So…  I have a slight obsession cranberries.  I’m not sure when the obsession began – but every year I get super excited when cranberry season comes around and I see them in the store…  Most years, with the help of my brother, we wipe out several of the local grocery stores of their cranberry supply.  Apologies to anyone local who can’t figure out why they have such trouble finding them.  :-D  But – in fairness, I do use the cranberries to make some amazing products that you can buy from us! 
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This year my Mom mentioned wanting cranberry sauce but she didn’t really like the canned stuff and asked if I could make her some.  I moved back to Illinois to do what I could to take care of my folks – so that was a yes for sure.  While making the sauce for Mom, I decided to make some for the Thanksgiving Market in Bloomington last Saturday.  It was met with overwhelming success, so I wanted to make more for the Christmas Market in Bloomington too.  After Thanksgiving dinner – I decided to get it done while the cranberries were at their freshest.  Now – I have huge pots I cook with and a giant canner that was going to let me can 20 jars at once; which meant I needed to make a triple batch.  No big deal – right? 


​Note to self…  never, NEVER turn your back on a giant pot of cranberries cooking in simple syrup.  A 15 second back turn resulted in the  pot boiling all over my stove!  AND…  I wasn’t done cooking so my only option was to let it continue or risk the quality of my product.  Once done, my stove was a mess…  oh, my goodness was it a mess!

​The cranberry sauce was jarred and put in the canner.  I miscounted my lids, so I had a jar that couldn’t go into the canner.  Oh well, I have ice cream.  No reason to clean the kitchen when I have amazing, fresh cranberry sauce, warm in a jar and a container of vanilla ice cream in the freezer!  I decided the treat was more important than the cleaning.  LOL!  

So…  cranberries have been collected.  I have made sauce and a fresh batch of cranberry pepper jelly.  I’ve made cranberry bars with lemon,  white chocolate glaze that makes you think you’re eating cranberry cheese cake.  For the next market these products and a few others with cranberries will be available.  If you need your cranberry fix now or anytime let us know.  We’re happy to FEED your need and have enough cranberries stock-piled to get us through until next year.  

Tomorrow...  I think I'll make cranberry ice cream.  It's my Mom's birthday and she loves cranberries as much as I do. Now...  where did I put the ice cream maker...
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So, it’s been a bit since I’ve posted anything, but as the 2020 farm season begins – I wanted to add a post.  While, I never want my blog to be pollical – it saddens me that one of the presidential candidates felt the need to insult EVERYONE in farming…  and it also made me angry.  The anger stemmed from the simple fact of how much the agricultural industry contributes to every, single person, every single day and the overall lack of respect that some people have for folks whose jobs require manual labor.  No farmer, no food, no clothing.  It also served as a reminder of why I farm and why I walked away from a six-figure salary to make significantly LESS ….  To grow things and feed people.  Something more important than collecting money and fancy things…  even at my age.

So, now that I have that off my chest.  😊  2020.  It’s year #3 of being a farmer.  I’m still trying to work out just how to making a living doing this. I still have my part-time jobs off the farm that ensure I’m able to pay my bills in the winter – when farm income drops to revenue from one farmers market per month and direct sales with loyal customers who can’t live without Addie’s products between October and April.  So…. Things I know about 2020:

1.  I have things in place that will increase the likelihood of 2020 being the year I’m able to turn a profit in my farm business.  I’ve increased my opportunities for sales and am taking steps to operating a manufacturing facility.  I also have taken the necessary steps to extend my grow season (almost).
2.  Part-time jobs can be dangerous to a farmer’s health.  Last September I had an accident at my job that resulted in 2 tears to my rotator cuff and damage to my bicep. The surgery to repair this damage didn’t happen until last Thursday.  Workers comp insurance companies suck!  Part-time job that was supposed to help with off season bills is now forcing me to learn how to do a LOT of things one handed/armed…  and of course, it had to be my dominant hand.
3.  Building a 96’ high tunnel requires me to put my faith in God, believing it will get built within the time frame the Department of Ag stipulates so I don’t lose the grant I’ve been approved for.  I was fortunate to be approved for the high tunnel through a grant.  The high tunnel is what will allow me to extend my grow seasons on both ends of the season.   
4.  This year, I intend to offer more plants for sale.  Mostly flowers, but there may be veggies starts too.  With all this growing, I’m also being smarter about addressing weed/pest control without changing my opinion on doing this organically. 
5.  This year I will be doing 4 farmer’s markets a week…. So more people are going to become addicted to Addies Pepper Patch products and will learn that little nibble hole in the kale is a ton healthier than ingesting the chemicals that some folks want to spray on their (your) veggies.  Think about it – ever wonder why they suit up in haz-mat gear before they spray?  If they don’t want to come in contact with the chemicals; why do you want to eat them? 
6.  And…  finally…  what I know about 2020.  I LOVE GROWING THINGS… and feeding people.  Seedling are up.  Planting and watering can be done with one hand and seeing them grow makes this little inconvenience seem a ton more tolerable. 

