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Category: <span>Gardening</span>

Baker Creel Heirloom Seeds

Seeds, Storytelling & the Future of Food: Inside Baker Creek’s Global Movement

March 22, 2026 Jennifer Ross

What happens when a homeschooled 17-year-old boy in the Missouri Ozarks decides to publish a seed catalog? Nearly 30 years…

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Posted in: Food Security, Gardening, Seeds Filed under: agriculture, farm, farming, food security, gardening, growing, heirloom, missouri, rare seeds, seed catalog, seed saving, seeds
growing lentils

What are Lentils & Can I Grow Them?

January 12, 2021 Jennifer Ross

What are Lentils? Lentils are believed to be one of the first agricultural crops. They were grown more than 8,000…

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Posted in: Gardening, Soups Filed under: growing lentils, how to grow lentils, lentils, types of lentils
companion planting

Companion Planting: Which Plants Get Along?

April 27, 2020 Jennifer Ross

Did you ever meet someone and immediately feel strange energy? The energy feels ‘off ‘and you just cannot connect with…

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Posted in: Gardening, Sustainable Farming, Uncategorized Filed under: companion hers, companion planting, companion planting strategies, companion plants, companion vegetables, competing plants, planting rules, planting strategy, plants that get along
grow vegetables

Ready, Set, Grow Vegetables

April 7, 2020 Jennifer Ross

We started preparing the garden the week of March 23rd. Although it’s small compared to a large farm, it still…

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Posted in: Farm Education, Gardening, Seeds, Soil, Sustainable Farming Filed under: organic farming, organic garden, organic garden beds, preparing garden beds, preparing soil, sustainable farming, sustainable gardening
Recycled Pots and planters in DIY Greenhouse

DIY Greenhouse and Recycled Pots

March 30, 2020 Jennifer Ross

After we finalized plans for the new HeartBeet Farms Garden, we realized that we no longer have all our tools,…

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Posted in: Gardening, Greenhouse Filed under: DIY gardening, DIY Greenhouse, DIY seeds, planting in greenhouse, recycled planters, recycled pots, seeding in greenhouse, starting seeds
The new HeartBeet Farms Garden

New HeartBeet Farms Garden

March 23, 2020 Jennifer Ross

“A garden returns 50 times the investment you put into it.  Not just food, but joy, peace, and a real…

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Posted in: Farm Education, Gardening, Sustainable Farming Filed under: education garden, gardening, grow a garden, new garden, organic garden, smithtown garden, sustainable garden
Garden Tools for Planting a Garden

The Beginners’ Guide to Garden Tools to Buy

December 17, 2019 Jennifer Ross

Author, Ashley Lipman Finding a way to alleviate stress is important. The more stress you have in your life, the…

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Posted in: Gardening Filed under: digging spade, fork hoe, garden tool supplier, garden tools, gardening tools, organic garden, planting a garden

Recent Posts

  • Beyond Field Trips: How Medway Community Farm Built a Fully Integrated Education Program
  • From Bean to Bar: The Unexpected Journey into Craft Chocolate with Peter Carlson
  • More Than a Farm: A Community-Driven Model of Agriculture
  • The Hardest Part of Agritourism Isn’t the Idea—It’s the Execution
  • Agritourism Isn’t a Trend—It’s a Strategy: A Global Perspective from New Zealand
  • From Soil to Soul: How a Tuscan Vineyard is Redefining Organic Farming
  • Farm Journal Part 1: Stepping Into the Unknown—My Return to Agriculture

heartbeetfarms

The Agri-Tourist Podcast, my journey back to agriculture! Join me to learn from agritourism farmers & entrepreneurs & help me build my farm strategy!

Peace grows here 🌱💚 Peace grows here 🌱💚
In Episode 99 of The Agri-Tourist Podcast, we’re c In Episode 99 of The Agri-Tourist Podcast, we’re continuing the conversation with Medway Community Farm—this time taking a deeper dive into one of the most unique and impactful parts of their operation: education. If you listened to Part 1 (episode 97), you heard how this farm is rooted in community, food access, and connection. In this second part, we build on that foundation and explore how they’ve created an education model that goes far beyond what you typically see on a farm.

What makes this conversation so compelling is how intentional and layered their approach is. I’m joined again by members of the Medway Community Farm team.  First with Board Director Tina Wright and second with Education Director Marlee Blasenheim. Both individually share how the Medway education programs have evolved—from having very little structured education just a few years ago to building something that is now deeply integrated into the local school system and community. From early childhood exposure to hands-on growing experiences and beyond, this is education that grows with the learner.

