep some distance because I have no way to capture them and I do not want to scare them away. A few more minutes pass and a state trooper drives down the road. Another trooper and a lady that almost hit the horses on the highway arrive from the opposite direction and jump out of their vehicles. It's roundup time!

It all happened so fast, but with a little teamwork we were able to get a rope around all but one of the horses and walk them home. As we walked, the loose horse which looked to be the youngest followed closely behind. Not wanting to chance another escape, we shut the four horses in a riding corral on the property, gave them a huge tub of water, and all went our separate ways.

I spoke with the owners today who are very thankful that the horses didn't get hurt or hurt someone. They believe something spooked them in the pasture (one has signs of a coyote attack) and at least one hit the fence running, broke it down, and the others did what horses do and followed.

Anyway, the next time I am unable receive a cell phone signal indoors I'm not going to sweat it and get angry. It could be synchronicity calling!

Here is a shot of the four horses after we got them into the corral.

The mini-farm entrance has been upgraded...

2007-08-11T17:09:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago we attended Bele Chere and picked up two metal flowers (made from recycled metal drums) to decorate the property entrance.

Bele Chere is a huge outdoor music and crafts festival that takes place each year over a three day period in downtown Asheville. If you have never visited Asheville, this festival provides a great excuse and it's free.

http://www.belecherefestival.com/

This is what the entrance looked like prior to any work.

And here is what we ended up with. Note that the driveway was widened after removing the grass and soil buildup.

The future home of our chickens...

2007-08-11T16:28:00.000-04:00

When we purchased the property we also got five old outbuildings. If you have read the older posts you know one blew over within a week of us closing on the place. But this one building near the old barn house is still in great condition so we decided to rehab it into a chicken house. It also acts as a "fallout shelter" for the dogs when a bad storm blows up.

The shed still had hay inside from the horses that once lived on the property.

There is also a hickory tree growing next to it "resting" its huge limb on the roof. That will have to go!

The tin roof could stand to be replaced but the rest of it seems to be pretty sound.

After a little bit of cleaning and some fresh paint, the shed should hold up for many years to come.

Wow! If I were a chicken I would live here!!!

And what a great place to relax.

Our duplex is finally on the market...

2007-07-21T14:00:00.000-04:00

Our duplex is finally on the market after weeks and weeks of work and dealing with incompetent contractors. We purchased this 1920 Asheville home in late 2004 and put a lot of work into the place, but now we are selling so we can focus all of our energy on our mini-farm. Check out a few before and after shots...

Flowers from the property...

2007-06-03T15:22:00.001-04:00

Leigh Ann picked these flowers off the property and arranged them in an old tequila bottle. With the lack of rain lately, they probably lasted longer this way than being left outside.

Fresh flowers are always nice, especially when they are free.

Finally finished the fence project...

2007-06-03T14:51:00.000-04:00

The dogs have plenty of places to run on the property, but we needed an area to keep them secure when we are outside and unable to watch over them. We were able to build them a fence, and it only cost $78 since most of the material came from the shed that blew over about a month and half ago.

The posts are up, the wire is in place, now all I need is a gate.

I think it looks great for a person with limited carpentry skills.

Lily seems to approve and so did Boo.

Boo usually likes to lay in the grass but her new fenced yard made her excited!

The dogs have "upgraded" to their own room...

2007-06-03T14:41:00.000-04:00

We have so much space in the basement we thought Lily and Boo might like their own room. It also has a door leading directly to the outside so they can enjoy their newly fenced yard.

Boo likes to walk to the back of the room to look out...

Lily hangs out near the gate always ready to make her break for it.

A view from the front porch...

2007-05-23T17:36:00.000-04:00

We have a table set up on the front porch of the "Barn House" and it has become a favorite place to eat our evening meal. As you look out over the pasture you can watch the sun set over the mountain while a neighbor's white horse and mini donkey enjoy a meal of their own.

The mini donkey is a character. When he sees his owner he brays a funny sound to get some attention.

4th annual White Squirrel Festival...

