TOUR - Long Hungry Creek Farm

Long Hungry Creek Farm
Jeff and Mary Poppen

“The trip to the organic farm brought all the information into perspective
by utilizing all our senses. This trip was an eye opener
to our responsibility to the environment
for the safety of our food supply for the future.”
Mrs. CH (class participant)

Bright red-orange leaves dazzled our eyes. Farmlands stretched out one after the other. Tobacco – I had never seen it – grew along the road and hung drying in rickety old barns. Bonnie, my wife, and a couple of the ladies tied together a blanket to send to Romania as we winded throught the backroads to Jeff and Mary Poppen’s biodynamic organic farm.

Bonnie and I help support their farm; each week Mary brings freshly picked vegetables, grown in nutrient rich soil, to Nashville for the families that support them. Mary had extended an invitation to my classmates and I. Three members of the class, Mrs. Frasier – a friend, Bonnie and I tumbled out of the senior center van and made our way into the warm farmhouse with a wood stove burning and a crackling fire welcoming us. In the midst of all the greetings and chatter, a sense of quietness and thoughtful wonder hushed us.

Mary kept chopping and dicing for the salad while she laughed with several of the ladies in the kitchen. Sitting by the fire in the dining room, Jeff told my wife and I how his desire to eat prompted him to learn to farm when had first moved away from the city. Mr. NK sat down and began quizzing Jeff about what species of produce he grew; Jeff respected Mr. NK and responded to the challenge. Bonnie and I moved into the kitchen to talk with Mary while the rest joined Jeff by the fire. Mary told us about the overwhelming work necessary weekly and her choices to make time for her grandchildren whenever she could.

Jeff brought us outside to one of his gardens where many of us saw foods we eat in their natural form for the first time in our lives. Although the tomato bushes had dried up and the asparagus was going to seed, the greens and lettuces were flourishing in abundance. In the barn, Jeff kept his squashes cool so we could have them weekly until December. We explored the natural cave with his barrels of potatoes, and we made it back up to the farmhouse for lunch.

Anticipation flavored the savory potato leek soup. Good conversation nourished us. Jeff understood how powerfully our surroundings influence us and chose to put himself in nature when only in high school. Mary told us about the research of Weston Price into the diets of other cultures. Several discussed the relationship between faith in the Creator and scientifc thought.

Driving home, I tasted sweet gratefulness. Bonnie and I had spent the entire day learning and receiving not only from the farmer and his wife but from the elders who are my classmates and friends. One woman found ways to give to others all day – providing a snack, paying for a couple lunches, buying the farmer’s book, and leaving a generous tip. The steady would lend an arm to the unsteady. The gentleman among us was quick to demonstrate a keen concern for others on the trip. How nourishing was their cheerfulness and zeal for life!!

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Consider this:

· Never underestimate the desire of older adults to participate in adventures. Those who did not come had family, work, health problems, or prior commitments.
· Collaboration is key! The senior center director provided the van and some of the gas money.
· Although Mrs. Frasier was not part of the class, she was thrilled when I asked her to come along. Still missing her late husband, she expressed how much it meant to her to be invited because he would always take her on mystery trips.
· Bringing people together for good like this has so much potential for building community! Mrs. Frasier had my wife and I over for breakfast and built a friendship with my wife. I came to know my classmates as my neighbors. Together we supported the vital work of the farmer. My eyes were opened to possible domestic problems in one of the elder’s homes.