As you listen, I invite you to think about what’s possible when a farm fully embraces its role as an educational space. Because what Medway has created isn’t just programming—it’s a pathway for connection, understanding, and long-term impact. And for anyone thinking about agritourism or community-based farming, there’s a lot to learn from what they’ve built here.

Click on the link in the bio to listen to the full podcast episode 99.
Thank you @assuntas_foodtruck for a delicious, he Thank you @assuntas_foodtruck  for a delicious, healthy lunch!  Open 11-6 today!
In episode 98 of The Agri-Tourist Podcast, I sit d In episode 98 of The Agri-Tourist Podcast, I sit down with Peter Carlson of Wright Old School Chocolate to explore his journey from chocolate enthusiast to bean-to-bar maker. What began as a simple curiosity—sparked by family and a few eye-opening experiences—quickly evolved into something much deeper: a desire to truly understand chocolate at its source.

There’s a quiet honesty in this conversation that I really appreciate. Peter shares what it actually looks like to step beyond being a consumer and into the role of a creator—the trial and error, the surprises, and the realization that something that seems simple… isn’t. From sourcing cacao to refining his process, his story reflects that moment so many of us have in food and agriculture—when appreciation turns into respect.

As always, this episode is about connection. Connection to ingredients, to the people and places behind them, and to the process itself. It’s also a reminder that when you take the time to understand something more deeply—even something as familiar as chocolate—it can shift the way you see it entirely. And maybe, just maybe, it invites you to get a little more curious, too.

Click on the link in the bio to listen to the full podcast with Peter Carlson. 

#Cacao #chocolate #beantobar #beantobarchocolate
Some quick snapshots from my new morning walks and Some quick snapshots from my new morning walks and the farm…
Over the past few months on The Agri-Tourist Podca Over the past few months on The Agri-Tourist Podcast, we’ve talked a lot about what it means to connect people to agriculture—but this conversation really brings that idea to life. In this episode, I sit down with Carol Collord and Haley Goulet of Medway Community Farm, a MA farm that is doing so much more than growing food. They’ve created something that sits right at the intersection of education, food access, and community—and it’s all rooted in a very intentional mission.

What stood out to me in this conversation is how integrated everything is. From their school programming—where students are planting, growing, and harvesting—to their CSA models, farm stand, and food access programs, nothing is happening in isolation. It’s all connected. And that’s not easy to do. It takes coordination, vision, and a deep understanding of the role a farm can play in a community.

As you listen, I invite you to think about what a “community farm” really means. Because this isn’t just about produce—it’s about creating access, building relationships, and giving people a tangible connection to their food. And when you start to look at it through that lens, you begin to see just how impactful a farm like this can be.

Visit the link in our bio to listen to the full Agri-Tourist Podcast Episode 97 with Carol and Haley from Medway Community Farm. 

#communityfarm #communityfarming #farming #farm #farmpodcast
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In Episode 99 of The Agri-Tourist Podcast, we’re continuing the conversation with Medway Community Farm—this time taking a deeper dive into one of the most unique and impactful parts of their operation: education. If you listened to Part 1 (episode 97), you heard how this farm is rooted in community, food access, and connection. In this second part, we build on that foundation and explore how they’ve created an education model that goes far beyond what you typically see on a farm.What makes this conversation so compelling is how intentional and layered their approach is. I’m joined again by members of the Medway Community Farm team. First with Board Director Tina Wright and second with Education Director Marlee Blasenheim. Both individually share how the Medway education programs have evolved—from having very little structured education just a few years ago to building something that is now deeply integrated into the local school system and community. From early childhood exposure to hands-on growing experiences and beyond, this is education that grows with the learner.As you listen, I invite you to think about what’s possible when a farm fully embraces its role as an educational space. Because what Medway has created isn’t just programming—it’s a pathway for connection, understanding, and long-term impact. And for anyone thinking about agritourism or community-based farming, there’s a lot to learn from what they’ve built here.Click on the link in the bio to listen to the full podcast episode 99. ... See MoreSee Less

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HeartBeet Farms

(516)343-6247
heartbeetfarms@gmail.com

Recent Posts

  • Beyond Field Trips: How Medway Community Farm Built a Fully Integrated Education Program
  • From Bean to Bar: The Unexpected Journey into Craft Chocolate with Peter Carlson
  • More Than a Farm: A Community-Driven Model of Agriculture
  • The Hardest Part of Agritourism Isn’t the Idea—It’s the Execution
  • Agritourism Isn’t a Trend—It’s a Strategy: A Global Perspective from New Zealand
  • From Soil to Soul: How a Tuscan Vineyard is Redefining Organic Farming
  • Farm Journal Part 1: Stepping Into the Unknown—My Return to Agriculture

heartbeetfarms

The Agri-Tourist Podcast, my journey back to agriculture! Join me to learn from agritourism farmers & entrepreneurs & help me build my farm strategy!

