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Farm2Home 2014 at P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm

Last week, I got the opportunity to revisit P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm to participate in Farm2Home 2014, a full day event sponsored by Arkansas Grown and Arkansas Made, programs created by the Arkansas Agriculture Department, in partnership with P. Allen Smith to promote eating and buying local. I’m a big fan of eating ingredients purchased from local farmers’ markets, as well as shopping at locally owned boutiques and eating at locally owned restaurants, so this event was right in my wheelhouse!

Besides, who wouldn’t want to spend a day at Moss Mountain Farm?

We arrived to a delicious breakfast spread and a quick introduction from Allen before touring his gorgeous home and gardens. For more photos of the home, check out this post from my visit a couple weeks ago when I was invited to attend an event for #AR549.

The gardens were in full, summery bloom and as Allen led us down the garden paths, he pointed out the different plants and was happy to answer any of our gardening queries! I’ve always been so impressed with these gardens and the way the home has a 6,000 gallon cistern under the yard that collects rainwater to water the plants with.

After the tour, Allen and Butch Calhoun, Secretary of Agriculture for the State of Arkansas, gave a brief talk about the importance of supporting local growers, and then we were given the opportunity to chat with a panel of farmers from around Arkansas including Beth Eggers from Wye Mountain Flowers and Berries, Mark Morgan of Peach Pickin’ Paradise, Chuck McCool of McCool Farms and Bob Barnhill of Barnhill Orchards. Hearing directly from these farmers was enlightening, and they really do rely so heavily on our support both at farmers markets and, as in Morgan’s case, visiting the orchards in person.

After a quick tour of the vegetable gardens (where we ate blackberries right off the branch), we were treated to lunch by Chef Jerrmy Gawthrop from Greenhouse Grille in Fayetteville. Award-winning black bean burger with a Greek yogurt bun (yum)…triple berry baby kale salad (yummmm) and for dessert, Greek yogurt cheese cake with a raspberry peach sauce (YUMMMMMM). Before we could fall into a delicious food coma, it was time for the good stuff: a mini-farmers market, just for us!

Farmers and producers from all over the state (and participants in the Arkansas Grown and Arkansas Made programs) were set up under a huge tent, offering samples and telling us about their farms. Above, Bob Barnhill and Butch Calhoun talk seriously about heirloom tomatoes.

We sampled berries, cheese, muscadine wine (!), breads, cakes. And yes, I’m aware that we had just finished a huge meal. But we couldn’t….stop…sampling. There was plenty of time to talk to each farmer and learn about what they do and where and how.

And Loblolly’s ice cream truck was there, too. More sampling, duh.

My friend Hannah and I chatted for a long time with Ethan and Ellyse, the brother-sister team from Heirloom Kitchens and Ethan’s Heirloom Gardens who create baked goods from passed-down recipes and grow heirloom plants as well.

We also met Josh Hardin of Laughing Stock Farms, Joseph Post of Post Familie Winery, Joey of EG’s Funky Yard Bird BBQ sauce, the sassy gals from Wicked Mix, plus many more – all of which you can read about here on the Arkansas Grown website.

Our final tour of the day was to see Allen’s “Poultry Palace”, a large barn built to house the number of heritage chicken breeds raised at Moss Mountain Farm, including Silver Lace Wyandottes, Buff Orpingtons, White-Faced Black Spanish, and Silver Spangled Hamburgs.

And after all that, we were treated to one last party, with music by the always lovely Bonnie Montgomery, cocktails and treats before heading home. It was an awesome (albeit sweaty and a bit dusty) day and one that sent me home thinking about all that Arkansas has to offer. We’re lucky to have the type of weather and seasons that allow us to produce food most months of the year.

If you’re interested in learning more, be sure and check out the Arkansas Grown website, as well as P. Allen Smith’s website, for ways that you can support a local farmer. If you’re not sure where to start, I suggest checking out a farmers market and getting to know the farmers you’re buying from.

The Bernice Garden Farmers Market, Sundays from 10am-2pm, is my personal favorite and you’ll see me there almost every weekend. It’s also right down the street from some local favorites like Boulevard Bread, the Green Corner Store and Loblolly Creamery, The Root Cafe and Clement/Sweet Home.

Where do you shop for local goods?

P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home Tour with #AR529

Published June 4, 2014 Around Town , Exteriors , Interiors 4 Comments
Tags: AR529, college saving, Garden Home, gardening, interior design, landscaping, Moss Mountain Farm, P. Allen Smith

Last week, my friend Hannah of Sundry Mumsy and I were invited to attend a bloggers luncheon at P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home at Moss Mountain Farm. The event was hosted by Allen and the folks at AR529, Arkansas’ direct-sold 529 college savings program. We began the day with a few words from Allen on the importance of education before touring the home and gardens, then enjoying an amazing lunch and hearing a panel discuss the importance of college savings for families.

I’ve been to the Garden Home before, but I’m always so impressed with its beauty and charm. A few years ago, I wrote a cover story on Allen and learned the myriad ways that the Greek Revival style home is actually completely eco-friendly, as anyone who watched the process of building the house on his television show can attest.

