Courtesy of John S, Blue Ribbon Eggs, Franklin, NC The single most important thing you said was, “We really need to start bringing in an income as work around here is slim pickins.” If you need income don’t spend capital. What you need is some reasonably good ground, a strong tiller,...
Courtesy of John S. Â Blue Ribbon Eggs, Franklin, NC Ramps are a wild leek native to these mountains and have a flavor somewhat akin to a warm, sweaty gym sock that has laid around for about a week. The only reason I can figure that the old timers lov’m is...
Courtesy of John Sealander, Blue Ribbon Eggs, Franklin, NC There have always been droughts and floods and storms and hurricanes. When you save your own seed you are naturally and spontaneously breeding to the range of your typical conditions, and as you select over time you are developing -without much effort- produce...
Courtesy of John S. , Blue Ribbon Eggs, Franklin NC There is no one solution that always works for every problem, and there are often several different solutions to any single problem. Wally is dead on. The two big advantages to formal raised beds are elevating the soil temperature sooner...
Courtesy of John S. , Blue Ribbon Eggs, Franklin NC A good place to check in on legal issues is your state’s dept of Agriculture. They will have info on marketing and possible legal issues that may affect you. Food safety is an increasingly important issue as it affects your...
Courtesy of John S., Blue Ribbon Eggs, Franklin NC Babies plus anything else. BIG change. Give yourself and Viola the opportunity to get acquainted. Her patterns will emerge. I had one that never slept and one that never woke up and one in between…hard to say. She will rule your...
Courtesy of John S., Blue RIbbon Eggs, Franklin NC Your complaint about low yields is a common one for ‘Potatoes in Bags’ (or barrels or any other elevated growing system). My theory is that potatoes are a natural mountain crop evolving in very cool soils at high elevation, and we...
Courtesy of John S., Blue Ribbon Eggs, Franklin NC You mentioned that you’re already gardening. If that’s the case, apply SPIN principles to what you’re already doing, Â and go sell some stuff. Â Earn some extra income, learn the business and marketing side and build. SPIN Farming has the lowest capital...
Courtesy of John S., Blue Ribbon Eggs, Franklin NC I was talking with my Ag extension agent about the SPIN-Farming  program. Before I started he said, “I’ve been in Agriculture for decades, and I can tell you that it takes two things to succeed in farming. Strong management skills and...