​So…  those are things I know about 2020.   I know this is going to be my most challenging years EVER.  I’m fine with challenges…  I have some tremendous support.  Customers who track me down because they LOVE what I make.  Family that helps me every step of the way.  A special person who encourages me to reach for the stars…  how can I not feel blessed and know for certain ANYTHING is possible.

Growing up, my Dad was a small business owner and a farmer.  When I was small, I always thought he was the most amazing person in the world (still do).  He’s smart, hard-working and understands the best things in life come from finding you own dream and pursuing it.  I grew up believing I could do ANYTHING!  Seeing how my mid-life crisis involved walking away from corporate life – I guess you could say I still believe this.  Like my Dad – I’m a farmer and small business owner.  Dad grew row crops and I grow rows of vegetables.  Dad was a fertilizer dealer and I’m determined to grow organically.  Given my Dad’s background – I am surprised with how much he encourages the challenging path of organic farming.  Even with the struggles I’ve faced, he’s never tried to convince me to abandon organic…  which makes me love him all the more. 

​As a small business owner – I find myself gravitating to and appreciating other small business owners who work their tails off.  This past summer we had a Farmer’s Market in Athens.  While the market was well supported through August – in September the attendance at the market dropped off…  some of the vendor/farmers assumed this had to do with the start of school.  I believe with the start of school, maybe the market became less convenient.  What’s important is people need to continue to support the market, no matter what month it is.  The products being offered at the market aren’t trucked in from who knows where.  They are made/grown right here in central Illinois.  It just doesn’t get any fresher than this!  Your purchase helps folks right here in Illinois…  LOCAL people!

So...  that got me to thinking about all the great, local small businesses we have in our community.  Some here in Athens and other in neighboring towns  -  but all owned by local, hardworking people who are following a dream...  

AK Boutique is one of them.  This sweet little clothing store has some of the prettiest, on trend fashions at amazing prices!  Ladies don’t need to leave town to find a new look, when they can shop right here in Athens.

​For the men – we have The Blue Dog.  This barbershop is awesome!  If you want a barber who takes pride in ensuring you have the exact cut you’re wanting – this is the place for you.  The shop also offers gift certificates and great products that are always perfect gifts for the men in your lives.

​We all love our pets.  I have this crazy old man named Otis.  He’s the top cat in my house and because he’s old – he has a ton of health issues.  No one beats Dr. Ashely at Main Street Animal Clinic.  Otis is certain she cares more for him than I do!  Stinker that he is…  Do your pets a favor and make this your go to place for your four-legged family members.

​I’m starting to realize something about myself…  I like old things.  I moved back to Illinois because of old people (Mom & Dad).  I bought a house that is over 150 years old.  I have an old cat… AND – I drive and older car.  I love my car.  His name is Andrew.  Lol!  But…  that also means I need a good mechanic.  My mechanic?  Bert’s Service Station.  Not once have I ever felt like I was just a number to them.  I like going where I feel appreciated.

​In addition to growing things – I have the best product line under my brand Addie’s Pepper Patch.  My salsas are better than anything you will find at the grocery store.  My jellies are amazing!  And so diverse in flavor combinations.  And don’t get me started on my BBQ sauces and seasonings! While you are used to seeing me at the Farmer’s Markets in Central Illinois in the summer time, I take orders for my products year-round.  My product list is on the website and available for delivery.  With Christmas right around the corner, I am happy to make specialized gift baskets of whatever you need for that special person.  I also have cakes, cookies and candies.

