Also, do you have your teacher appreciation gifts ready?
I am offering a 4-pack of mini bouquets for $45 (so four of the mini pictured above).
Maybe one order could cover all your kid's teachers and even a school staff member who may go unnoticed (I'm thinking office staff, lunch ladies, custodians…).
Let's show our appreciation for those wonderful servants to our kids!
As we continue sharing the story of The Farm in Jones Valley, this month highlights a turning point that reshaped not only this land, but much of our surrounding region.
For generations, cotton was the defining crop across North Alabama, and our farm was no exception. By the late 1940s, cotton remained the principal crop here, worked by sharecroppers who had farmed the land with mules for decades. At that time, there were no herbicides, pesticides, tractors, or modern equipment—only hard labor and perseverance.
Over time, however, changing markets and soil conditions made it clear the land was better suited for a different path. One morning in 1947, that realization came into focus during a defining conversation between brothers Carl and Ed. “Why don’t we right now admit that life is too short to raise cotton and from this day forward look for another prominent crop for our land?” Carl proposed. That moment marked a turning point, and beginning in the late 1940s, the farm gradually transitioned away from cotton and toward cattle.
This was neither a quick nor an easy shift. Pastures replaced row crops, and the focus turned toward managing grass, soil health, and livestock. In fact, The Farm in Jones Valley became the first in the area to be fully converted from cotton to pasture—a transition completed by 1951. It was a practical and, in hindsight, wise decision.
That transition helped shape the landscape many in Jones Valley recognize today. Open pastures and grazing cattle became part of the daily backdrop for a growing community.
Since reading those verses, I cannot stop noticing the sunlight shining on the garden and the farm. It's rays bring life and growth and healing.
It disperses the darkness.
It makes the calves frolic (have you ever seen calves frolic in a sunny field? It's magical).
It lights the path, just like the picture above.
Yet because our God is full of tender mercy, for you and for me, He didn't only give us the sun.
He sent us the true Sun. His Son, Jesus.
Jesus brings life and growth and healing.
Jesus disperses the darkness.
Jesus brings abundance, allowing us to frolic in His care.
Jesus is the light on our path, to guide our feet into peace.
The Sun has risen. The Light has come. Oh praise the name of Jesus.
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 and farming.