Peace grows here 🌱💚 Peace grows here 🌱💚
In Episode 99 of The Agri-Tourist Podcast, we’re c In Episode 99 of The Agri-Tourist Podcast, we’re continuing the conversation with Medway Community Farm—this time taking a deeper dive into one of the most unique and impactful parts of their operation: education. If you listened to Part 1 (episode 97), you heard how this farm is rooted in community, food access, and connection. In this second part, we build on that foundation and explore how they’ve created an education model that goes far beyond what you typically see on a farm.

What makes this conversation so compelling is how intentional and layered their approach is. I’m joined again by members of the Medway Community Farm team.  First with Board Director Tina Wright and second with Education Director Marlee Blasenheim. Both individually share how the Medway education programs have evolved—from having very little structured education just a few years ago to building something that is now deeply integrated into the local school system and community. From early childhood exposure to hands-on growing experiences and beyond, this is education that grows with the learner.

As you listen, I invite you to think about what’s possible when a farm fully embraces its role as an educational space. Because what Medway has created isn’t just programming—it’s a pathway for connection, understanding, and long-term impact. And for anyone thinking about agritourism or community-based farming, there’s a lot to learn from what they’ve built here.

Click on the link in the bio to listen to the full podcast episode 99.
Thank you @assuntas_foodtruck for a delicious, he Thank you @assuntas_foodtruck  for a delicious, healthy lunch!  Open 11-6 today!
In episode 98 of The Agri-Tourist Podcast, I sit d In episode 98 of The Agri-Tourist Podcast, I sit down with Peter Carlson of Wright Old School Chocolate to explore his journey from chocolate enthusiast to bean-to-bar maker. What began as a simple curiosity—sparked by family and a few eye-opening experiences—quickly evolved into something much deeper: a desire to truly understand chocolate at its source.

There’s a quiet honesty in this conversation that I really appreciate. Peter shares what it actually looks like to step beyond being a consumer and into the role of a creator—the trial and error, the surprises, and the realization that something that seems simple… isn’t. From sourcing cacao to refining his process, his story reflects that moment so many of us have in food and agriculture—when appreciation turns into respect.

As always, this episode is about connection. Connection to ingredients, to the people and places behind them, and to the process itself. It’s also a reminder that when you take the time to understand something more deeply—even something as familiar as chocolate—it can shift the way you see it entirely. And maybe, just maybe, it invites you to get a little more curious, too.

Click on the link in the bio to listen to the full podcast with Peter Carlson. 

#Cacao #chocolate #beantobar #beantobarchocolate
Some quick snapshots from my new morning walks and Some quick snapshots from my new morning walks and the farm…
Over the past few months on The Agri-Tourist Podca Over the past few months on The Agri-Tourist Podcast, we’ve talked a lot about what it means to connect people to agriculture—but this conversation really brings that idea to life. In this episode, I sit down with Carol Collord and Haley Goulet of Medway Community Farm, a MA farm that is doing so much more than growing food. They’ve created something that sits right at the intersection of education, food access, and community—and it’s all rooted in a very intentional mission.

What stood out to me in this conversation is how integrated everything is. From their school programming—where students are planting, growing, and harvesting—to their CSA models, farm stand, and food access programs, nothing is happening in isolation. It’s all connected. And that’s not easy to do. It takes coordination, vision, and a deep understanding of the role a farm can play in a community.

As you listen, I invite you to think about what a “community farm” really means. Because this isn’t just about produce—it’s about creating access, building relationships, and giving people a tangible connection to their food. And when you start to look at it through that lens, you begin to see just how impactful a farm like this can be.

Visit the link in our bio to listen to the full Agri-Tourist Podcast Episode 97 with Carol and Haley from Medway Community Farm. 

#communityfarm #communityfarming #farming #farm #farmpodcast
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