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

From tiny beginnings come great things, and the time has come to begin the tomato patch. We use a cold frame, not a hot house. The latter refers to a greenhouse, which is what many tomatoes are started in. Since we don’t have one, a cold frame will have to do. I think our method…

Spinach loves cool weather, so growing it in Tennessee can be tricky. It certainly tricked me, but eventually I caught on.

Spring fever is on the rise with bountiful buttercups blooming above the earth below begins to stir.

Every now and then I review the purpose of our farm, the underlying beliefs and values, the short and long-term goals, and the direction it is going.

Once again I find myself in a tropical rainforest, touring organic and biodynamic farms. With my brother Mark along, our first stay was up at 8000 feet above sea level, sitting on top of the world. Bill and Holly are still raising trout and marketing smoked and dried meats throughout central Costa Rica. Mark has…

It was May, and there were several people at my house. I suddenly realized I had not planted potatoes yet, or even turned the ground.