Tammy Algood introduces us to Tyler Brown of Southall Farm & Inn. We gain insight into farming from his perspective as a chef who strives for great flavor coming straight from the field. It;s here where guests are encouraged to explore the various gardens and growing sites on the farm.
We visit with a couple who are part of a grassroots group that call themselves the Tennessee Tomato Club. Members get together during the winter to cull seed catalogs and decide what they'll be growing for the coming tomato season. We visit their large tomato patch to see how those selections are producing.
There's help for home growers of edibles in this kitchen display garden at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The vegetables and fruits growing in the 55 raised beds are All-America Selections Winners that are proven in taste and performance. Also on display is the integrated pest management achieved with chosen plant combinations.
Fall vegetable gardens require planning, especially if those plants are to be grown from seed. Calculating the days to maturity allows one to start seeds at the proper time. Host Annette Shrader visits an experienced grower to see how the cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and peas are performing mid-autumn.
Annette Shrader visits with an experienced gardener who adheres to the methods of permaculture. All of the plants in his vast backyard are part of a food forest, and each plant contributes in some way to the good of the whole. Food guilds, trap plants, green manure, and chop+drop plants are discussed, along with how they make edible plants thrive.
More folks are growing their own food these days, so perhaps a nut crop could fit into the home landscape. Tammy Algood goes to Bethpage TN to learn about seed germination, what's needed for good pollination, and expectations of yield over the course of the tree's life (which can be 150 years).
