News and Blog
The day has black smiths, 1915 vertical hit and miss engine ( Horry County Museum), 1920's grist mill, horse powered cane mill, cane syrup making ( W Paul Living History Museum), spinning, weaving, paper making , indigo dyeing, antique tractors, NC Forestry Msueum and more. Pick Your Own pumpkins, hay rides, pumpkin patch rides, hay maze and bluegrass music. STOCK pig races at 11, 1 , 2:30l and 3:30. COme root for your favorite pig!
Now is a great time for beans and peas! The crop looks very good and the quality is the best it has been all year.
We have made the first of the grape juice! Some of you have been waiting for this.
We are still getting in some really nice peaches. the heirloom tomatos are slowly increasing in volume, check out our other varieties of tomatos. We have a good supply of sweet grape and cherry type tomatos.
Farm Heritage Day is October 5. Please help spread the word. This year you should be able to see and visit with some real ive treasures in the area. Harry Warren, director of the NC Forestry Museum; Wayne Skipper with the W Paul Living History Museum, Meck Hartsfield of the Phillip Simmoms Black Smith Guild; Walter Hill, director of the Horry County Museum, Randy Hawes and the Bluegrass boys and many other individuals who are here to share their years of experience with various skills such as molasses making, old farm tractors and equipment, spinning, paper making, running a grist mill and musical skills.
There will be food, PYO pumpkins, pig races, hay rides and hay maze as well.
Fall is in the air and much is happening here at the farm. After a very difficult spring and summer we hope for a Fall that will help put us all in a better state. Preparing for strawberry planting, planting winter crops, preparing for the event days, training the race pigs, the PYO pumpkins, the tours , the night time hay rides, making grape juice and apple cider it leaves a lot to look froward to. Some of the pumpkins look very good at this point.
Now is a great time for beans, cucumbers, squash and some to the summer items that had a difficult time during the summer of rain.
This year for Farm Heritage Day we have Meck Hartsfield returning. Meck is a very talented ,knowledgable craftsman black smith. He is from the Phillip Simmons line of smiths. He is President of the black smith guild which proudly bears Phillip Simmon's name. Meck has a strong connection with the late Phillip Simmons. In fact we have had Walter Hill , the director of the Horry County Museum, who himself is a part of that guild working the hit and miss engine turning the grist mill. You would do yourself a favor to ask Walter about his work as well. These men have their work being used in historic places along the SC coast. Besides being fascinating to watch, you can ask questions and even inquire about having work done.
Farm Heritage Day has much more. I hope to post more information about the particular people involved.
The blueberry field will be open Tuesday and we plan for Saturday this week.
Peaches are still coming in well. Ask about 1/2 bushel baskets, canning peaches or special ice cream peaches. We may have some of the later but you might need to ask. The peaches are good this time of year. All are free stone as well.
Figs are just beginning to come in. The celeste variety is currently in. We have picked a few Texas everbearing. Alma will be next. Then the yellow skin fig will be last.
Friday looks good for PYO blueberries. So both Friday and Saturday will be open for blueberries 7:30 to 11 Friday and 7:30 to noon Saturday. Please bring some insect repellent.
Saturday morning there will be a road race on the farm so be careful not to park in thier area or you may get blocked in. If you park where we normally park for PYO blueberries you will have no problems.
Peaches! We are picking Sun Prince and Ga Belle peaches. It is a good time for peaches. If you like white peaches Ga Belle is the peach for you. To this day one of the best desserts I have ever had was Ga Belle peaches served on opened faced homemade biscuits. Yes, I didn't eat just one.
The blueberry field will be open Wednesday morning 7:30 to 11. We will either open Friday and Saturday morning or just Saturday morning. Please check later to see if Friday will be open.
It is peach season so if you want peaches now is the time!
We plan to have the blueberry field open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7:30 to 11 am.
Please pick only where cart and attendent is present. Fields are closed afternoons and Sundays.
If you are a fan of Cherokee Purple tomatoes or grew up eating heirloom type tomatoes now is a good opportunity to take advantage of this treat.
It is prime peach season. we have some neat peach items in the bakery as well.
The blueberry fields will be open Monday , Tuesday and Wednesday this week from 7:30 to 11 am. We will announce the remaining schedule later in the week.Watch out for hotter weather so come early.
This has been a strange year. If you wondering where the figs are you are not alone. I had anticipated them ready by July 4. But they should not be far away so stay in touch.
I apologize to those who wanted peaches by the basket at times last week when we were low. This week should be better. I'll soon be picking Ga. Belle peaches.
