Gardens, Flowers, and Fruits of Labor

Welcome to summer on the farm. It's full of blooming flowers, a running creek, shooting lettuces...and loads of crabgrass in the garden . Every season has it's ups and downs. I guess that could be said of childrearing, seasons of life...let's see, what else? All kidding aside, this truly is the prettiest season so far on the farm. It's the 3rd year that we have been living in our home, the 3rd year we've planted (a scaled down) garden, the 3rd year of John's life, and the 3rd year that grass has sprung in the front yard. It's a vast improvement over the past ~ rocks out front, a cranky toddler...ew!!

Mesclun, with a hint of peas creeping in.

Can anyone guess which crop in the garden already has flowers?

Personally, I don't think there is anything better than watching my husband work in the garden...it shows how limber he still is after all these years.

Strawberry season is winding down for us...we lost our plants last year to some pesky invasive goats so we had to start anew...a least we had a few fruits to enjoy.

Sherpa...watching faithfully, never lifting a helping paw.

We are gearing up for our first vacation as a family! Next week we are going to Amelia Island, FL. We'll leave towards the end of the week and get back the following week. The Neals are coming to stay at the farm while we are away. We are so thankful for their willingness to spend their vacation here caring for the farm and animals and working on projects. It's going to be hot...we are working on our tans here in ol' KY now so that we don't turn into lobsters in FL. John has not visited the beach yet and we are so excited to watch him discover the sand and surf for the first time in his little life! I can't wait to take pictures of him enjoying our vacation.

Adios for now...we hope that you enjoy this beautiful sunshine!

Love,

Jackie

Not to put too fine a "Point" on it

Chris Minor, Nature Conservancy

Several people have recently asked me about the Palisades. What are they? What is the meaning behind "Palisades Point Farm?" Below I'll give a few links with the best information online about the Palisades. But, for us, the Point signifies the land at the which the KY River and Dix River meet. Our farm sits at the top of this point. We look out across the rivers at High Bridge, which connects Jessamine and Mercer counties. We think it's a Norfolk Southern rail line. Whomever uses it, it's always busy! Between the air traffic from the Bluegrass Airport, the railroad across the rivers and boat traffic from the KY River below us, we can always hear the buzz of the world though we are at the "quiet" end of High Bridge Rd here in Garrard County! Somewhere on my computer I have images taken from the air of Palisades Point Farm. The man who bought the land from The Nature Conservancy, Bill Hinkle, of Hinkle-Denmark Landscape Architecture in Lexington, had the pictures taken in the early 2000's.

The Nature Conservancy

These are our neighbors and us! The Sally Brown Nature Preserve. The "threats" section says that unsustainable farms are a contributing factor to the area. We are happy to say that Palisades Point is a "sustainable" family farm, able to increase the area and size of natural habitat and not disrupt, but rather help, the natural ecosystem in central KY.

Bowman's creek runs behind Palisades Point. The hike on foot is amazing! It reminds us of creeks found in the Smoky Mts. of TN and NC.

Thanks for your interest in Palisades Point Farm!

The Neals

Kentucky Proud

We sold our first 14 dozen eggs at Market this past weekend! We truly had no idea all-natural eggs would be in such demand. However, with the recent scare about salmonella nationwide, it seems people are especially aware of where and how they purchase their food. We don't think it's a coincidence that the media is showing the harrowing factory conditions for laying hens. These are the hens that have been laying the eggs we've bought in stores for years, decades even. These conditions are not new. These images have been in circulation for 20+ years. And, it is August of 2010 that our young, pasture raised hens are laying our first eggs for market. It is encouraging to us, to say the least! I had visions of linking this post to articles from the media, but I'm pretty sure even those without a t.v. are aware of the media barrage. So, for now, we'll just keep loving on our hens, giving them "Fresh Air," clean water, and fresh pasture so that they'll give us "Fresh Eggs." A huge thank you to everyone who made our first sales for Palisades Point Farm so successful! We are just sorry we had to turn away customers and that the demand was greater than our supply! If you aren't nearby, wherever you are ~ buy local, support your family farmer...the rewards extend on and on for both you and them!