Happy Thursday, Farm Friends! 
 
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family last week.  It was nice for us to get a little break.  As Ray and I counted our blessings, you were definitely among them.  Your encouragement, kind words at market and purchases of our products helps make this life we have chosen worthwhile.  We are most grateful for your friendship!

This week we celebrated another gratitude -- the garlic is in the ground!!!!  Tuesday we finished up planting ALL of the garlic.  And the number is...70,192 cloves!  Whew!!  We'll be tucking a few more into Daddy's Garden for special care but we are so thankful to have this major milestone past us.  It's the most garlic we've ever planted!  Here is Ray taking the PVC plugs off of the dibbler -- won't need this piece of equipment until next fall!



Market Updates:
On Saturday, we will be at the Cobblestone Farmers Market Pop-Up Market behind the Millennium Center (5th and Trade) from 10-noon. We will also be there on 12/14.  Unfortunately we have had to cancel our planned Holiday Open (Green)House on Sunday due to the yucky weather that is predicted.  We'll try again next year!

Here's what we'll have at market on Saturday: 
  
      -- Powdered and Granulated Organic Garlic 

      -- Garlic braids   
  
      -- Mistletoe

      -- Fresh Holiday Greens for decorating

 
In addition, we will have our new jam gift boxes -- three of our gift-sized jams all packaged up and ready for giving!



We'll have lots of stock of those as well as our other yummy jams and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce! 

Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.
 
Here's to dreaming of next year's garlic & shallot crop!

Cheryl & Ray

Just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in Plum Granny Farm -- you either signed up at a market or on our website.  We are glad to have this brief opportunity to share some news of the farm with you!  If you no longer wish to receive these weekly newsletters, please see the "unsubscribe" information at the bottom of this email.

Happy Friday, Farm Friends! 
 
Thanks to so many of you congratulating us on the recent episode of "Flavor, NC"!  We are so happy to hear that you liked it as much as we did!  In case you missed it,  you can always watch the broadcast at http://video.unctv.org/video/2365069548/

At last!  The time we have been getting ready for for soooo many weeks is finally here!  Garlic planting!!  We started Wednesday and now have about 26,000 cloves in the ground.  One-by-one, by hand!  Here's Jen helping Ray make sure the dibbler on the tractor is straight.  We use this dibbler that Ray designed to mark the beds to make planting easier and more consistent.  Even though the old saying is "you can get more plants in a crooked row," we like to keep them straight so that we might be able to use the tractor to cultivate them.



It's hard to believe but tomorrow is the last regular day for the Cobblestone Old Salem Farmers Market.  We will still be participating in 2 more pop-up markets that Cobblestone Farmers Market will be doing on December 7 and 14 at the Millennium Center (5th and Trade). More info on that next week.  We also have an on-farm Open House in the works as well!

Here's what we'll have at market tomorrow: 
  
Certified Organic Produce: 

      -- Powdered and Granulated Organic Garlic 

      -- Garlic (Inchelium Red, Gesti Jumble)  The absolute end of the crop!!  

       -- Garlic braids   
  
      --  Tomatillo Salsa Kits

       -- Baby Turmeric
 


Our new gift-size jams have been a hit!  We have 4.5 ounce jars of Old Fashioned Raspberry, Old Fashioned Blackberry and Raspberry-Cranberry ready for Holiday giving!  These jams are $5 per jar.  We'll have lots of stock of those as well as our other yummy jams and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce! 

Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.
 
Here's to dreaming of next year's garlic crop!

Cheryl & Ray

Happy Frosty Wednesday, Farm Friends!  DVR Alert!!
 
Sending out our email a little early this week to remind you of our upcoming "15 minutes of fame" on the UNC-TV series, "Flavor, NC" on Thursday (11/14) night at 10 p.m. (rebroadcast on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.).  For our friends out of the viewing area, you can always watch the broadcast at http://video.unctv.org/video/2365069548/

The crew at Blue Water Media did a wonderful job at making the farm look great and they really took the time to talk with us to understand what we grow and how we grow it.  The focus of the episode is our garlic but they also spend time talking about our ginger, turmeric, lilies and blackberries.  After the visit to the farm, host Lisa Prince and the crew head over to Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen in Greensboro where our friend and great customer Chef Jay Pierce whips up some amazing garlic-focused recipes. Yumm-o!  We can't wait to get your feedback on the show!!
   

Don't forget! Friday, November 15 is the deadline for comments to the FDA on the proposed Food Safety Modernization Act.  If you haven't already, please take a moment to learn more about the rules at http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/fsma-issues/.  This is really important and we really need for the FDA to hear from consumers who appreciate local food.  Thanks!

Here's a quick roundup of what we’ll have on our table on Saturday at the Cobblestone Old Salem Farmers Market:
  
Certified Organic Produce: 

      -- Powdered and Granulated Organic Garlic 

      -- Garlic (Inchelium Red, Gesti Jumble)  Supplies are running low!!  Better get it while you can!  

