Galloway Farm

Planting a tree with your kids is a fantastic way to learn about nature, do something good for the the environment that you’ll be able to enjoy for decades, and just spend some time together having fun.

First, buy a small tree and find a location with plenty of room for your size tree. We chose a flowering dogwood.
Next, dig a hole twice the size of your root ball. Soak your tree in water for a bit to give it a good drink.

Take a moment to rest and enjoy your work so far.

When you set your tree, the top of the root ball should be level with the ground or slightly above ground. Scoop the dirt back in the hole and use a little to create sort of a bowl around it which will help hold in rain water.

Make sure your tree is straight, step back and admire your work.

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Our Nashville First Church of the Nazarene fall harvest party was this weekend. We had a great crowd, great weather, great food and a great time being together. The kids enjoyed a fun farm experience and the grown ups enjoyed watching the kids run and just spending time talking together. We hope this new tradition is one that last for a long time.

Fresh fire roasted corn was a big hit

Rhonda enjoying a fire roasted apple, cooked with cinnamon and sugar

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After four and a half years of enjoying the farm, but not living there, we’ve decided to build our home on the farm. We’re just getting started and living there is still a ways off; but we are very excited to live on the farm and make lots more memories there as our family and friends enjoy it with us.

Rendering of our new farm home.

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After growing and harvesting our own popcorn, we wondered just what would happen if we put a whole cob of popcorn in the microwave!

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Maybe one of our most fun experiments in the garden this year was to grow, harvest, and eat our very own popcorn. It’s the perfect combination of gardening, learning and eating! Here’s how:

– Buy popcorn seed (it’s a certain variety of corn; not just normal corn) and plant it in your garden. Don’t plant popcorn and corn in the same garden. They cross pollinate and ruin both.
– Let your popcorn stalks grow all summer long. Don’t be in a hurry to pick it.
– In late August or early September, the leaves on your popcorn stalks and ears will turn brown. Now it’s time to pick your popcorn ears.
– Popcorn needs to continue drying out and the kernels will continue to harden. To do this, strip the husks off and put your ears of popcorn in a dry place for about two weeks.
– Next, the fun begins as your twist your ears (think Indian burn when you were a kid) and the kernels start going everywhere. You’ll need a large bowl to keep the kernels in.
– Now you’re ready to cook. Heat up a little oil on the stove and put a single layer of your kernels in to cook. In a few minutes the popping action begins and you’re ready to add your favorite salt/butter to make it just the way you like.
– It’s all much easier than it sounds and you can bet you’ll never want any more microwave popcorn again.

Here are a few pics from our popcorn adventure at Galloway Farm:

Not only was this a lot of fun; but it also begins to give adults and kids alike a sense of just how much time and work families once put into things as simple as a bowl of popcorn. I know popcorn will be in our garden again next year.

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Opening day of dove hunting season is a big deal for me. For more than 30 years I’ve spent opening day with the same group of guys. They spend hours cooking all kinds of wild game and sides and homemade ice cream. We eat till we’re stuffed and relax in the shade solving the world’s problems. It’s not uncommon for local politicians and judges to stop by and hang out. Then we make our way out to the dove field for a few hours of dove hunting. The coolest part is that now I’m starting to take my own kids to become part of the family tradition.

Uncle Winston holding baby Winston

Sign of a day well spent.

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A fire grill! My wife gave me this for my 42nd birthday. It folds out and goes right over the fire. There’s nothing that gives you that manly feeling more than cooking some meat over an open fire.

And what better for a plate than a slab of wood?

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We recently added about 100 Gambusia, commonly called mosquitofish, to our pond. It’s always fun to find natural ways to control weeds and mosquitos. These tiny fish are said to feast on the larvae of mosquitos! We will see if they live up to their name, but they make for great conversation pieces for sure.

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After nearly six inches of rain in 48 hours, a tilled garden can make for a fun race in the knee deep mud!

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Near the end of summer, I love to see these giant mushrooms that pop up for a few days. They are truly works of nature and art.

This one is my all time favorite:

Golf anyone?

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