But our real story begins in the 1940s. TC Harvey, who grew up farming the land, married a young lady from North Carolina, who became Marie Harvey. Marie is my husband’s dear grandmother. I was blessed to know her for most of my life as well. TC built the home and the barn with his own two hands. He never owned a tractor. He did all his farming with mules, horses, and hard work.

TC & Marie had two daughters, Gay and Lindola (Scott’s mom). TC kept cows and bees, grew tobacco, and even made moonshine! Marie worked hard beside her husband but enjoyed creating her own lush flower garden, and in the evenings she would take up needle and thread to make quilts. We have several of Marie’s quilts in use today.

When TC passed away, Marie was still rather young, so she went on to nursing school. She leased the land, and it hosted various farmers. Gay and Lin have mostly let the land be used for hay in recent years.

Lin married Clyde Chisam and has 2 kids: Scott & Becky, who now own the farm. Scott has dreamed for years of farming this land. He’s thought about blueberries, bees, row crops, and even an RV park. It’s funny that his dream has become mine.

Scott does most of the infrastructure and upkeep on the farm, and I focus on the agricultural side of things. My ADHD and high energy levels fuel an excitement about the project that he finds contagious. He’ll often text me that he’s excited to see what I plant next.

The flowers are truly a nod to Marie. She died in 2007, but so many of her plants live on at the farm, a testimonial to her love of color and texture. The first blooms to greet me when I started walking the property in 2023 were her daffodils.

It’s now the first of April, and I delight at every new growth I find over there. Marie speaks to me through the peonies that are popping up, the sedum, the fragrant hyacinth. She encourages me as I dig, plant and plan.

But our farm isn’t just living history. Scott and I have two little boys. TC & Marie would’ve loved those little rascals. And the boys love life on the farm. They’re so at home in the dirt. They’re just 8 and 3 now, but one day they will inherit this land. And we want to make it into something they love. Something they’re proud of.

Our family would like to invite you to visit us at the farm. Feel the deep roots. Smell the flowers. Bask in the sunshine. Connect with the earth. If you’d like to visit, check out our You-pick or Workshops & Events. We’d love to have you over.