How to sign up:

Download and print our registration form here.  (Note: this is a pdf file, you will need adobe acrobat reader to download.  If you don't already have it, download a free version of adobe acrobat reader here.)

Complete the form and mail with payment to:

Tumbling Shoals Farm

841 Sand Ridge Road

Millers Creek, NC 28651

If you are unable to download the registration form, contact us and we'll mail you a printed brochure.

An old friend of mine, in asking how to feed his family better food, told me that some days it would be 5:00 before he and his wife would look at each other out of the haggard chaos of family life blankly and ask, “dinner?”  My aunt spoke of the same thing. “It’s not the cooking that’s the problem,” she laments, “it’s the figuring out what to cook!”  This winter I realized that I understand this problem.  Being bad at food preservation (or not bad at it, per se, but bad at accomplishing it at all), we, too, struggle to decide what to eat in the winter.  After the hard freeze that finished off even the hardiest kale in the garden, we suddenly had to think about what to eat “from scratch.”  What I mean is this: during the growing season, our menus are dictated by what’s coming in from the fields.  So the thinking about “what’s for dinner” begins there: with the ingredients.  Then it’s only a matter of looking for a recipe containing those ingredients.  Easy.  Sometimes the sight of the veggies themselves will spark a memory of a tasty recipe.  Or there are lots of websites, including ours, that allow you to search for recipes by ingredients. Or sometimes the ingredients do just fine by themselves (sungolds anyone?) And if you become a Tumbling Shoals Farm CSA member, we also provide all our favorite seasonal recipes.

So this is one of the many benefits of a CSA (which is what I recommended to my friend as a way to feed his family better).  They are the building blocks of your meal planning.  Another is this: you have all the freshest vegetables in season already there in your refrigerator each week so you’ll automatically be eating more fresh fruits and veggies than you probably would have otherwise.  The other day I read in a fitness magazine a recommendation to "purchase in advance" because if you've already spent the money, you're more likely to do it!  It was referring to gym memberships, but I think the same thing applies to eating more veggies.  According to all the research, this is precisely what all of us need right? So paying in advance for your veggies makes you more likely to eat more of them!  For more details on our CSA, click here.

An old friend of mine, in asking how to feed his family better food, told me that some days it would be 5:00 before he and his wife would look at each other out of the haggard chaos of family life blankly and ask, “dinner?”  My aunt spoke of the same thing. “It’s not the cooking that’s the problem,” she laments, “it’s the figuring out what to cook!”  This winter I realized that I understand this problem.  Being bad at food preservation (or not bad at it, per se, but bad at accomplishing it at all), we, too, struggle to decide what to eat in the winter.  After the hard freeze that finished off even the hardiest kale in the garden, we suddenly had to think about what to eat “from scratch.”  What I mean is this: during the growing season, our menus are dictated by what’s coming in from the fields.  So the thinking about “what’s for dinner” begins there: with the ingredients.  Then it’s only a matter of looking for a recipe containing those ingredients.  Easy.  Sometimes the sight of the veggies themselves will spark a memory of a tasty recipe.  Or there are lots of websites, including ours, that allow you to search for recipes by ingredients. Or sometimes the ingredients do just fine by themselves (sungolds anyone?) And if you become a Tumbling Shoals Farm CSA member, we also provide all our favorite seasonal recipes.

So this is one of the many benefits of a CSA (which is what I recommended to my friend as a way to feed his family better).  They are the building blocks of your meal planning.  Another is this: you have all the freshest vegetables in season already there in your refrigerator each week so you’ll automatically be eating more fresh fruits and veggies than you probably would have otherwise.  The other day I read in a fitness magazine a recommendation to "purchase in advance" because if you've already spent the money, you're more likely to do it!  It was referring to gym memberships, but I think the same thing applies to eating more veggies.  According to all the research, this is precisely what all of us need right? So paying in advance for your veggies makes you more likely to eat more of them!  For more details on our CSA, click here.