       -- Garlic braids   
  
      --  Tomatillo Salsa Kits
 


Our new gift-size jams have been a hit!  We have 4.5 ounce jars of Old Fashioned Raspberry, Old Fashioned Blackberry and Raspberry-Cranberry ready for Holiday giving!  These jams are $5 per jar.  We'll have lots of stock of those as well as our other yummy jams and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce! 

Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.
 
Here's to eating garlic-flavored popcorn while watching Flavor, NC!

Cheryl & Ray

Happy Friday, Farm Friends!  
 
As the the leaves are whirling around and talk of snow is in the air, we are busy trying to finish getting our winter crops in the ground.  We pushed back the garlic planting to next week so we could finish getting in the winter greens.  LOTS of kale, swiss chard, frissé endive, lettuce, radicchio, arugula and bok choy has gone into the new raised beds.  Can you say 1,486 kale plants?!
 

We also want to bring a very important item to your attention -- comments on the proposed Food Safety Modernization Act are due to the FDA by November 15.  Food safety is a very important issue and we take it very seriously here at the farm but as the propsed regulations are written, they could force many farms (including ours) out of business.  These regulations are written with large farms and processors in mind but they will apply to all farms. The rules place an unfair burden on small family farmers and especially target sustainable and organic farming.  Please take a moment to learn more about the rules at http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/fsma-issues/.  This is really important and we really need for the FDA to hear from consumers who appreciate local food.  Thanks!

Don't forget!  WUNC-TV (Channel 4) will be airing the episode of Flavor, NC that features the farm on Thursday, November 14 at 10 p.m.  Set your DVRs now!!
 
Here's a quick roundup of what we’ll have on our table on Saturday at the Cobblestone Old Salem Farmers Market:
  
Certified Organic Produce: 

      -- Powdered and Granulated Organic Garlic 

      -- Garlic (Red Toch, Inchelium Red, Nootka Rose, Lorz Italian, Gesti Jumble)  Supplies are running low!!  Better get it while you can!  

       -- Garlic braids   
  
      --  Tomatillo Salsa Kits
 


Don't forget our new gift-size jams.  We have 4.5 ounce jars of Old Fashioned Raspberry, Old Fashioned Blackberry and Raspberry-Cranberry ready for Holiday giving!  These jams are $5 per jar.  Our Baby Ginger-Strawberry-Mint jam has been a great hit as well as our seasonal Raspberry-Cranberry Jam  -- we'll have lots of stock of those as well as our other yummy jams and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce! 

Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.
 
Here's to anticipating the first snow,

Cheryl & Ray

Just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in Plum Granny Farm -- you either signed up at a market or on our website.  We are glad to have this brief opportunity to share some news of the farm with you!  If you no longer wish to receive these weekly newsletters, please see the "unsubscribe" information at the bottom of this email.

Happy Friday, Farm Friends!  Happy November!

Another page has turned on the calendar and our attention is still focused on getting the garlic into the ground!  Ray finished getting all of the beds prepared in Ruth's Field and we will begin planting next week.  Today's rain has been welcome as it has been enough to soften the soil without obliterating the nicely shaped beds.

We continue to crack and sort through our garlic to ready all those little cloves for planting.  Even though it is a sign of progress, it is always so sad to have the barns clear of garlic -- here is Chris taking down the last of the hanging garlic earlier this week.

 
Just a reminder that WUNC-TV (Channel 4) will be airing the episode of Flavor, NC that features the farm on Thursday, November 14 at 10 p.m.  Set your DVRs now!!
 
Here's a quick roundup of what we’ll have on our table on Saturday at the Cobblestone Old Salem Farmers Market:
  
Certified Organic Produce: 

      -- Powdered and Granulated Organic Garlic (Music, Spanish Roja, Lorz)

      -- Garlic (Red Toch, Inchelium Red, Nootka Rose, Lorz Italian, Gesti Jumble and Elephant)  We are nearly out of stock for MOST varieties so you better get it while you can!  

       -- Garlic braids -- new batch and don't forget that you better hurry to place orders for braids for the Holidays!  
 
      --  Tomatillos and Salsa Kits
 
New in the jam department this week are our new gift-size jams.  We have 4.5 ounce jars of Old Fashioned Raspberry, Old Fashioned Blackberry and Raspberry-Cranberry ready for Holiday giving!  These jams are $5 per jar.  Our Baby Ginger-Strawberry-Mint jam has been a great hit as well as our seasonal Raspberry-Cranberry Jam  -- we'll have lots of stock of those as well as our other yummy jams and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce! 

Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.
 
Here's to celebrating the bounty of Fall,

Cheryl & Ray

Happy Friday, Farm Friends! 

