Homesteading requires a lot of work and can be physically challenging. Seeing the results of your labors in the fall, such as jam-filled pantry shelves and wood stacked for the winter, can be very satisfying.

Homesteaders often make multiple streams of income by selling their wool, milk products, or extra produce. Having multiple income sources makes you less dependent on a single source of money.

The crisp aroma of Calabrian peppers overtakes the senses on the idyllic 24-acres called The Farm & Fiddle nestled in the hills of Fly, Tennessee in Maury County.

That is, until Samantha Foulks, co-owner of the farm with husband Dan, hands visitors a golden raspberry fresh from the patch. The taste juxtaposes the scent, but in a surprisingly pleasant way ― sweet mixed with savory crispness — just a sampling of the best the farm has to offer.

Up on a hill overlooking the farm, cows and sheep graze. Loud moo-ing draws Dan Foulks’ attention.

“That’s my bull, Mini Wheat, right there,” he chuckles, pointing up the hill. “He’s going to start singing before too long.”

Full of vegetables, fruits and flowers, the farm in the Santa Fe area is in full swing and full bloom as the abundance increases during the peak of summer.

Walking through the farm is like taking a step back to a time when farming was all about working with the land, before the art became an industry.

Every nook and cranny of the farm is put to use — flowers, heirloom vegetables, herbs, sheep, cows, ducks, you name it, all living in harmony to create a beautiful bustling ecosystem.

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The garden area would appear chaotic and unruly to the eye of an outsider, but the locations of each vegetable and plant are intentional. 

For example, basil and tomatoes grow wonderfully together, and by pairing those with a row of Lisianthus, the primary flower at The Farm & Fiddle and Samantha’s personal favorite, the pollinators will flock.

“You can’t walk around barefoot because of the bees,” Samantha warned.

Interplanting creates thriving ecosystem

It’s this philosophy of harmonious interplanting, pairing crops that benefit from each other in the same bed, that prompts the holistic title.

More important than the bounty above the ground is tending to the ecosystem underneath. To preserve the soil and microbiology within, Farm & Fiddle is a no-till farm, meaning they plant vegetables without plowing and avoid any sort of pesticides or herbicides. 

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The couple said there is nothing more rewarding than toiling all day in the heavy Tennessee heat, then retiring to bask in the fruits of the day’s labor.

“I love every single flower, I love every tomato. And my husband is a fantastic cook, so it’s a whole other level of joy to experience his cooking with all our fresh farm goods,” said Samantha.

Butcher & Bee in Nashville, including the seasonal “Farm & Fiddle Pappardelle” dish made with tomato sauce, blue crab and corn cream.

For more information, visit http://www.thefarmandfiddle.com.

Source: columbiadailyherald.com