I learned gardening from my grandparents, Dewey and Loneta Worthington. They grew up knowing the dirt and how to coax delicious potatoes, tomatoes and corn from it. Not only did they teach me how to grow, but their family dinners taught me how real food tastes - a tomato, juicy and warm from the garden; freshly picked green beans and flavorful baby potatoes; and strawberries sweeter than any picked up at the store. They composted before there was a word for it. They were "green" before "green" became a political and social maneuver.
Dewey and Loneta were born on homesteads in Missouri. Raising most of their own food, or trading for what they didn't grow, they learned early on that hard work and integrity go hand in hand. Hard work came in the form of daily chores - feeding the livestock, cooking meals over a fire, planting and harvesting fields and gardens, sewing their own clothes. Integrity came in the form of helping others, no matter how many hours of daylight they had already worked.
As teenagers, one of their first dates took place at a spot in the road called Birdsong, Missouri. It wasn't much more than a post office and a dirt road, but it was a place where a lifetime of unconditional loving began. That unconditional love for family made me and my children feel safe on their farm as a child and it continues to guide my family today.
In 1998, as we began our dream of owning a small, family farm, BirdSong seemed an appropriate name for my family's attempt at farming, organic gardening, being a good neighbor and loving the good life. As I wake up to the cacophony of roosters crowing, doves cooing, and wild birds singing, it seems a good name, indeed, for this wonderful place! As Dewey would say, "now this is livin!"
Dewey and Loneta were born on homesteads in Missouri. Raising most of their own food, or trading for what they didn't grow, they learned early on that hard work and integrity go hand in hand. Hard work came in the form of daily chores - feeding the livestock, cooking meals over a fire, planting and harvesting fields and gardens, sewing their own clothes. Integrity came in the form of helping others, no matter how many hours of daylight they had already worked.
As teenagers, one of their first dates took place at a spot in the road called Birdsong, Missouri. It wasn't much more than a post office and a dirt road, but it was a place where a lifetime of unconditional loving began. That unconditional love for family made me and my children feel safe on their farm as a child and it continues to guide my family today.
In 1998, as we began our dream of owning a small, family farm, BirdSong seemed an appropriate name for my family's attempt at farming, organic gardening, being a good neighbor and loving the good life. As I wake up to the cacophony of roosters crowing, doves cooing, and wild birds singing, it seems a good name, indeed, for this wonderful place! As Dewey would say, "now this is livin!"