Bob Due Farm Tour

Things are slowly winding down at the Farm as it gets colder and darker. We have pulled out all of our okra, eggplant, and most of our tomatoes. Our turnips, lettuce, collards, kale, radishes, and carrots, however, are doing quite fine in the frosty mornings! Despite the steady approach of winter, we are still active and finding new things to learn.
Last weekend, Jeff and Shelagh organized an Americorps trip to tour Bob Due’s farm. We met Bob Due at a local Farmer’s Market and jumped at the chance to learn more about his farming techniques. We drove north out of Knoxville for about an hour, passing fields and hills, then finally negotiating many small windy roads we arrived at Mr. Due’s hilly farm. He began by talking to us about the importance of balancing micro-nutrients in soil in order grow healthy disease resistant plants. He uses the “Albrecht System” which employs soil testing and amendments to bring micronutrient rations into balance.
Mr. Due’s farm is in a very hilly part of TN so he plants all his crops on terraced hills in order to prevent erosion. The highlight of the trip was towards the end when he offered to let us taste his turnips! They were crunchy, sweet, buttery and amazing! If they couldn’t convince one of the impact of healthy soil on the taste of a vegetable, nothing could! If you would like to know more about Bob Due’s terraced gardens and the “Albrecht Technique” you can go to his website: http://www.terraced-gardens-farm.com.

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