The Barefoot Farmer (Jeff Poppen) uses his farm (Long Hungry Creek Farm) as an example in demonstrating good farming principles. The landscape and atmosphere of the 21st century is leaning away from a small farm economy, bucolic scenery, sustainable agriculture and homegrown meals. The health of ourselves and our environment can only be enhanced by a reliance on local small farms for our needs. To learn more about these principle join Jeff Poppen with his weekly column - Barefoot Farmer.To e-Mail Jeff - Click Here

“We may well assume, if there is a forest by Nature in a given district, it has its good use for the surrounding farmland. We should have sufficient insight, on no account to exterminate the forest in such districts, but to preserve it as well. Therefore we should have the heart-when we see the vegetation…

The sun and moon rise in the east and set in the west. They always occupy the same section of the sky; you’ll never see them in the north. From our latitude, the sun and moon live in the southern sky between 30° and 72° above the southern horizon. All of the visible planets live…

Our mission is to grow high quality, organic produce, and help others do the same. Many problems inherent in modern agricultural production disappear by farming organically on a smaller scale. Locally grown food uses less energy, but provides more employment. Soils are better cared for, and the farmers and surrounding environment are safer. There is…

I love Christmas carols. When I was a child we would sing them at school, as we prepared for our Christmas festival, Hope, Joy and Peace, expressed in different songs, felt comforting.

We grew too many vegetables again this year. But our friends have risen to occasion and dealt with almost all of it. As the last delivery of the year pulls out of Long Hungry, we breathe a sigh of relief and gush out gratitude’s; thank goodness for all of your support.The impetus for our week…

Turnips could be about the easiest crop we grow. Consequently, we plant a lot of them.  They are both grown for greens and roots.  There is an old saying “ The world is a turnip”, but I don’t know what it means.

Most plants bloom in the spring, bear their fruits in the summer, and are dormant in the winter. Most plants don’t need a bird to propagate them.  Most plants have their roots in the earth and grow upwards towards the sun. And most plants are not an excuse for kissing.

   November’s garden looks greener than green, with all shades inbetween. Although the temperature has fallen down into the 20’s for several mornings, the hardy fall vegetables are thriving. There’ll be plenty to eat at Thanksgiving.

Soils are built up and made better by grass, clover and other cover crops They add valuable organic matter, mobilize nutrients and their roots help create good soil structure. A major question for gardeners and farmers is “How do we change what’s growing on our soil, and get it prepared for the next crop?”

On Saturday, Nov. 1, the farm hosted a good food festival. I simply invited “foodies” over to give workshops on food. A “foodie” is someone pleasantly obsessed with good food. They like to prepare it, share it, and enjoy it themselves. All good chefs are foodies, and the recent upsurge of interest in organic and…