For the Beauty of the Earth

Music by: Conrad Kocher

Lyrics by: Folliott S. Pierpont

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies

Christ our God, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise

For the wonder of each hour

Of the day and of the night

Hill and vale and tree and flower

Sun and moon and stars of light

Christ our God, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise

For the joy of human love

Brother, sister, parent, child

Friends on earth and friends above

For all gentle thoughts and mild

Christ our God, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise

For Thy church that evermore

Lifteth holy hands above

Offering up on every shore

Her pure sacrifice of love

Christ our God, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise

Stream in the Smoky Mountains

Photo by Jenn Ballard

 

Sustainable Living with Tips from "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life"

With spring well underway and summer quick on it's heels, it's an exciting time around the farm.  We recently planted our vegetable garden with the seedlings I started in egg cartons.  I've mixed more herbs and vegetables into my traditional landscaping, and I'm really looking forward to freezing back a lot of homegrown food for the winter.  In fact, I've already frozen back some delicious, local strawberries from Washington Farms in Watkinsville, Georgia (http://www.washingtonfarms.net/).  Picking strawberries there was a really fun experience, but there are a lot of local farmers with similar setups.  A quick internet search in your area might reveal some great surprises!

As I've mentioned before, I'm a really big fan of the local food movement.  My interest started when I read the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver et al.  I was prompted by an NPR interview with the author, but I would recommend it to anyone who eats food in the US.  This book gave me an entirely different perspective on the environmental (and political) impacts of trucking food all over the country.  It reads something halfway between a documentary and The Old Farmer's Almanac.  As a result, it gives a lot of practical advise about farming, shares some great recipes, AND inspires the reader to scrutinize what they eat and at what cost.  The book discusses the rampant loss of food diversity and asserts the idea that our country's dependence on foreign oil would be greatly reduced if we didn't feel the overwhelming right to consume fresh strawberries in January (among other frivolousness food selections - my paraphrasing not their's).  I don't know how true this is exactly, but it certainly makes you wonder at how unsustainable our food selections and lifestyles have become.  Moving to Georgia has given me the chance to work on this in my own life, one fresh strawberry at a time!  To read more about this book and the ideas of the sustainable food movement, check out: http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/ and http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php.

My new location has given me the chance to do something else that reduces my carbon footprint. "The farm," as I like to call our little spot in Georgia, came equipped with three clothesline posts.  A little spray paint and some new rope later, I can skip using my drier on the weekends.  Driers, in general, are very inefficient  appliances, but a lot of people worry that the sun will bleach their clothes.  I've learned that this isn't an issue if you hang them wrong-side-out.

There are lots of other things I would like to do to continue reducing my carbon foot print, but I would love more ideas.  Please share your ideas for sustainable living on this blog.  Happy Spring!

 

 

Photos by Jenn Ballard (Excluding book cover)

Homesteading in the Deep South: Spring

This is my first spring on the farm here in Georgia, and it's been really exciting to see what plants are on the property.  I was pleasantly surprised to find redbud, flowering quince, forsythia, and several other species that I have yet to identify.  I recognized dogwood, camellia, irises, and daffodils last summer, but watching them bloom this season has been really nice. I've been able to keep fresh flowers in the house almost every week without spending a dime!

I've also been getting ready for the summer growing season.  I've harvested the last of my winter radishes (which had all gone to seed anyway....) and put out my spring lettuce.  I've turned the soil for my new herb garden and started vegetable seeds in recycled egg crates (a great trick if you haven't tried it). My figs are starting to leaf out, and I'm hoping to make some tasty stuff with those this year. If you have any good fig recipes, please pass them along. I'm looking forward to a beautiful Easter and a very productive summer in the garden. Here are a couple of pictures from the farm. Hope you enjoy!

Some of my icicle radishes from the winter

The beautiful, red camellias next to the house

Beautiful, white flowers from the yard. Does anyone know what these are called?

Budding figs

Dogwoods at Sunset

All Photos by Jenn Ballard

In my heart wherever I may roam...

