The first of many Tennessee Farm Tours, June 2012
Fresh Berries at Bee Sweet Berry Farm: A lovely visit with Mr. Ron
My first stop on the Tennessee Farms tour on the Sage Endeavor was Bee Sweet Berry Farm in Lewisburg, TN. It was easy to find just off 65 on Exit 32, I spotted sign for“Fresh Raspberries” with an arrow pointing Southward on Globe road. Last Thursday after a productive morning in the Test Kitchen I called and stopped in to pick up a couple pints. Their Facebook page is current informing viewers of the latest harvest and the prices.
The sun shone down on rows of bramble plants as far as my eyes could wander. Ron welcomed me into the red building where we sampled warm blackberries fresh from the sunshine. We talked about the two varieties of raspberries they grow- Heritage and Caroline, not Driscoll which is a common variety. As he let me sample the cold from the fridge berries he explained how the Heritage are used more for cooking sauces and jellies as they have more tartness in flavor. The Caroline is a sweeter and slightly larger variety used for cereal and any other fresh creations.
From a window of the building he pointed out the areas where they are waiting for the still red blackberries to ripen. Ron explained that the last late freeze made a big difference in the harvest this year. They lost a great deal of blueberries and now the blackberries are ripening later than expected. I referred to the news coverage around the time of the frost when Arrington Vinyards hired a helicopter to warm their vines. Small farms like Bee Sweet and another small vineyard he referred to cannot of course afford such preventative measures and must take the loss.
Friends, I am pleased to report that Bee Sweet Berry Farm produced some brightly colored, sweet and tart berries even through the rough weather! Imagine the most perfectly formed blackberry you have eaten from atop a creamy cheesecake and then imagine you saw the vines and met the farmer that cultivated the beautiful fruit. Some of these blackberries were twice the size of any I have ever seen, like a brazil nut or larger. I submit to you that if you ever wanted to eat locally, eat seasonably, eat whole, eat well… start here! I already froze half the batch of berries from Bee Sweet Berry Farm and will be serving them in August at the Eagleville Country Horse Show if you would like to sample them in frozen fruit pops! The Heritage or “cooking” variety of raspberries went into my first try at Jam and I cleaned the pan with a batch of tea for raspberry tea, and if it turns out the way I think it will we may have that at the show as well. You can see photos and more at the Nutrisha page.
In my journey to really get to know my neighbor farmers and advocate for them through culinary nutrition I asked Ron the best way for us, the consumer, to support he and Judy’s small farm. “Just like this” as he pointed to the box of plastic berry pints I was purchasing on the counter. Small farms that only use the labor of a husband and wife team to plant, harvest and sell their food don’t benefit from markets as much as we often assume they would. Another factor in their farm is the family fun activity of “Pick Your Own”. They were not offering that service when I stopped in, although I do enough gardening at home, as that varies depending on the fruit. Please check their website for more information regarding “You Pick” and pre-packaged berries.
Stay tuned as I journey to visit with our neighbor farmers, sample and purchase their goods and create culinary nutrition for you to try at home. Thank you for sharing this journey with me!
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