2007-05-23T17:07:00.000-04:00

It's important to realize that "White Lightning" is not an albino. The Oriental Tree Squirrel, found in Thailand and other parts of South East Asia, has a white coat that is characteristic of the entire species. So how did Brevard get their White Squirrel? According to some residents, in 1949 a carnival truck overturned in Florida and freed several White Squirrels. A pair were caught and given as a gift to a family member in Brevard, NC but they later escaped and multiplied in the wild. In 1986 the Brevard City Council passed an ordinance to protect them and it is now believed that roughly 25% of the local squirrel population is made up of White Squirrels.

http://www.whitesquirrelfestival.com/

Return of the White Squirrel...

2007-05-06T18:43:00.000-04:00

He's back...and after watching our white squirrel chase away other squirrels at high speed, we have decided to name him 'White Lightning". Plus it seems appropriate for these North Carolina mountains.

Here is 'White Lightning" scoping out one of the bird feeders.

In this photo you can see that "White Lightning" has a streak of gray down his back and tail.

A few giants live on our property...

2007-04-24T14:54:00.000-04:00

There are several huge trees scattered throughout the property and they all seem to be in great health. At least we know they hold up to high winds! The 3 large oaks in the pasture are our favorite.

In this photo you can see the 3 large oaks (one is hidden behind the oak on the right).

This photo gives you a better perspective...these trees are massive!

Our first major task!

2007-04-23T17:06:00.000-04:00

OK, so it wasn't that major but it did take a few hours to rip all the wood apart. We were able to salvage some pieces for future projects, like the fence we are building for the dogs.

TIMBER! All it takes is a pry bar, a hammer, and a little muscle.

This was hazardous work! There were nails sticking up everywhere and angry displaced carpenter bees and spiders.

Well it isn't quite the same, but at least we can move on to the next project.

A windstorm blew through this past week...

2007-04-23T16:26:00.000-04:00

We had 5 outbuildings on the property the day we closed. But a bad storm hit and the wind was so strong it picked one of the buildings up and flipped it on its roof! The windstorm was accompanied by a little snow and some small hail. Can you believe the weather we have had this April??? Just crazy!

Here is what the outbuilding looked like before the storm.

And what I saw when I drove up the next day.

In this photo you can see the building sitting on its tin roof. How sad (and a big mess to clean up).

This place has come a long way...

2007-04-18T12:51:00.000-04:00

In the mid 80's a couple arrived from Maryland to purchase land in Western North Carolina and stumbled on this place while in the area viewing other property. It seemed like a huge project but they immediately fell in love with the place, bought it, and proceeded to transform it into what you see today.

Here is a photo of the barn house when it was still a barn.

There was a lot of overgrowth but the couple saw the potential.

They actually lived in the small camper while working to transform the barn into their home.

A few of our current "farm animals"...

2007-04-18T12:21:00.000-04:00

The horses in some of the photos belong to a neighbor. We really liked them but since they will soon be mommas, they had to go back to their own pasture. I hear that we may be getting a miniature donkey and some chickens someday. We still have our dogs...

Here is our youngest golden retriever Booster. She is much bigger than her momma, Lily.

Here is our other golden, Lily (on the right), and her friend, Aja, that came out to visit and swim in the creek.

Have you ever seen a white squirrel??? Neither had we but we have now. Looks like he was hungry.

A few photos of the mini-farm...

2007-04-18T11:23:00.000-04:00

The mini-farm consists of an old 1950 barn that has been converted into a home by the previous owner, a guest house, a fenced pasture of 5.5 acres, and a bold creek.

Here is a photo of the converted barn.

Here is another photo looking back from the pasture.

In this photo you can see more of the pasture, the converted barn, and the guest house.

9 Months of Searching Finally Ends!

2007-04-18T10:38:00.000-04:00

For the past 9 months we have searched all over Western North Carolina for a property we could purchase and use as a mini-farm. As you can see from the photo below, it took looking at 183 properties to find just the right one...

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. --Abraham Lincoln