Kermit Caughron Striped Stick Bean, Cades Cove, Tennessee

S11:E18 05/04/2024

Kermit Caughron Striped Stick Bean, Cades Cove, Tennessee

In this episode, we are setting the table with “Kermit’s Striped Stick Bean”. We visit with John and Rachel Davis, owners of J & R Farms in Blount County, Tennessee. John Davis’s great-grandmother is Lois Shuler Caughron, and her late husband is Kermit Caughron. The Caughron family has raised and saved an heirloom bean for generations named the “Striped Stick Bean”. This bean comes from the last remaining descendants of white settlers and residents of Cades Cove, Kermit, and Lois Caughron. When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established, the residents of Cades Cove were made to move out of the area over a certain amount of years. These last remaining residents of Cades Cove are John and Rachel Davis’s ancestors. This family is very involved with a nonprofit organization called the Cades Cove Preservation Association, and a link is below to find out more about this organization and the repository of artifacts and pictures of the families of white settlers who formerly lived in Cades Cove. I (Amy) am actively gathering recordings and information on the original settlers of Cades Cove and Eastern Tennessee Mountains, Native American residents who long before white settlers came to the area of East Tennessee. I hope to be sharing podcasts and radio shows on the Native American perspective through the lens of food over the next months.

For his “Potluck Radio” series, Fred Sauceman recalls Tennessee memories of the Franklin Club and of Raymond Bautista owner of the former restaurant “Raymond’s Fine Foods” along with Raymond’s recipe for Cole Slaw. Raymond’s Fine Foods was inducted into the Tennessee Restaurant Hall of Fame.

There will be the first fundraiser for Battlefield Farms called Gospel in the Gardens featuring the UT Gospel Choir This Benefit concert is to support Battlefield Farms which is a local non-profit organization with the mission of ending food insecurity in East Knoxville by partnering with community members to make fresh food accessable. Other live performances will be featured and food trucks will be available. This event takes place Saturday, May 4th at 6:00 PM at Payne Avenue Baptist Church at 2724 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. Knoxville TN 37914. They ask that you bring your lawn chairs. More infoormation from this link: https://www.facebook.com/battlefieldfarmandgardens/

Links:

Rachel and John Davis of J&R Farms, Maryville, TN: https://www.jandrfarmstn.com/

Cades Cove Preservation Association: http://www.cadescovepreservation.com/kermitcaughron.html

Bluestem Hollow Market Day Market and Farm Party https://www.facebook.com/bluestemhollow/

Ben Cohen and Family, Owners of Small House Farm offer for sale a limited amount of Kermit’s Striped Stick Bean seed. They have been saving and sharing this seed and the story behind it. Find out more by visiting their website: https://www.smallhousefarm.com/product/kermit-bean/

Emi Sunshine sang our theme song when she was 9 years old: https://theemisunshine.com/

Kermit Caughron at home in Cades Cove, inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Photo: Ruth Caughron Davis., Cades Cove Preservation Association: http://www.cadescovepreservation.com/kermitcaughron.html

Striped stick bean that has been passed down by the family of Kermit Caughron. Photo: Amy Campbell.

Striped stick bean that has been passed down by the family of Kermit Caughron.

John Coykendall Saving Seeds and Stories

S11:E6. 02/10/2024

Saving Seeds and Stories with John Coykendall

Seed Saving & Stories with our seed-saving pal John Coykendall of Knoxville, TN. John tells us how he became a seed saver, some of the varieties he has saved, where to find old-time heirloom seed like the ones he saves, and shares plus some cute stories. John and I (Amy) worked together in the garden at Blackberry Farm together in 2007, where I learned from John the importance of this heirloom seed.

Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show: https://www.dogwoodarts.com/houseandgardenshow

Many of the varieties that John has saved and referenced in the podcast can be purchased at http://www.seedsavers.org/

John Coykendall on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.coykendall.3

John Coykendall documentary: https://www.lpb.org/programs/deeply-rooted-john-coykendalls-journey-to-save-our-seeds-and-stories

John Coykendall book: https://lsupress.org/books/detail/preserving-our-roots/

Fred Sauceman “Pot Luck Radio”: https://www.facebook.com/fred.sauceman

Emi Sunshine (Sings our theme song): https://theemisunshine.com/

More heirloom seed sources:

Seed Savers Exchange : https://www.seedsavers.org/

Southern Exposure Seed: https://www.southernexposure.com/

Sow True Seed: https://sowtrueseed.com/

Rare Seeds: https://www.rareseeds.com/

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Rare Seed: https://www.rareseeds.com/

Photo ID: John Coykendall with Amy Campbell at the Blount County Public Library Seed Swap, January 2023. Photo: Amy Campbell.

