About the Farm

We've covered a lot of ground (get that? pun intended) in recent blogs about sourdough and all the goodness surrounding that science. We've also shared a great deal about the why and how to.

This week we thought it would be fun to share some history and pictures around what goes on at the farm and the people who live here. Sort of a meet and greet and a walk-through.

I'm Gail (aka Grandma Gail), and my faithful partner in love and life is Mel. We are approaching forty years as a team. Both of us are Jacksonville natives. We've moved about every ten years so far; all in the greater Jacksonville area but raised our four children in Clay County, FL and that's where we are currently.

The Baker:

If you've visited our website you may have seen the bio on the front and more… pages. Gardening has always been a passion for me. Baking came along late in life. My resume reads like a want ad (for those younger, that used to be in the newspaper daily (where one looked for a job)). My final career choice was managing software testing units for a wonderful family-owned business out of Texas. As with moving around, each 'career' lasted 10-12 years; some just very briefly as I found out they were not my gift.

The Baker's Helper:

The most important part of our team is Mel. Mel makes everything happen. He can build about anything I need and pretty much fix anything that's broken. Mel always says he doesn’t want to run anything anymore but he’ll be the best helper anyone could want. Truth. He has just recently discovered he's very good at gardening (see photos). He retired from running a huge chunk of the working folks at a large local utility, had an additional career in the private sector for another family-owned corporation out of Boston. Then he settled into being the best farm-hand ever and a really cool grandpa.

Not all the most flattering but we work hard (that's a well-deserved 'honeymoon' milkshake from a local family-owned ice-creamery)

Also in recent blogs, I talked about sourcing. The goal is to source as much as possible, as close-to-home as possible. If you've had our Jalapeño Sourdough Bread you've experienced our home-grown, not officially organic jalapeños. The rosemary in the Rosemary Sourdough Bread comes from our farm as well, or from our neighbors down the road a mile, Reparation Earth. We mostly get our eggs from them too since I have moved out of the chicken business for now.

We grow mint (prolifically) and this year Mel grew some amazing eggplant, corn, okra, tomatoes and a huge squash vine with no squash. :P). We have bees to pollinate, so not sure what's up with the squash. It just didn't work out. Some of you amazing gardeners should weigh in on that.

Did I mention we have bees?

We also use locally sourced honey from Sturgill Farms in St. Augustine for our Sourdough Sandwich Loaf. Sturgill Farms is another local family-owned provider of the very best raw honey available in the area. In fact, some of the Sturgill bees live on our farm. It's a win-win for both of us, and being friends is the best part. We get the best honey and now and then, the Sturgills receive some of the over-stock from the bakery. Sharing is fun with friends. Mr. Sturgill has also been feeding my bees while I've been recovering from a crazy foot injury. Good neighbors!

A Fortunate Friendship

Up next is the fall garden. Last week Grandpa Mel pulled most everything from spring/summer garden so we can start our fall garden. We'll be planting more Jalapeños, tomatoes, collards, broccoli and beans and, as you can see from the trelis work he did, we'll try again with squash. Suggestions for success appreciated! Like I mentioned, he makes it all happen and then takes photos of me as if I did something. We'll still have all the herbs and flowers too. Keep you posted on the squash.

Fall Garden - Work In Process

We also share our space with two crazy Australian Shepherds, one barn/garage cat and one accidentally-inside calico kitty. We previously had chickens where the garden lives now but it's been a bit of a challenging year physically for me and that just had to take a back seat. Not to worry, those chickens are very, very well cared for in a palace for chickens in an undisclosed local (now hatchery). The oldest was seven and the white one was broody, so the new owners now have chicks for their littles to raise. A happy accident.

Our current and former critters

And what an amazing family we have, including four children and a double handful of grandchildren. Sharing one with most of the grands and GiGi. It's older but we don't all get together at the same time much. This was when we first moved to the farm and obviously at Easter. Probably 4 or 5 years ago. GiGi was always the center. She and Dad showed my sister and me about God - faith in a God that makes all things and makes all things possible. The most important thing we ever learned.

Hope you have a better 'picture' of our motto...Faith, Family, Flour. Everything that happens here keeps that in mind.

They're all much older now and GiGi is gone but what a ride!