A 6,000-gallon tank under the front lawn collects rainwater from all over the gardens, which is then used to irrigate the sprawling lawn and beds. The metal roof uses a radiant heat system to heat the home’s hot water, floors and air. And the walls are filled with insulation made from Arkansas soybeans.

The decor is, of course, jaw dropping. A lover of history, Allen has filled his home with antiques and any of the soft surfaces are reupholstered with organic fabric.

The back porches are my favorite part though. The porch on the ground level, right off the kitchen/dining area, features comfortable furniture and a relaxed dining area for al fresco dinners, while the upstairs porch features twin beds and a copper bath tub.

And of course, there are books everywhere, which is both the way to my heart and reinforcement that Allen is serious about education.

Next up was a tour of the gardens, which are completely jaw dropping. As a champion of the farm-to-table movement and supporting small, local farmers, much of his gardens grow edible plants and are used in educational tours for everyone from gardeners who come to tour the property to groups of school children.

Our garden tour was cut short by rain, so we all headed to the barn to have lunch and learn about #AR529. Though I don’t have children of my own, I was really interested in hearing about this program – especially as someone who took out a lot (A LOT) of student loans and will work to pay them off for another 20-25 years. We also learned about #AR529’s Gift Plan, which is something I already knew about. My mom opened a gift plan account for my cousin’s baby when he was born, and with something as simple as a barcode that family members can print off the internet, we can all make contributions to Ethan’s college savings plan in lieu of gifts at Christmas and birthday parties (because seriously – how many two year olds need another toy, am I right???).

To learn more about AR529 and The Gift Plan, visit the websites below. Seriously – it’s never too early to start saving for college!

http://www.arkansas529.org

https://www.thegiftplan.com

And for more info and photos, check out Hannah’s post over at Sundry Mumsy!

Life Lately (May Instagram Update)

Published May 30, 2014 Week In Photos 1 Comment
Tags: Instagram, P. Allen Smith

Can’t believe it’s almost June! May whizzed by with adventures to Burns Park and Wildwood Park for the Arts, where Aaron and I will be getting married in the fall! I paid a visit to P. Allen Smith’s gorgeous Moss Mountain Farm with my friend Hannah of Sundry Mumsy. I’ll be sharing all the details of that next week!

Also this month, I’ve given the blog a much needed makeover with even more fun updates to come! While I’m in the process of freshening up around here, is there anything you would like to see more of? Less of? Any navigation requests? Leave a comment and let me know!

In the meantime, follow me on Instagram: @rohallma

P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home

Published August 6, 2010 Around Town , Exteriors , Interiors , Parties Leave a Comment
Tags: dinner party, garden, P. Allen Smith

Last weekend, I was invited to a garden and home tour of P. Allen Smith’s estate at Moss Mountain Farm. While most people who read this blog are from Arkansas, where P. Allen Smith is (nearly) a household name, those of you who are unaware of this “Martha Stewart of the South” should read this New York Times article, that even references the tour/dinner party I attended.

Anyway, knowing what I know about P. Allen, I expected a beautiful old house and garden. I did not expect to walk into my dream house. Seriously. Dream. House. I loved every bedroom, every bathroom, every detail. I loved the gardens, the barn, the table settings for the dinner party. I was taking photos for the magazine, so (thank god) I had my camera with me and was able to snap a few to share with you here.

This outdoor bedroom was a favorite of mine. The day I visited, it was about 105 degrees outside, but in Arkansas, it would be comfortable to sleep in this porch room from April through October. And I probably would.

And no, I would not hesitate to take a bath in the copper tub in the porch room.

One of my favorite guest bedrooms. (Excuse the shoddy photography – I was trying to be stealthy.)

Loved the desk with vintage fan and TERRARIUMS! So presh.

This room was on the third floor and acts as a “dormitory” for Allen’s nieces and nephews. The other side of the stairwell contained four small children’s beds, but I particularly loved this room. It’s young without being theme-y and would transition well through teenage years into young adulthood.

Moving down to the basement, I loved the faux-tree limb bed frame and framed botany prints on the wall.

Dream kitchen! Oh the damage I could do…

Off the living room and kitchen on the first floor, another screened-in room included comfy sofas and an adorably blue outdoor dining table.

Allen’s studio off the main house.

An amazing set up for the dinner party. A huge tent outside the barn with hanging baskets, linen table clothes and watermelon and tomato centerpieces.

The four-course meal included tomato and watermelon gazpacho, heirloom tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella (so good!), farm-raised chicken and vegetables and a chocolate and peanut butter mousse for dessert. I’m honestly not a huge fan of tomatoes throughout the year, but an Arkansas home-grown tomato in the summertime can’t be beat. The tomato/mozzarella course was definitely a favorite, but the gazpacho was also amazing.

My only complaint about the entire evening (other than the sweltering heat) was that it once it got dark, the waitstaff had a difficult time seeing who had been served which course. This meant lots of confusion and waiting around while everyone around you ate. The entire meal took around four hours, which, in my personal opinion, is a long time to make small talk with the strangers sitting around you. It also meant lots and lots and LOTS of flies congregating on the pans of cornbread. But other than that, I had a fantastic time.

That would be me, P. and my co-worker Jillian. The event was a benefit for the Oxford American, so I really appreciated the invitation. Definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity (though an invitation for the fall would be greatly appreciated!).