​There are so many great, small businesses that need your support.  Not just on Small Business Saturday or during the summer – we need your support 12 months a year.  When you’re looking for a place to have drinks out with friends, visit The Longbranch in Athens or Weebles & The Curve Inn in Springfield.  These places also have great food choices.  When you’re needing a unique gift for someone, visit Estep & Associates in Petersburg or one of the folks already mentioned here.  Looking for a new pharmacy?  We have that covered too – Athens Pharmacy.  While it may be convenient to support big chains, making the choice to pick small, local business first – makes you a hero.  AND - when we keep our dollars local, that just helps all of us.  Thank you.

Things in life that make you pause…  Thanksgiving was two days ago.  It was also my mother’s birthday…  and it was one of those “things”.  I’ve been saying for years – I like growing things and I like feeding people.  This Thanksgiving was the first time I’ve had the meal at my house and was joined by mom, dad and all my brothers – including my sister-in-law, niece, bother’s girlfriend and her son.  It’s the first time my entire immediate family has been in my house for a meal – EVER.  It made me pause.

Growing up, the holidays weren’t spent running to both side of the family.  I was fortunate that my mom and dad’s families all got along.  The only decision was which grandmother was hosting Thanksgiving and which was hosting Christmas.  And whoever wasn’t hosting was at the meal along with my Aunt and her family.  As the years went on – the hosting part transitioned to my mom and aunt, but we still had everyone there, no one was splitting the holidays between family – like folks do now.

So…  we get to the pause.  We had a great meal.  My brother Don helped with the prime rib – something I’ve never cooked.  My brother Jim brought desert.  My brother Mark and his wife Brenda brought fresh veggies and made homemade rolls.  We had everyone at the same table – like I remember when we had a meal at my grandmother’s house…  and I think everyone had a nice time.  After the meal we discussed Christmas – which will be at my house too.  So…  the torch has been passed?  Yay!  Because I like feeding people….  Especially people who mean so much to me. 

When I started writing this – I almost added “& Why Organic Foods Cost More” in the title, but I thought that might be a bit of a lengthy title for my blog post.  Last year when I decided to risk it all and farm, there were several driving forces behind the decision – but the most important one was simply not wanting harmful chemicals in my foods….  Since last year I’ve run across several articles about the herbicide Roundup™ being found in Cheerios™; which wasn’t a surprise to me.  The wheat grains are so genetically modified in the US – they can survive being sprayed with this chemical to increase the odds of harvested grains being weed free…  but at what cost?  Chemicals in the field equal chemicals in the end product.  It’s that simple.  I don’t want chemicals in my food.  I’ll probably repeat this a few more times in this blog post…

​One of the categories of produce I grow is squash.  I do several varieties of zucchini as well as summer and winter squashes, along with melons and pumpkins. 
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​These are a favorite to squash bugs – which are happy to spend all day munching on the leaves of these plants, mating and laying THOUSANDS of eggs! 

Grrrr!!!!  I despise these creatures.  I’ve yet to find any useful purpose for them  They can wipe out a healthy crop in a matter of days.  So…  if you ask most non-organic farmers how they deal with these pests – most will tell you they spay pesticides…  Which aren’t an option for me.  I DON’T WANT CHEMICALS IN MY FOOD!  And we have bees… which are crucial to pollinating EVERYHTING we grow…  and these lovely pesticides are not selective in what they kill.  They are happy to wipe out a bee colony too. ​

So…  how do I attempt to manage this problem in my field?  For me it’s a two-step process.  Well, three if you count prayer.  Since the plants started coming up, I’ve been using diatomaceous earth around the plants and on the tops of the leaves.  Diatomaceous earth is a substance made up of the fossilzed remains of plankton; it looks like an off-white talc powder. It can kill any bug with an exoskeleton…  which means it can also kill our honey bees and other pollinators if I’m not careful with how I use it – which I am and I’ve not seen any ill effects to our hives…  second step is hand picking these awful bugs and their eggs off the plants.  Both of these steps are time-consuming.  If I paid someone to do this – I wouldn’t be able to afford to farm… instead, it’s a job I do; which means I get less sleep – having to do other tasks well into the early morning hours just to make sure everything gets done.​

​Choosing to NOT use chemicals in my field is labor intensive.  It costs money in hours worked; which is far more costly that chemicals that destroy our ecosystem and poison our bodies.  It’s a no-brainer for me…  and should be for you too.  When you’re at a Farmer’s Market and you see a stand doing organic farming (certified or NOT) – buy from them.  The food they grow for you is healthier for you and our planet.  Oh… and give them a “thanks”.  Sometimes we just need to know folks appreciate what we’re doing.  For this farmer, it makes the sleepless nights a bit easier to deal with. 

