Earth Tones By Cindy

Are You An Armchair Farmer?

Sitting in my condo, I often wish I could be a farmer. But real farmers don't have it easy, and I have tremendous respect for them.

I have always had a secret dream of being a farmer. In my mind it would be a romantic, bucolic life, where it was always sunny, the weather always perfect, and I could work at my own pace when I felt like working. I would always get just the right amount of rainfall, and it would always be warm outside. I'd always have chickens for eggs and goats for cheese and I could easily live off the land. My hives would be teeming with bees and I would make delicious lavender honey. I would always have pretty flowers to cut and ripe juicy heirloom tomatoes to eat. And I would grow lots of berries and grapes, cherries and apples. My herb garden would be a source of medicine and tea, and culinary flavorings. I would go to bed each night tired and happy…

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Wishing Stone Farm Is Innovating For The Future

Little Compton farmers Skip Paul and Liz Peckham come up with new and improved growing and marketing ideas.

A melt-in-your-mouth, sweet “Sungold” cherry tomato is a rare thing to find in January, but Skip Paul and Liz Peckham still have a few left in their greenhouse at Wishing Stone Farm in Little Compton. “This is probably the last week for them,” said Paul last Friday, Jan. 7, as he was gathering fresh produce to bring to Saturday’s Winter Farmer’s Market in Pawtucket. “We are getting ready to start the seeds for next year.” Baskets of organically grown onions, garlic and small sweet potatoes sat in the shed ready to be loaded up for the one hour trek to Pawtucket. The farmers go there twice a week, on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays.  “These are really popular,” Paul noted of the small sweet potatoes. “They cook really fast, have a high …

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