Our next driveway-end farm stand will be July 27, and then all or most Saturdays from 10 am to noon! You'll find us at 2382 W Greensboro Chapel Hill Road in Snow Camp, NC. Between Saturdays, contact us at ancientspringfarm@protonmail.com or 336-639-4314 to order products and set up a pick-up day and time. (Please, no drop-bys without prior scheduling.)
July: Peppers (banana, bell, fish, jalapeno, poblano, shishito), cucumbers, tomatoes, greens (amaranth, collards), pasture raised eggs, cooking herbs, chicken coop herbs, cut flowers (Mexican sunflower, pennyroyal, black-eyed susan, blanket flower, Queen Anne's lace), flying dragon citrus marmalade, and more
Fish peppers are colorful, delicious, fruity, kind of hot (one step above jalapenos), and have a really cool history and association with Caribbean and African Americans. Caribbean people probably brought them to the Chesapeake area in the mid 1800s, where African Americans also adopted them and often used them in local seafood-based dishes. In the early 20th century, fish peppers almost went extinct in the U.S. but they were saved through the work of a Black WWI veteran and folk artist (Horace Pippin), his White beekeeping neighbor (H. Ralph Weaver), and Weaver's grandson (William Woys Weaver) who, in 1995, discovered Pippin's fish pepper seeds saved by H.R. Weaver in baby food jars.
Spring and early summer are the best time to enjoy fresh herbs and dry extra for the rest of the year. We have an abundance of classic favorites and heirloom varieties on the farm that are great for flavoring food, brewing hot or cold tea, and making a room smell and look nice. Many herbs (including the spearmint, thyme, lavender, oregano, and peppermint in this basket) also have great health and insect-repellent benefits for both people and chickens! Our dried chicken coop herbs (sprinkle them in nesting boxes and on bedding) also include special ingredients such as marigolds for extra-yellow yolks.
Rebecca loves English cottage-style gardens so that's how we roll here. Our cottage, native, and wild pollinator-friendly gardens feature abundant beautiful flowers that are great for bouquets. We love perennials, self-seeding annuals, and historical plants so our gardens change a bit every year. Send us an email at ancientspringfarm@protonmail.com to see what's currently blooming for you!
Flying dragon citrus (also called trifoliate orange and hardy orange) is the most cold-hardy of cultivated orange trees. It's not native to NC but it has become wild in many places, including the farm and our friends' farm. Its fresh smell and flavor are unique, hard to describe, and intoxicating (great for cocktails but not really for eating). The fruit makes a British-style marmalade whose flavor is richer, spicier, and slightly more bitter than sweet orange marmalade. Most people who've tried our marmalade can't get enough of it! In addition to toast, it pairs particularly well with cheese, pork, and venison. We sell half pints and pints for tasting and sharing.
August: Tomatoes, peppers, melons, greens (amaranth, collards, red malabar spinach), pasture raised eggs, cooking herbs, chicken coop herbs, cut flowers (tansy), flying dragon citrus marmalade, and more