​So…  Spring/Summer, 2019 planting season has been a challenge.  You don’t have to be a farmer to know this.  Daily commutes often reveal flooded fields that have been in this condition for weeks… and have pushed the envelop on planting windows and in some cases made it impossible for farmers to get crops in the ground.  Some have accepted defeat – knowing the time has run out.  It really is a sad state of conditions for the those in agriculture. 

Recently, I asked a fellow farmer if she planted according to moon phases.  Her answer was along the lines of “I’m planting whenever the ground is dry enough to get seeds in”…  while in some respects – I understood what she was saying, but there are parts of my upbringing that will stick with me no matter what.  My dad always planted by the moon phases and when I first started gardening on my own I thought he was nuts.  What on earth does the moon have to do with anything. For several years – I planted radishes.  Every row of radishes produced these beautiful lush leaves…  but no radish underground.  It drove me crazy!  So…  I told my dad what was going on and he replied “you’re planting them at the wrong phase of the moon”.  WHAT THE HECK!  When I finally followed my dad’s advice – I was blessed with my first crop of radishes that I could actually eat.  Needless to say…  I found value in this age-old process of planting by the moon. 

So…  even with this challenging season – due to an enormous amount of rainfall, I’ll still do what I know works best.  I may not know what the gravitational pull of the moon does to plants and seeds – but I’m happy the Old Farmers Almanac is at my disposal to keep track of all the important planting dates.   When it says plant - I plant.  When it tells me  not to, I'm happy to work on native plant management.  More information:  ttps://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/

Happy growing!

So…  I moved back to Athens – my home town area.  Anyone who has followed my farm journey know this.  Since moving here, I’ve been able to reconnect with folks I haven’t talked to in over 35 years; one being our current Mayor.  Some time in early April (I think, time is a blur), he reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in getting a farmers market going in Athens.  Of course – I said yes.  I started working on the details of a vendor agreement and planning what our market would be.  Small town or not – I wanted to make sure we followed all the “rules” as it relates  to running our market.  I also needed to make sure the city wouldn’t face any significant risks from our little market.  So…  all that was done and I began soliciting vendors for our market.  I have found this to NOT be an easy task….  But I carry on.

We’re the only one in Menard County.   We are open on Wednesdays – which, in true mean mother nature style – she’s ensured we’ve had icky weather all three Wednesdays the market has been open.  Grrrr!  But, our Mayor is AWESOME!  When we asked about being inside city hall vs outside in the park – he immediately said yes.  So…  not only do we have the only Farmers Market in Menard county – we have an INDOOR market. Which means vendors and customers get to stay comfortable and dry no matter what mother nature throw at us! 

So…  why does this matter to Thompson Family Farm?  Let me just say it matters more than anyone will probably ever realize.  I love all the other markets I sell at – but the Athens Farmers Market is home.  This market truly gives me a chance to see my neighbors and get to know people in MY community better than any other place I sell.  The support of this community has been overwhelming.  Three Wednesdays in a row – this community has come out in support of my farm and all the other vendors who put their trust in this market.  This market makes me proud… proud of where I live and proud to be a part of this amazing community.  And because of all this – I will continue to work on getting more vendors to the market, so it can be a one-stop shop for our community. 

My small family farm appreciates the support of the vendors and customers who support our market.  Thank you!

My world...  I love my world.  My only wish is for mom nature to be a great deal more cooperative.  Just like last spring - I'm faced with fields that are too wet.  Yesterday wore me OUT!  I was able to get some tilling done and planted a ton of lilies, some more horseradish and asparagus.  I was able to get all the fruit bushes trimmed and  cleared out.  I came home from my farm feeling muscles that had gotten a bit "squishy" over the winter...  lol!  I went to bed tired.  Somewhere around 3:00a.m, I heard a motor running.  My tired brain didn't connect the dots until about 5:30 or so and I PANICKED!   

