Our Purpose

Dogwood Trace Farm consists of over 90 acres of wooded, hilly and rocky land.  We wanted to move out in the country in order to enjoy nature more, to grow some of our own food, and now to raise chickens.  Our goal is to become more and more self-sufficient. 

2010 was the first year for our garden.  It was mostly a bust.

2011 was much better.  We made the garden larger, added three raised beds and brought in lots of dark soil, chicken manure, vermiculite and humus.  We had great tomatoes and squash and peppers.  We grew some carrots, beets and onion - with varying results.  We hope in 2012 to have a larger harvest.

We added an herb garden, too.  The herbs were a wonderful success, and we learned that some herbs (parsley, rosemary, sage) grow through the winter.  We picked lots of the herbs in late summer and chopped them, mixed with extra virgin olive oil, froze them in ice cube trays, and then stored them in the freezer.  Whenever I cook and want a quick source of herbs, I reach for one or more of the cubes.