As a follow-up to my last blog, my mom thought it would be fun to share a little of my own history in the Mountain View area.  This is me, circa 1985, at one of the Blanchard Springs swimming areas.

Mountain View, I Hear Your Music Ringin'

After writing about food and travel for two years, it's a real treat to write this article about one of the best vacation spots I know: Mountain View, Arkansas.  I've been going to this small town in the Ozarks since I was a baby.  The area features several notable attractions, and it's a perfect, affordable family getaway.  The points of interest I'm referring to include the town itself (a hub of folk music and local arts), the Ozark Folk Center, Blanchard Springs Caverns, and world-class fishing.

In case you're not familiar with the area, Mountain View is located in Stone County, Arkansas (picture credit: www.city-data.com/city/Mountain-View-Arkansas.html).  It's nearly due north of the capital city and hidden away in the beautiful high country.  Mountain View is the self-proclaimed "folk music capital of the world" and for good reason.  The town kicks off the tourist season with a spring bluegrass festival.  This is followed by an annual folk festival, and throughout the summer, anyone visiting the town square after twilight will be serenaded by bands and patchwork groups of local musicians playing traditional mountain music.  Pull up a chair (guitar, banjo, or bass) and enjoy...no cover charges here!  The shopping is also pretty nice, especially if you like local arts, crafts, jewelry, or antiques.  You can visit any time of year (I actually love spending Thanksgiving and Christmas here), but the tourist season tends to quiet down after October's Beanfest and Championship Outhouse Race.  Next month will be the 50th Annual Folk Festival, and I would encourage everyone to check it out! (www.yourplaceinthemountains.com).

The Ozark Folk Center is another nearby gem.  It's operated by the Arkansas State Parks system and has the purpose of educating visitors about the skills, crafts, and lifestyles of early Ozark settlers. There are classes, craft shows, and demonstrations throughout the year. There are comfortable cabins for rent, a nice gift shop, and a wonderful restaurant.  There is also a large auditorium where the Center hosts concerts and live radio broadcasts of folk and bluegrass music.  To find out more about the schedule of events, check out http://ozarkfolkcenter.com/.

Blanchard Springs Caverns is a USDA Forest Service operated park that features a beautiful public cavern system.  For a relatively modest price ($12.50 for children/seniors and $25.00 for adults), you can tour one of two trails through the heart of the cave. For the more adventurous, there are wild cave tours available at certain times of year. In addition to this feature, there are beautiful camp grounds, picnic areas, swimming areas, trails, and a unique fishing opportunity at the CCC constructed mirror lake.  This is one of my favorite places to camp during the week or in the off season. During the peak of the summer rush, I like to go to the nearby Gunner Pool or Barkshed camping areas for a slightly less crowded experience.  To get more information about what this recreation area has to offer visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/osfnf/home.

Mirror Lake, Blanchard Springs Caverns

I really love everything about this area, but the thing that brought my family here originally was the fishing.  My grandfather started using Jack's Fishing Resort in the mid 1960's. He eventually became a part-time guide, and my dad has followed in his footsteps. Jack's is a classic family resort complete with hotel, camper sites, playground, restaurant, canoe rental, and full service fishing dock in Allison, Arkansas.  It sits on the White River, a fishing spot with a really unique story.  Following upstream damming that dramatically reduced the temperature of the river, the federal government started a long term mitigation project for the loss of the warm-water fishery.  This has included the stocking of trout throughout the upper white and has resulted in a terrific recreational opportunity.  To learn more about this resort and to get out on the river, please check out http://www.jacksresort.com/.

I'm taking the time to write about these family classics now because my husband and I recently took a spring break trip back to the area.  It was just as great as I remembered! We drove from our home in Georgia and stopped for some fantastic, local BBQ in Dora, Alabama (http://www.greentopbbq.com/).  We got to Mountain View around dinner time and spent the next three days fishing, camping, and eating great camp food!  Below are some pictures of our trip. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Cutthroat Trout caught on the White River

My husband and I on the dock at Jack's

Great Blue Heron on the White River

Preparing great camp food from the day's take.

Turtle on a tree along the White River.