Watauga County Farmers' Market

Saturdays 8am-ish to noon, May through October

Downtown Hickory Farmers' Market

Wednesdays, noon to 5:30pm, May through October

Saturdays, 7am to 1pm, May through October

Health Hut of Hickory

Natural Foods

2432 N. Center Street

Hickory, NC 28601

828-322-2523

Now selling 2010 shares!

A share in the harvest of Tumbling Shoals Farm is a box of the absolute freshest, quality, chemical-free fruits and vegetables delivered each week to locations in Hickory or Wilkesboro or for pick up here at the farm in Millers Creek.  Shares are delivered from May into September.  That's about $25 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables for 20 weeks!

Your weekly share of the farm's produce will contain a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables grown on our farm without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides using only the most sustainable growing practices. An example of a mid to late July share might be:

•    2 pound tomatoes •    1 pint sungold cherry tomatoes •    8 ears sweet corn •    1 pound potatoes •    1 pound green peppers •    1 pound onions •    1 pint okra •    1 pound green beans •    1 pound cucumbers

Our produce is harvested at the peak of ripeness, flavor and nutritional content. Not only does the food taste better than what you find in the grocery store,  it is better for you and your family.

Each week, we'll also provide you with our favorite seasonal recipes and a newsletter so you can keep up with the happenings at the farm.  This production calendar will give you an idea of what to expect over the changing season.

What does a share cost?

2009 CSA shares are $500 for the entire 20 week season.  That’s $25 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables each week. The share must be paid in full by April 2nd, 2010. A $100 deposit is required to hold your share before that date. We are offering half shares this year: the total cost for the season for a half share is $300.

What happens if I don't pick up my box?

If you'll be away and can't pick up your bos, let us know in advance and we'll issue you a $25 credit which may be used at any time here at the farm, to add to another week's share, or to be spent at farmers market at any time.  If we don't know in advance that you'll be away and you don't pick up your box, we'll donate it to the local food bank.

How much produce will I get each week?
 
$25 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables is based on our market prices. Plus you share in any bumper crop abundance.  This generally includes 6 to 10 items.  If you are a large family eating a primarily vegetarian diet, you might consider ordering more than one full share, and if you are a small family, you may want to consider splitting the share with a friend or neighbor. An example of a mid to late July share might be:

•    2 pound tomatoes •    1 pint sungold cherry tomatoes •    8 ears sweet corn •    1 pound potatoes •    1 pound green peppers •    1 pound onions •    1 pint okra •    1 pound green beans •    1 pound cucumbers

Are there half shares available?

We are offering half shares in 2010!  The cost for a half share is $300.

What types of vegetables can I expect to find in my box?

It depends on the season. Check out the harvest calendar to get an idea of what to expect.  The harvest calendar includes our core crops; we also grow many new crops that we’ll throw in for a taste bud tease!

When can I pick up my box?

To find out when your box will be available for pick-up, please see our Locations page.

How can I find directions to my pick-up location?

Please see our Locations page for addresses and directions.

Can I give a gift of membership?

Giving the gift of a CSA Membership to a friend or family member is a wonderful idea. We can provide a custom gift certificate and a packet of information for the recipient. Sign them up!

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 TBS dried currants

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 oz feta, crumbled

cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough parts near base, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices.  Coarsely chop leaves.  Cook garlic in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add chard stems and ribs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes.  Add currants and cook, stirring, until plump, about 1 minute.  Add chard leaves and water and increase heat to moderate, tthen cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in Feta.

Recipe from \"Gourmet\" magazine (R.I.P)

6-8 cloves garlic, peeled

4 oz. Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup walnuts

1 bunch basil

about 1/2 cup olive oil

Add the garlic and Parmesan cheese to the food processor and process until coarsely chopped; add the walnuts and pulse the food processor a couple of times; add the basil and parsley and drizzle in the olive oil until you reach your desired texture.  I prefer the pesto less oily to start, then I add oil on the plate.