Hello farm friends!
We are excited to welcome back Jeff Rieves to teach two more gardening classes this month: When Can I Plant Tomatoes? Garden Planning for the Complete Beginner. The two sessions will be held on Tuesday, March 29th. 10am-12pm and 6:30pm-8:30pm. I think everyone has spring fever and this class is sure to satisfy the gardening itch. Email me to reserve your spot, or stop by the hardware store to register and pay ahead of time. (We are not tech-savvy enough to accept payment online yet, sorry.)
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Speaking of planting tomatoes – I’ve received multiple phone calls and visits at the hardware store this week from excited gardeners ready to grow. Please note, however, that our region’s typical last frost date is around April 15th. That’s five weeks away! Don’t jump the gun for tomatoes quite yet, and instead think about planting potatoes, green onions, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, radishes, or kale…the options are endless.
The safest way to plant tomatoes right now (as we do have some available in the store’s greenhouse) is with a wall-o-water miniature greenhouse, which is the peculiar looking green object in the two photos above. To learn the step-by-step process of using a wall-o-water mini-greenhouse to jump start your warm-weather crops, come see us and we will be delighted to teach you. I am going to plant a couple dozen early tomatoes in wall-o-waters next week!
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I had a fantastic couple days of learning all about flower farming at an ASCFG (Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers) conference earlier this week. I met other budding flower farmers from all corners of the country and learned from some of the industry’s best teachers.
If you want to know a little bit more about the importance of and excitement about the US-grown flower movement, check out this short video (scroll to the bottom of the webpage) made by the ASCFG.
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Throughout the past several weeks of winter, as folks are dreaming of spring flowers and summer produce, our email list and farm community have grown significantly. I want to personally thank all of our new subscribers, and let you know that I am genuinely looking forward to meeting each of you! Because of all the new members of this Renfrow community, I want to take the next few weeks to introduce to you the many faces who work at Renfrow Farms and Renfrow Hardware. [Find out the story of the farm itself on our website.]
Meet the “Renfrow Family”
I’ll kick this thing off by introducing myself!
Hi I’m Pressly Williams and I wear many hats – Renfrow resident farmer; author of this e-newsletter; manager of farm crops, scheduling, planting, harvesting, marketing, & sales; manager of hardware greenhouse and seed counter; etc.
How did I become a young, female farmer, you wonder? I believe I was born for this role. Since my parents own Renfrow Hardware, I worked after school for much of my childhood and teen years. My favorite jobs were always in the greenhouse and at the seed counter. Homegrown tomatoes have been my favorite food since birth, and I think my love for eating them and nearly all other vegetables trained me to be a tomato plant saleswoman & future farmer starting at age a young age.
I graduated from NCSU in 2013 and hastened back home to join the family business and juggle my time between the farm and hardware store in varying capacities throughout the seasons. March through May you will find me at the hardware store during nearly all business hours. I enjoy teaching people how to start their own gardens, and love getting to know our customers as friends. I am excited to meet each of you, so please do introduce yourself to me at the store or at our farm stand this summer. Thanks!
Next week I will introduce to you my produce partner, my aunt Ruth Harris!
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Have a wonderfully warm and beautiful week,
~Pressly Williams & the farm crew
Renfrow Farms Market
is closed for winter.
Our first wave of early spring veggies are expected to be ready in mid-late April, with produce box availability starting up around that time.
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Seasonal allergies got you down? Our farm’s pure, raw honey is available year-round at Renfrow Hardware.
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www.RenfrowFarms.com