Brooks Lamb, Author of Love For the Land, Lessons from Farmers Who Persist in Place.

S10:E47. 12/16/2023

Brooks Lamb, Author of Love For the Land, Lessons from Farmers Who Persist in Place.

Today, we are setting the table with a discussion about land. Agricultural land, and the problem of the fast disappearance of this land across our country.

Our guest is Brooks Lamb, Author of Love for the Land, Lessons from Farmers Who Persist in Place. Published through Yale University Press. This book is deeply related to Tennessee, Southern, and American agriculture.

At its core, Love for the Land shares the power and potential of people-place relationships. To do so, the book explores why some small and midsize farmers continue to care for their land, even in the face of tremendous adversity. In terms of adversity, he pays particular attention to farmland loss from sprawl and haphazard development, agricultural consolidation, and, for farmers of color, injustices in the past and present.

Despite these challenges, some small and midsized farmers persevere. In dozens of interviews with farmers in two Tennessee counties, which serve as microcosms of agrarian communities across the country, Brooks found that love for the land and devotion to place -- virtues that align with Wendell Berry's writings on imagination, affection, and fidelity -- fuel their persistence and stewardship. Brooks writes that we need to better support these farmers -- and that we all have something to learn from them, no matter where we live.

If you are moved by this podcast to help with this crucial problem of farmland loss - and are thinking about year-end-giving - there is an organization that Brooks is closely aligned and works with that is actively addressing farmland loss and conversion in the Volunteer State, this organization is called American Farmland Trust. We have also placed a link directly to that organization on our website too. It is Farmland.org

Brooks Lamb’s website and where to buy Brooks Lamb’s book: https://brookslamb.com/buy-love-for-the-land/

American Farmland Trust: https://farmland.org

Emi Sunshine (Sang our theme song when she was 9 years old!): https://theemisunshine.com/

Brooks Lamb’s website and where to buy Brooks Lamb’s book:  https://brookslamb.com/buy-love-for-the-land/

Brooks Lamb on the family farm. Photo: Brooks Lamb.

Brooks Lamb on the family farm. Photo: Brooks Lamb.

Brooks Lamb on the family farm. Photo: Brooks Lamb.

Helping the Honey Bees with D and Jim Brown of Honey Rock Herb Farm, Louisville, TN

S10:E10. 3/11/2023

Helping the Honey Bees with D and Jim Brown of Honey Rock Herb Farm, Louisville, TN

Helping the Honeybee with D & Jim Brown, Honey Rock Herb Farm owners, Louisville, Tennessee. This is their 36th year of growing the good life at Honey Rock Herb Farm, and they have raised bees for over 40 years. They share with us how important bees and pollinators are to all of us, how to attract them, and steps we can take to protect them. Also, in Fred Sauceman’s Pot Luck Radio series, he features Hot Slaw from Polk County, TN.

Honey Rock Herb Farm http://www.honeyrockherbfarm.com/

Fred Sauceman https://www.facebook.com/fred.sauceman

Emi Sunshine (sings the theme song) https://theemisunshine.com/

D and Jim sit at their farm table in the Herb House at their Honey Rock Herb Farm, Louisville, TN. Photo: Amy Campbell 2014.

DSB Provisions' family farm owned and operated by Dustin and Stacey Busby, Maryville, TN

S10:E8. 02/25/2023

Today, we are setting the table with homemade pasta and sauces made with farm-raised ingredients - our guests are Dustin and Stacey Busby of DSB Provisions from Maryville, TN. DSB Provisions is a family farm where Dustin, Stacey, and their 3 kids grow fruits and vegetables, raise chickens and rabbits, make homemade pasta and sauces, and offer a personal chef experience.

We also hear from Mary Dee Dee Constantine on the topic of collards and her recipe for a quick meal using collard greens and angel hair pasta that she calls Asian Noodles and Greens.

