Fog Likely Farm

James Wilkes owns Faith Mountain Farm in Creston, NC.

He can be reached at:

• 489 Big Laurel Road
• Creston, NC, 28615
• 336-385-3510

Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery was started in 1986 to supply quality perennials for our landscaping needs. Through the years Susan developed the nursery using sustainable methods, before that was a buzzword. Plants are grown outside or in our un-heated greenhouse; organic, hands-on growing methods are used throughout the farm and nursery. Our selection includes new and hard to find varieties along with a few tough favorites. We are especially proud to say do not use any systemic pesticides or fungicides. "To us sustainable means protecting birds and bees too." See our website for more details about our organic and sustainable methods. We have great healthy perennials, bigger than mail order, better than chain stores.

We offer the highest quality, large, blooming size plants, all organically grown (non-certified). We've paid special attention to varieties that are well suited to the conditions of the High Country. Our selections reflect our passion for native plants and cut flowers. The nursery is located 10 miles west of Boone, NC. Summer hours are Fridays 9-6. Our phone number is (828) 297-4098, send mail about your gardening concerns, or visit our website at
Shady-Grove-Gardens.com
Shady-Grove-Gardens.blogspot.com

Cut Flowers are our speciality. We can supply flowers for weddings, churches and special occasions. Just contact us for special orders or lists of seasonal availability. Our selection changes daily, so visit our display at the market each week for something different.

Join our Fresh Flower CSA (Subscription).
This is the 2nd summer Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery will be offering a subscription to their best fresh flower bouquets. Bouquets are delivered in our buckets to be transported home. The Wednesday afternoon Watauga County Farmers’ Market in Boone is our drop-off site.

This is everyones chance to get fresh locally grown flowers without pesticides and without getting up early on Saturday morning. Members will get $25’s worth of flowers for 10, 15 or 20 weeks. The late season bouquets will include orange and red winterberry holly for the holidays. 

These seasonal flowers will be different each week as they are all grown outdoors in Ashe and Watauga counties. Since 1986 Shady Grove Gardens has produced perennials and cut flowers without using any inorganic pesticides or herbicides. 
Subscription members will be invited to join Susan Wright and Brent Cochran for a fun farm tour, to see where their flowers are grown and learn a little more about flower farming.

To get more information or sign up for the weekly bouquets contact Susan at 828-297-4098 or sggarden@skybest.com.

Vegetable and Flower transplants

WINTER VEGATABLE CSA-FOR OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER PICKUP Want fresh local vegetables after the summer season? Shares will weigh approximately 60 lbs., and include apples, large yellow storage onions, yellow and red potatoes, 4-5 types of winter squash, red cabbage and garlic. In addition pumpkins will be in the October package. Favorite recipes for soups, delicious casseroles and pies will be included. The cost is $90 a share.

The vegetables and fruit offer will store for at least 2 months most will store even longer.
Boxes of winter storage vegetables shares will available for pickup at the last Watauga County Farmers Market October 31st and just in time for Thanksgiving November, 21, 2009. Signup for this CSA will end June 1, 2009.

Planning a wedding? Why not have it on our Farm? Contact us about our facilities at The Peak.

Reba and Fred Greene have been coming to Watauga County Farmers' Market since 1975, the second year the market was open. Daughter Cindy grows many of the watermelons, pumpkins, tomatoes and cucumbers for the Greenes, and granddaughter Ashley grows flowers for cutting.

The Greene's have a vegetable garden of around 2 acres. Because different corn varieties will cross-pollinate if grown too closely together, the field corn is grown at Reba's dad's house, about 3 miles away. The Indian corn is grown in yet another field. Early sweet corn is very popular at Watauga County Farmers' Market and the Greenes often sell between 50 and 60 dozen ears before 9AM.

Reba prefers to grow white sweet potatoes because of their different texture. She and Fred regularly fix them for breakfast, with gravy. The Greenes also grow 8 varieties of blueberries, which in a year with normal rainfall will provide fresh blueberries from June to October.

Other vegetables to look for in season are okra, squash, beans, greens, and rhubarb that tastes like apples. Ask a week in advance and the Greenes will bring you a 50 pound bag of potatoes for storage. They also have field corn to feed to the squirrels over the winter.

Sandi Henry has been making baskets for 22 years. Her sister taught her how to make her first basket and she later studied books to learn additional techniques. She has been selling baskets at Watauga County Farmers' Market for twelve years, and is an art teacher at Appalachian Christian School.

Sandi makes her baskets from hand dyed reed and often uses grapevine to make free form handles. One of her most popular baskets is a biscuit basket that is used for serving bread at the table.

Sandi added decorative mosaic items to her inventory about five years ago. She applies hand made tiles or broken pottery to chairs, tables, vases and planters.

Sandy also offers perennial plants and bouquets from her garden.

Sandi welcomes special orders, call her at (828) 264-5549 or send an e-mail.

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• Sandi Henry

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Hinckley Family Farm has taken organic growing to another level. The farm has been certified organic by the North Carolina Crop Improvement Association. Customers can be sure that the vegetables and herbs they buy here are free of any chemical residues and additives.

Brad Hinckley supplies shoppers at Watauga County Farmers' Market with vegetable starts at planting time and later brings the produce from what has been planted at the farm. The harvest will be a little bit of everything, including squash, zucchini, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards, kohlrabi, Swiss chard, peppers and tomatoes. Brad will also sell organic broccoli and cabbage by the acre. If gardeners want to grow a crop that is not among the transplants that Brad offers, he will start anything for anybody at any time. The edible fare is rounded off with eggs from free range chickens that are antibiotic and hormone free.

Brad also has organic cutflowers for the table, including snapdragons in a rainbow of colors.

Visitors are welcome at Hinckley Family Farm. The farm is located in Vilas, North Carolina. Take Highway 421 west toward Mountain City past the Highway 321 split. Go 2 miles and turn left on to Walls Road. Take a right at the stop sign on to Joe Shoemaker Road. The driveway to Hinckley Family Farm is at the crest of the hill on the left. Look for the blue mailbox surrounded by welded metal flowers. The address is 1381 Joe Shoemaker Road, Vilas, NC 28692. You may also phone Brad at (828) 297-LILY (5459).

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• Brad Hinckley - Hinckley Family Farm

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Jeff Thomas has been selling organic produce at the Watauga County Farmers' Market since 1979. At that time, few people were concerned about the presence of chemicals in their food. We now consider Jeff a strategist for foreseeing the current focus on healthy food, but 22 years ago organic produce could be risky to market. Determined to make Creeksong Farm healthy and profitable, Jeff has mastered the art of growing food that is both attractive and wholesome.

Jeff can be found at Watauga County Farmers' Market every Saturday morning, and every Wednesday morning in July and August. He also supplies Bare Essentials Natural Market in Boone with organic produce.

Jeff grows lettuce and spinach most of the summer using shade cloths to keep the plants cool. He grows fingerling and purple "new" potatoes, peppers, beets, and many other familiar and unexpected vegetables. In the spring he has standard and uncommon herbs and companion plants, many with wonderfully scented leaves. In late summer and fall you will find sunflowers for dramatic bouquets and brightly colored everlastings for dried arrangements all winter.

Send Jeff an e-mail, or visit the Creeksong Farm website. Read more about Creeksong Farm on the The Mountain Times website.