Brrrrr!  Welcome to winter, everyone!  Yikes!  It sure has gotten cold the past couple of days (not to mention the long-underwear inducing chill of tomorrow morning at market!!)  We saw this coming and earlier this week we got the plastic cover on Raz House -- our high tunnel.  It used to hold our Prelude Raspberries but now there are only a couple of plants and a smattering of tomatillos and tomatoes.  We hope the cover will give them enough protection to hang on a bit longer as the temperatures drop!  All the plants are nicely tucked in now and are enjoying the extra warmth.  Here's Ray and Chris attaching the plastic top cover to the end wall.

Colder weather has also meant that the deer are returning to browse among our fields even more than usual.  We had deer fencing up around the strawberries but I guess they were just too tempting for the deer to ignore -- let's say that now the deer are in for a shocking dining experience if they decide to wander in for a snack.  We sure hope the plants recover!!

A shout-out to our great volunteers who came out to help crack 200 pounds of garlic on Sunday!!  Thank you SO very much for your assistance!! Small farms like ours really appreciate the help and support of our volunteers!!  

Here's a quick roundup of what we’ll have on our table on Saturday (Old Salem) and Wednesday (King).  This will be the LAST week of the season for the King Farmers Market -- thanks to all our great customers there!  The Cobblestone Old Salem Farmers Market will run until November 23.  

Certified Organic Produce:

      -- Powdered and Granulated Organic Garlic (Music, Spanish Roja, Lorz)

    -- Garlic (Red Toch, Inchelium Red, Nootka Rose, Lorz Italian, Gesti Jumble and Elephant)  We are nearly out of stock for MOST varieties so you better get it while you can! 

    --  Seed Garlic Cloves (variety: Music) 

     -- Garlic braids -- and we are also taking orders for braids for the Holidays!  Better hurry on these too -- don't have that much garlic left for braids either!      

    --  Tomatillos and Salsa Kits  

Our Baby Ginger-Strawberry-Mint jam was a hit in last weekend's tasting so we'll have it available for sale this week.  The shelves are stocked with our seasonal Raspberry-Cranberry Jam and we'll also have our other yummy jams and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce! 

Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.   Take good care and bundle up for market,

Cheryl & Ray

 Happy Friday, Farm Friends!  

Whew!  Getting this weekly newsletter out a little late -- been a busy one!  On Monday we were able to get the fancy-schmancy all-in-one bed shaper-drip tape layer-plastic layer from NC A&T (thank you, Grace!).  This amazing piece of equipment will help us make beautiful beds for our garlic (no plastic) and our greens (with plastic).  It has taken some time this week to get it on the tractor, figure it out and test in the field.  Today Ray was able to make some trial beds -- they are wide, flat and the plastic mulch actually is pretty well covered!  These are just incredibly beautiful (we farmers get awfully excited about stuff like this!)!


But of course, we can't do anything in the field these days without the help of our boys....

    
   
We had a great time at Old Salem yesterday talking about growing garlic!  Thanks to those of you who came out to hear it!  And thanks to Old Salem Horticulture and Vonnie Hannah for organizing it!  We always enjoy doing talks like this so if your garden club or other group is interested, just let us know!
  
Here's a quick roundup of what we’ll have on our table on Saturday (Old Salem) and Wednesday (King).
 
Certified Organic Produce: 

    -- Grapes (Muscadine) - just a few -- the absolute VERY last of the season!

    -- Powdered Organic Garlic (Music and Spanish Roja)

    -- Garlic (Red Toch, Inchelium Red, Nootka Rose, Lorz Italian, Gesti Jumble and Elephant)  We are nearly out of stock for MOST varieties so you better get it while you can!  

    --  Seed Garlic Cloves (variety: Music) 

     -- New batch of Garlic braids -- and we are also taking orders for braids for the Holidays!  Better hurry on these too -- don't have that much garlic left for braids either!
 
    --  Tomatillos and Salsa Kits
 

Stop by for a sample of our newest jam that is still in the testing phase -- Strawberry-Baby Ginger-Mint!  The shelves are stocked with our seasonal Raspberry-Cranberry Jam and we'll also have our other yummy jams and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce! 

 
Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.
 
Take good care and enjoy the Hunter Moon,

Cheryl & Ray

Happy Friday, Farm Friends!  
This has been another garlic-focused week here at the farm.  We have been pulling together bulbs from our various storage areas, cutting off the tops if necessary, weighing and logging the amount so we'll know how much we have for planting.  We now have bags of garlic hanging in the garage waiting to be cracked into cloves.  It takes a LOT of garlic to fill up nearly one acre -- how does about 50,000 cloves sound?!!  That's a bunch of little guys placed into the ground, one-by-one, by hand!

Here's a before and after shot of our main barn with, and without garlic!
   