Stacey is an executive coach who helps people realize their dreams and break boundaries. Dustin has a rich history of farming and culinary experiences. Dustin is not a person who will toot his own horn, and I want to give you some background about him. He was born in Charleston, SC, and started as a dishwasher. He graduated from Le Cordon Blue, then onto the Woodlands in Charleston, SC, where he was promoted to Executive Sous Chef. During his time there, Dustin spent his vacations staging at restaurants worldwide, including The French Laundry, The Fat Duck, and Le Manwar. He also has worked for many years at BlackBerry Farm in Tennessee, where he has served as farmstead manager and the Executive Sous Chef of the Barn. Dustin also spent a few years working on a Tennessee organic farm raising grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, and vegetables. He created a brand, turning all the farm had to offer into pickles, condiments, and salami and providing catering events. That gives you some of Dustin’s culinary background. He is also a great father. He and his whole family run their family farm. DSB Provisions is something that Dustin and his wife, Stacey, have been hoping to do for their family for a long time. You will most likely find them throughout the year at Farmers’ Markets in Knoxville and Maryville. They send out a weekly newsletter for pre-ordering and details of the markets they will be.
**DSB Provisions does not advertise on this show.

Also, Blue Stem Hollow is now in full swing of their CSA signup for full or 1/2 shares, delivered weekly or bi-weekly. Blue Stem Hollow offers catering, pasture-raised beef, eggs, charcuterie, and sustainably raised fruits and vegetables. Weekly delivery locations include Greenback, Maryville, and Knoxville. Sign up Bluestemhollow.com⁣

LINKS:

DSB Provisions: https://www.dsbprovisions.com/

Dee Dee Constantine: https://www.instagram.com/Skilletsister/?hl=en

Blue Stem Hollow (Sponsors of this show): https://www.bluestemhollow.com/csa

Emi Sunshine (sings our theme song): https://theemisunshine.com/

Dustin works with his son Heston on their family farm in Maryville, TN. https://www.dsbprovisions.com/

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Corn, Corn Relish, Corn Cob Jelly with Rachel Abbott Davis of J and R Farms, TN

S9:E28. 08/13/2022

Corn, Corn Relish, and Corn Cob Jelly with Rachel Abbott Davis of J and R Farms, TN, plus a beautiful audio essay on corn from author and gardener Kelly Smith Trimble.

Links:

J & R Farms: https://www.jandrfarmstn.com/

Rachel’s Canning Corse: https://rachel-davis-s-school.teachable.com/p/canning-course

Rachel’s instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/jandrfarms_mama/

USDA complete guide to home canning:: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/usdas-complete-guide-home-canning

Recipe:

This recipe came from a notebook of Rachel’s Great Grandmother Minnie Grindstaff’s canning recipes. Rachel and John had a truckload of corn they needed to do something with, so she decided to try this corn relish recipe out and loved it. They use it on everything, as a side, and it is especially good on pinto beans with cornbread. The recipe calls for cabbage, but Rachel leaves that out.

Ingredient list:

• 12 ears fresh corn
• 1 large cabbage head, shredded
• 6 small garden onions, or 1 or 2 large onions
• 6 bell peppers
• 2 red sweet peppers
• 2 - 4 Jalapeno peppers
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 quart vinegar
• 1 T Salt
• 1 T Ground mustard

Instructions:

Cook corn and vinegar together for 20 minutes, add the rest and cook for 30 minutes. Ladle hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Clean jar lids with clean, damp cloth, apply lids and bands and finger tighten bands. Process jars according to approved waterbacth canning instructions, or better yet, Rachel also has posted the complete recipe on her blog. https://www.jandrfarmstn.com/

Rachel also hosts an online canning corse that she calls a can along with details on her instagram page at: https://www.instagram.com/jandrfarms_mama/

Farm to Feast and She Diggs Farm in Harden Valley of Knoxville, Tennessee

S9:E26. 07/23,07/2022 Today we are sitting around the table and visiting with a family and farm and how this family uses their skills to farm, cook, and host elevated meals for private events and, on occasion, community dinners. We visit with Farm to Feast founders Chef Jeff Jorgensen, event planner Jessica Jorgensen, and Jeff’s sister Heather Fulghum, ecology teacher, farmer, and founder of She Diggs Farm, located in the Hardin Valley area of Knoxville, TN. Heather grows the food, Jeff uses it to provide farm-inspired dinners using seasonal ingredients, and Jessica uses her hospitality and event planning background to create elegant feasts on the family farm. Links: Farm to Feast: https://www.farmtofeastknox.com/ She Diggs Farm: https://www.instagram.com/shediggsfarm/?hl=en Emi Sunshine (sings our theme song): https://theemisunshine.com/