Winter is on its way out and Spring is right around the corner. Our spring plans on the farm are shaping up to be something special this year! Daffodils are starting to bloom (with more specialty daffodils, anemone and ranunculus on the way)! Chickens are laying more eggs (don't miss an exciting egg announcement below), and we are constructing a farmstand that will be opening on Garth Road in the coming weeks! More to come, but for now, go ahead and picture yourself swinging by the stand on a sunny morning with coffee in hand, and picking out a fresh bouquet of spring flowers and a dozen pastured eggs to take home…
As a flower farmer, February is the calm before the storm. (A beautiful storm of course). I have been soaking up these slower days filled with planning, seed starting and waiting. Once flowers start blooming in March, the work really begins! This month I have gotten nearly all of the last cool season transplants in the ground, including the Cerinthe (a.k.a. Honeywort) which is pictured above. It is one of my favorite early spring foliages, with lightly speckled green leaves and a precious, drooping purple bloom. It is even more of a favorite with the native pollinators – the sound when walking past a buzzing bed of Cerinthe is quite memorable! Be on the lookout for this lovely foliage in all my bouquets around Mother's Day.
below: Cerinthe (Honeywort)
Thank you to everyone who took time to fill out the survey last month! It was incredibly helpful to hear yall's responses and encouragement.
Speaking of….let's announce the randomly selected winners of a spring bouquet!
- Brooke Lindstrom
- Anna-Bell Jones
- Grace Medlock
Congratulations to the three of you! I'll be in touch to get these early spring bouquets to you.
Exciting news from the farm! We are expanding our laying hen flock and our new birds will likely be arriving next month. They are already laying, so we are quickly approaching an abundance of eggs just in time for Spring! As we move towards more regenerative farming practices, we will be keeping the hens in a mobile chicken coop which will be moved to a fresh section of grass in the pasture each day. Those girls will have access to all the grasses, clovers, and especially bugs that their little hearts desire. We will also provide non-GMO feed as a supplement to their natural diet. Interested in eggs? Check out the link below.
Would you like to feed your family pasture-raised, non-GMO Jones Valley Eggs?
$8/dozen.
$7/dozen for a weekly subscription.
Two pickup locations available.
Click below to get on the list!
That decision in 1939 was an act of faith towards the land, their families, and the future of this community. The Farm in Jones Valley exists today because two brothers chose to commit to a place when walking away might have been easier.
"The Five Jones Brothers, Fort McClellan, Alabama, August 29, 1930. Left to right -- Edwin Whiting Jones (1896-1956); Howard Criner Jones (1890-1962); Raymond William Jones (1892-1931); Walter Bryan Jones (1895-1977); Carl Tannahill Jones (1908-1967)"
A couple weeks ago I was working in the garden while the boys played nearby. I felt a little tug on my jacket and turned to see Everett (age 6) holding this little crushed dandelion up to me. He said, “Thank you for taking care of all of us Mommy" and then ran back to his playing. I stood there in the cold air with warm tears on my cheek and said a prayer of thanks to God for my loving littlest boy. In that moment in the garden, the Lord reminded me that gracious words are life-giving. They can refresh a tired soul. They can build others up according to their needs (Eph 4:29). Our words are powerful. How often do we intentionally speak them graciously over others who may need to be built up with a moment that is life-giving and soul refreshing? I hope we can be more like little children, and stop playing and working long enough to speak life to those around us. You might even pair it with a bouquet of fresh flowers. But if not, don't worry, a crushed dandelion will do just fine.
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Proverbs 16:24 NIV
As always, we would love to hear from you; please reach out anytime. We are so grateful for your support and thankful we can enjoy a life made more beautiful by flowers.
Garth Road
