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Down On The Farm

By Rachel Meriwether on November 13, 2016

Fall is finally here again. On the farm, we are busily tidying up and mulching all sorts of things. This fall, in particular, we have also been seeding several areas with a native wildflower blend – with any luck next summer we will have some gorgeous meadow flowers to enjoy!

But what we really want to tell you about is the fabulous Farm Feast we had this fall! The last weekend of September, staff and guests alike gathered at GRP for an evening of fun, food and music in order to support our KALE program.

All the food and beverages served at the dinner were grown or produced in Henderson County and the vast majority of the offerings came from right here on the GRP Farm!

Farmer Phil and friends were up extremely early the day of the dinner to start our smoker and get the pig cooking. A small army of workers, both large and small, transformed the dining hall into a harvest hall full of flowers and gifts of the season.

Guests began arriving at the farm in the late afternoon and were treated to a tour of the fields, as well as an introduction to the animals. From there, everyone headed up to base camp. Folks got a chance to settle in and visit the bar where grown-ups could enjoy wines made by St. Paul Vineyard and brews donated by a couple of our local breweries. For those not quaffing adult beverages, there was cider pressed from GRP apples by our very own GRP staff and pink lemonade made from sumac that was harvested from the Preserve.

Dinner time finally arrived, everyone gathered together to sing one of our GRP blessings, and the feasting began! Once we had all stuffed ourselves to bursting, everyone headed down to the gazebo where we danced the night away to the sweet sounds of the Green River Ramblers and a number of special guests.

all photos taken by Jane Izard

Rachel Meriwether
Rachel Meriwether

When not cooking or farming for GRP, Rachel enjoys kayaking, traveling, reading, playing music, hiking, and spending time with their numerous animal & human friends. Rachel regularly teaches farming and gardening classes at local conferences and Blue Ridge Community College. She also operates Meriwether Gardens Flower Farm, selling flowers at local markets as well as providing floral designs services for events. Cooking has been one of Rachel’s favorite past times since childhood. She has always believed in the potential for food to change each of us as individuals, and as communities. She also remains firmly convinced that healthy eating can, and should, be fun and delicious!