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What do I mean when I say, “The Table”? I’m discovering it’s more than a place to eat. It’s an experience where we share not only food, but also ourselves. We have conversations. We slow down and listen. It’s an opportunity to nourish our bodies and our souls. If you’ve traveled abroad, particularly to places like Italy and France, you’ve probably...
Read MoreI grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains thinking I wanted to be an actress. That dream died when I realized what a hard road that would be, especially factoring in how nervous I became onstage. Going to college at the University of Tennessee and later to grad school at the University of Georgia, I developed a love for writing. I thi...
Read MoreOver the next month or so we’ll be sharing our stories - what brought each of us to Purdon Groves, what inspires us in our current roles and what excites us about the future. First up - Farmer Emilie. After seven years in the restaurant industry, Emilie was ready to take on a new challenge. She took a leap of faith and left her home and career in A...
Read MoreEverybody has a story. I was reminded of that over the weekend while selling mistletoe at our local farmer’s market. Some stopped to tell us their story and others I could only see the story in their eyes as waves of nostalgia swept across their faces. We made some money - not a ton - selling pretty sprigs of the best-excuse-for-a-kiss Christmas de...
Read MoreI’m not an outdoorsy person. I like to stay warm (or cool, depending on the outside temperature) and dry. Writing and hosting are what I do best. I prefer telling people about the farm, rather than doing the manual labor necessary to make it function. But sometimes Emilie needs help in the garden. And although I don’t look forward to doing physical...
Read MoreIt might not seem like it, but there’s been a lot going on at Purdon Groves. Rainy weather has slowed down the progress of the road that is critical to many of our planned activities and events. And Houston’s knee surgery has prevented him from completing several planned projects. Still, in the midst of everything, a lot of progress has been made.
Read MoreBy: Sherry Clark One of the things Houston and I have learned from our four children is the value of experiences versus material goods. Maybe it’s generational. Whatever the reason, their perspective continues to make an impact on us. It’s the lens through which we view Purdon Groves. In fact, creating experiences is what’s most important to us.
Read MoreSocial media is a great platform for sharing what’s happy or positive in our lives. Everyone loves a post of wiggling puppies or cute kittens. Rarely do we want others to know when we’re struggling. Well, just letting you know - we’ve had some struggles at Purdon Groves. And new ones keep cropping up.
Read MoreRoosevelt has been asked many questions in the past 52 years at Beeweaver, but none more than this one: "Have you ever been stung?" He laughs and tells us about his "stinging" past. "I can go some days without even getting a sting. And then, sometimes, depending on the weather, I might get three or four stings from one hive. When you start getting...
Read MoreRoosevelt has held many jobs at BeeWeaver. In the late 60's and early 70's, he moved bees across the country, loading hives by hand onto trucks. He's also helped with honey production, when the company transported up to 2000 hives to the Dakotas to set them up to produce for several weeks. They'd return to harvest the honey, and as Roosevelt says,...
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