Grounded by the Farm

Not many of us look at palm trees and immediately think of growing dates and yet, this episode may change that for you! And that's one of the things that visiting a date farmer brings out, but the process of working trees that reach the heights and ages of date palms also brings up more questions.

Luckily, I found the right place in the Coachella Valley just outside of Palm Springs to get all my questions answered -- Hadley's Date Gardens where Albert Keck was ready to show me around. And some of the trees I saw have been in the valley for 80-100 years -- that's a lot of jam, cookies, energy bars, etc!

The push for taste and nutrition in our diets means dates are a popular item these days. And workers -- called palmeros -- go up and down the trees half a dozen times a year to deliver that sweet treat to us!

We talk about the steps in growing them and Albert tells us about the ways dates can help us recover from that hot desert sun.

See photos and videos at https://groundedbythefarm.com/growing-dates/

There are titles that go almost unnoticed, but being a cheesemonger definitely stands out! It took a long time but eventually, I met a cheesemonger. That cheesemonger, Jessica Keahey (founder of Sweet Freedom Cheese in Bentonville, Arkansas), led a virtual meetup and cheese tasting & we later met in person as we toured two dairy farms! We certainly weren't short of topics to discuss and Jessica kept coming up with cheese puns to keep it light!

We talk about how to choose cheeses for a cheese or charcuterie board, what to e pair with cheese, how much cheese to put on the board and more.

This post is sponsored by Midwest Dairy. Ashley Anderson who also in part of the episode, is the wellness director there. I was compensated for my time, but all wording and opinions are mine or the people sharing them.

You can access a lot of photos and a video from the visit to Sweet Freedom Cheese Shop at https://groundedbythefarm.com/cheesemonger/

and a transcript is available at https://groundedbythefarm.com/episode-320/

I recently had the chance to tour two dairy farms in Northeastern Oklahoma. The differences between the two and some of the similarities among them were really striking. After the tours, I sat down with Anthony & Charlie Coblentz and Logan Courtney, a neighbor whose dairy is just 15 minutes or so away. Touring first helped me see some of the differences and similarities and you can watch the video... you will hear and see both farms.

So intriguing hearing a bit of each farm's origin story, why they have the kinds of cows they have, the ways they take care of the animals, ways cows get milked, the reasons those are the pieces that work, favorite dairy foods and so much more!

You can access a lot of photos and videos of these farms at https://groundedbythefarm.com/two-dairy-farms-similarities-differences

This episode is sponsored by Midwest Dairy. I was compensated for my time, but all wording and opinions are mine or the farmers.

You hear the dream-like conversations regularly.... people shifting from a small backyard garden to something that will sustain them and their family. How often do you see people do it? For two decades I've had a front row to watch as my brother Ray Person, sister-in-law Elizabeth Kelly & a group of friends created a farm co-op that does just that. This week's episode is a conversation with Ray about the farm in northwest Ohio -- not exactly the geography that first comes to mind for most people.

Although they are producing food the way many think is near dream-like, the reality of digging into how they have been able to make this work, not just what it looks like, leads to a great conversation and some discoveries.

We sat down in late May to talk about how this co-op was formed, how it works and as always, we took a look around capturing video too! You can see the video, photos are more at https://groundedbythefarm.com/farm-co-op/

The unique taste of lamb draws me in everytime its on a menu and I think pasture to table lamb is something everyone should try. The Mediterranean flavors just aren't the same without lamb. That's what led me to head southeast from Columbus, Ohio, to the Root family farm. Kristin Root Patterson shares the family's love of sheep, and how they combine animal care and a love of great food. The Roots raise dorsets, a breed that supplies meat and wool to people in the area. We talk about favorite ways to prepare lamb as well as take a look around the barn and pastures in the accompanying video.

See photos, video and get more information at https://groundedbythefarm.com/pasture-to-table-lamb/

There is nothing that will wake me up faster or better than the smell of hickory-smoked country ham and bacon. And when I want to buy country ham or the "good bacon" (a phrase our family started when several of us showed up for a weekend get together and I brought bacon from Broadbent's while others brought grocery store bacon), it means Broadbent.

Owners Ronny & Beth Drennan talk to us about the traditional process of curing, smoking and aging pork turning it into the country ham and bacon dreams are made of and that win contests at the Kentucky State Fair!

See video from the smokehouse at:

http://groundedbythefarm.com/hickory-smoked-country-ham-and-bacon

Get an ai generated transcript at https://groundedbythefarm.com/broadbent-transcript-316/

The smell of fresh lavender is something that will captivate your imagination for all sorts of things! Lavender farms may not be everywhere, but thanks to Long Row Lavender, just west of St. Louis, Missouri, it's an easy drive for much of middle America. Tracy Smith shares the lessons learned about growing lavender, cooking with it, and bringing the great look and scent into your homes!

See the video and get detailed show notes at https://groundedbythefarm.com/lavender-farm/

In the midst of most family farms, is a house called the home place. When you layer that with the appreciation of food, family and hospitality that runs so deep in western Kentucky, you get the Peery House at Springhill Farms! And in this episode, we talk to three generations of the family about changes unfolding over the years at their home place.

Growing up it was home for Jerry Peery. While growing 65 years of corn, soybeans, wheat and more, he also grew the farm's footprint adding acres as others moved away or stopped farming. Now he's working with his grandson Jonathan to take over the operation for future generations.

Kristia Peery Reynolds learned to bake in the house as her grandmom showed her the secrets of perfect mixtures and beautiful decorations.

As the house sat vacant, the family considered options for it. Ultimately, it got a renovation that would make it easy for the family and others to stay in touch with the heritage. The Peery House is now a bed and breakfast, with a commercial kitchen for Kristia's baking business.

We talk about the farm's history, the decision to make changes and what guests can expect when visiting a working farm in Western Kentucky!

See photos, video and more at https://groundedbythefarm.com/home-place/

The Peery House on Air BnB https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/20144994

Horseradish isn't a food that is in the forefront of a lot of food conversations, but you can't deny the burst of flavor can really add to other foods. Whether prime rib, oysters or bloody marys, horseradish makes othr foods better. This week we talk to Matt McMillan who takes us to a horseradish farm and talks to us about some of the reasons this root is something that some people want with so many of their favorite foods. https://groundedbythefarm.com/growing-horseradish/