Where the Heart Is
The weather is of extreme importance to farmers. No matter what that Nobel laureate Mr. Zimmerman might suggest, you really do need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. Earlier in the week, I collected everything together we might need to address an approaching storm that was blowing in from Texas. Yesterday afternoon, after a spate of rain, I went out to feed everyone, tucked all the animals in for the night, and headed for the house. It was an intense night. Tornadoes flew across. The wind howled. Rain and hail pelted over Hickory Nut Mountain and onto the farm. I had a glass of wine, watched a movie, and sent some good thoughts to the neighbors who might have been less lucky than us here at Stargrove.
It's been a turbulent time and a turbulent year. And, truthfully, this farm is about the last place either of us thought we would end up. We love cities. Restaurants. Nightlife. Conversations. And now, just at the point where we thought we'd be having a cup of coffee at a cafe in Rome or sitting on the sidelines at a polo field in Buenos Aires, we find ourselves pouring over seed catalogues, planning our crops on a whiteboard, and thinking more about how we can grow food than scoring the latest concert tickets.
In such a rough time, planting a seed seems like the only logical thing to do.
This year we're focusing on organic heirloom tomatoes and connecting with chefs. I think our customers from years past will vouch for our determination, our obsession with quality, our dedication to providing a superior product in a timely, authentic manner to local chefs who give it everything they've got to create magic in the kitchen and, ultimately, on your. plate.
If you've ever visited the 'back of the house' of a busy restaurant, you know that tornadoes have nothing on chefs and kitchen crews when it comes to turbulence. The end result, on most nights, is pure delight.
That's what we're going for with our tomatoes, too. Beauty out of chaos. Something delicious from hard work.
Wherever spring finds you, it's not too late to plant a seed of beauty in this chaotic world. Sending you love and happiness, no matter what the storm.
--Lynn Morris Khan