For some reason I've been fighting the heater in the greenhouse.  It keeps shutting off over night for reasons we've not been able to work out.  The temps have dropped to as low as 45 degrees.  So...  when I heard a motor running - I realized it was my generator running.  My mind went crazy.  When did  my power go out.  Are the fans still running?  Is the heater running?  I threw on clothes, went out in the snow (yes, snow) and checked on everything... plants were warm and sleeping.  It was still dark, but I noticed a ton of things tossed around in the back yard. I assumed it was a storm that ran through and took out a power line "somewhere"...  so I went back to bed.

While I was trying to sleep - I realized no one else was without power on the west side of me...  but I still tried to sleep.  Around 7:00, I got up.  And found out why my generator was running...

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This is what remains of one of my trees.  It was huge...  and old as heck.  It sat on the bank of the little creek that runs through my property.  It landed with such force it shattered into thousands of pieces...  it made me sad...  it's spring.  The calendar says its spring.  This beautiful old tree had buds and only wanted to grow his leaves to shade my little creek one more time...

But...  this beautiful, old tree can't.  Its shattered and freezing.  My heart breaks for it.  I love my trees...  and will miss this one terribly...  there will be a hole on my property and in the heart of the plant whisper.

Time for a break – right?  Haha!  Nope!  I’m now working on getting herb seeds planted so I have lush, beautiful herbs for the winter markets.  I’ve been perfecting candy recipes so I have amazing candies and sweets for the holiday markets; one which was this past Saturday.  The feedback from those folks who sampled the candies tells me I hit the right balance between sweet and a touch of heat.  Between now and December 22nd, I’ll be making sure I have everything for the market that happens right before Christmas.  I’ll also be doing some mini garden welds to add to the rosemary pots…  which will be at the December market in Bloomington. 

From that point forward – it’s time to start the seeds for next year’s produce.  Chili peppers have a really long growing cycle and if not started in January; they don’t stand a chance of making it.  And then it’s time to get the other veggies growing too.  Everything I bring to the Farmer’s Markets is grown or made by me.  All my vegetable plants are started by seed and either direct sowed or started in the greenhouse.  I’m a bit of a control freak and I want to ensure my plants haven’t been fed anything I don’t approve of…  and the only way to do that is by planting them myself.  Oh – and let’s not forget the chili peppers I’m growing right now so I can have fresh chili’s at the winter markets…  because there is NO better way to bring heat to central Illinois than to do it with chili peppers!

So…  no matter the season I grow things.  I make things.  I feed people in Central Illinois.  I vend at Farmers’ Markets, although less often… and continue to feel blessed for being able to do something I love more than ever.

My obsession with chili peppers...  so I've had this obsession for a great many years.  Before moving back to Illinois I had a big house on a small, city plot; which translated to zero space for a garden...  however - we still always had about 10 different varieties of chili peppers in pots on the patio.  The peppers were started inside in the winter and put in pots once it started to get warm...  we babied those pepper plants, including building a make-shift greenhouse to extend the growing season.  It's amazing what you can do with a gazebo frame and some clear plastic sheeting...  lol!  Oh and an old electric blanket!  Even during the snow - it kept the temp inside around 65 degrees. 

So... I currently have 23 varieties of chili peppers on the farm.  I have approximately 250 or so plants.  I am OBSESSED with them.  I'm nearing the end of the growing season and it's killing me!  :-D  There aren't enough hours in the day to harvest all the peppers that are on the plants... and then figure out what to do with all of them!  So...  I'm getting creative.  I've pickled Carolina Reapers and they have been a big hit at the Farmers' Markets.  I've now pickled Tobasco peppers too...  and tonight - a strange mix that includes chocolate habanero, tazmanian habanero, jalapeno, tequila sunrise, lemon drop, scorpion, white habanero, cayenne...  and so many others have joined the mix.  Ya know what's interesting when you mix spicy peppers in a pickling brine?  They get crazy hot!  That's what they do!  lol!  But... oh, my goodness do they taste wonderful.  So the mixed pickled peppers will be debuting at the Illinois Products Farmers' Market this week. 

So...  back to my obsession with chili peppers.  What amazes me about chili peppers is the versatility of them.  Even the super hots have great flavor once you get past the heat.  I love seeing what I can do with them to bring out the flavor and reduce the heat level of them...  which if you've tried my products you know I've been able to do this.  So...  as we wind down the growing season - peppers are being cultivated in the greenhouse and I'm doing all I can to save EVERY last pepper so I can turn them into something delicious for the many fans of Addie's Pepper Patch products.