Description
We are featured in the Middle Tennessee "Local Table" Magazine's 2020 Annual Guide. The article is entitled "Martin Acres is the Place to Be" and covers a brief history of our family farm, Martin Acres, as well as the work that we are doing on two acres. Martin Acres has the highest point and the lowest point in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky and has been used for timber, hunting, coal mining, oil & gas extraction, and agriculture. It has been in a state of transition since the untimely death of Herbert L. Martin and the migration of many people in this black family to the north for factory jobs. Since the late 1980s, this family has not practiced agriculture. However, some acreage is leased by a neighboring farm. In addition some of the farm is under a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) but most of Martin Acres is maturing forests. And two creeks run through a portion of the the property, there are two ponds, and other places where water flows. In the late 1990s, twin brothers (sixth generation descendants of Lorenza/Lourenza and Minnie Martin) Irucka Ajani and Obiora Embry, tried unsuccessfully to encourage their family to grow food organically as a means of generating farm income. After a few years of making no traction they decided to put their ideas on the back burner. However in 2012 they decided to "quit talkin' about it and be about it" (Obiora's motto since the 2000s). In December 2012, they sought two acres of farmland on Martin Acres to develop an edible forest garden. The two acres were previously used for cow grazing, but had been left fallow for 40 or more years. On it were mature trees, bramble, grasses, and bushes. In early 2013, the area was cleared and bulldozed. This left exposed soil and barren land, two large brush piles, uprooted trees, and plants that looked like they were dying. In March 2013, they went to visit the area for the first time. Irucka and Obiora planted stakes in the ground, took photographs and video, discussed how it would be an uphill battle to turn the desolate looking land into a thriving edible forest garden, but they had nothing to lose and were up for the challenge! At Getting Back Nature(tm), we use regenerative agriculture methods to develop a no-till polyculture ecosystem that mimics Nature and restores soil biological life while growing food for everyone, not just humans. We grow native vegetation (fruit, nut, and flowering trees; herbaceous plants; and other perennials) and annual heirloom crops that we sell directly to consumers. Some of the products that we have to sell include the following: - Twin Forager Hickory Hickory Syrup Dark Hickory Syrup Dark is hand?crafted in a small batch. Bark from the Shagbark Hickory tree is sustainably wildcrafted from Martin Acres and roasted. A tea is made with the roasted bark and then is fermented for a minimum of three weeks to allow for more complex flavors to develop. The tea is then made into a simple syrup with Organic Raw Cane Sugar then bottled. Our Hickory Syrup can be used in place of Maple Syrup for pancakes, waffles, French toast, oatmeal, etc. It can also be used in marinades, sauces, glazes, ice cream, cakes, pies, (salad) dressing, cookies, corn bread, barbeque (BBQ) sauce, baked beans, caramelized foods, cinnamon buns, pesto, and more... And Hickory bark is an excellent source of Magnesium. - Spring Flower Jelly Spring Flower Jelly is made from foraged Spring flowers. Every year the flowers will change, however, the jelly will always be produced in small batches and the flowers will be sustainably harvested. - Sumac Jelly Sumac Jelly is hand?crafted in a small batch using wildcrafted Smooth Sumac and Winged Sumac. The pectin used for the jelly is handmade in a small batch. The ingredients are Sumac Tea (Spring Water, Smooth Sumac and Winged Sumac berries, stems, and leaves), homemade Apple Pectin (Spring Water, organic Granny Smith apples, Crabapples), organic Raw Cane Sugar, freshly squeezed organic Lemon juice, and love. - Goldenrod Jelly Several varieties of Goldenrod were sustainably foraged for this jelly that contains Goldenrod Tea (Spring water, Goldenrod stems, leaves, and flowers), organic Raw Cane Sugar, homemade Apple Pectin (Spring Water and organic Granny Smith Apples), freshly squeezed organic Lemon juice, and love. - Wild Berry Jam Wild Berry Jam is hand?crafted in a small batch using wildcrafted blackberries and Red Mulberries. The ingredients are wild blackberries, organic Raw Cane Sugar, wild Red Mulberries, and love.
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