      
 
Don't forget about our talk on growing garlic at home next Thursday, October 17 at noon at Old Salem. For more information, go to our website or pick up a handout from us at market.
 
Here's a quick roundup of what we’ll have on our table on Saturday (Old Salem) and Wednesday (King).
 
Certified Organic Produce: 

    -- Grapes (Muscadine and Scuppernong) - VERY last of the season!

    -- Powdered Organic Garlic (first batch of the season!)

    -- Garlic (Red Toch, Inchelium Red, Lorz Italian, and Elephant)  We are nearly out of stock for MOST varieties so you better get it while you can!  

     -- New batch of Garlic braids -- and we are also taking orders for braids for the Holidays!  We'll have some Lorz Italian Braids tomorrow in addition to the Nootka Rose.

    --  Tomatillos and Salsa Kits
 

To ring in the upcoming fall and Holiday season, we now have our popular Raspberry-Cranberry Jam back in stock!  We'll also have our other yummy jams and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce! 

 
Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.
 
Take good care and enjoy good food,

Cheryl & Ray

Happy Friday, Farm Friends! 

With the strawberries all nestled in the ground, we have turned our attention to garlic.  Getting the field prepped for our signature crop is a huge endeavor.  A major part of the process is spreading composted leaves.  Thanks to all of you wonderful people in Winston-Salem who put your leaves out at the curb each fall!  Your fallen foliage helps provide tilth to our soil as well as nutrients and happy microorganisms to make the garlic grow!  Thank you so much!!

The leaves are spread using an old manure spreader of my cousin's -- wooden bottom with a chain that moves the paddles.  Unlike many even older models, this one does use a tractor PTO to move the chain.  Ray has been spreading leaf mulch in Ruth's Field for 3 days this week.  He probably has about 25 tons on it by now.  Happy garlic!!  Here's Ray doing a little spreading at dusk - gotta squeeze as much out of the day as possible, no?     
Speaking of planting garlic, now is the time for you to start thinking about planting some at home if you are so inclined.  The "official" start of garlic planting in this area is October 12.  If you are interested in learning more about growing garlic at home, Ray and I will be doing a free talk at Old Salem on Thursday, October 17 at noon.  We'll give you the basics about growing great garlic at home and will also have seed garlic available for sale.  For more information, go to our website or pick up a handout from us at market.
 
Here's a quick roundup of what we’ll have on our table on Saturday (Old Salem) and Wednesday (King).
 
Certified Organic Produce: 

• Grapes (Muscadine and Scuppernong) - last of the season!
    
   
• Garlic (Red Toch, Inchelium Red, Music, Persian Star, Spanish Roja, Lorz Italian, and Elephant.)  We are getting VERY low on stock for MOST varieties so you better make sure you have your favorites on hand!  
  
  *  New batch of Garlic braids -- and we are also taking orders for braids for the Holidays!
   

We'll also have our yummy jams and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce! 

 
Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.
 
Enjoy this GORGEOUS Fall weather!!

Cheryl & Ray

 Happy Friday, Farm Friends!  And Happy Autumn!

We've been working on our strawberry field this week.  Decided to use longer lasting landscape fabric on the beds and aisles instead of the 1-year plastic sheeting.  We feel better about being able to reuse the material for 4-5 years instead of just throwing it away after a year.  Makes much more environmental sense!  We are also using our own strawberry plugs that we dug instead of buying new ones - trying all kinds of different technicques for our 2014 crop!  That's the art of farming!

Another new trial is to use hay in the aisles for the strawberries.  We are using the large round bales of hay and rolling them out on the aisle to give a nice cushiony padding and additional weed suppression (we hope!).  Here are Ray and Chris rolling out the bale (with a little help from Wally, the kitten!  Don't worry, no kitten was harmed in this process!):
     
Here's a quick roundup of what we’ll have on our table on Saturday (Old Salem) and Wednesday (King).
 
Certified Organic Produce: 

• LOTS of Grapes (Muscadine and Scuppernong)
    
   
• Garlic (Red Toch, Music, Chesnok, Spanish Roja, Lorz Italian, and Elephant.  We are getting VERY low on stock for some varieties so you better make sure you have your favorites on hand!  
  
  *  New batch of Garlic braids -- and we are also taking orders for braids for the Holidays!
  
  
• Shallots (French Red and Greeley -- the last of them for the year!) 
  
• Strawberry plants (now is the time for planting!) in 4-packs and a few gallons.  Chandler and Sweet Charlie are available.  
  
  
  We have replenished our supply of Old Fashioned Raspberry and Blackberry Jams as well as the Raspberry-Baby Ginger and Raspberry-Chipotle Molè Sauce -- so if you have been disappointed the past couple of weeks, they are back! 

 
Hope to see you at market!  You can always contact us if you'd like to have an item saved.
 
Enjoy this GORGEOUS Fall weather!!

Cheryl & Ray