Last night, while flipping through the pages of this month’s Town & Country, I was thrilled to discover a lovely story about Blackberry Farm! Long time readers may remember my June 2011 post about this extraordinary vacation destination so today, I thought I’d revisit my old post (just in case you missed it the first time around!) but include a sneak peek from the T&C spread…expressive photography by Andrea Chu paired with a poetic narrative by Mark Rozzo, will transport you to this utopian way of life…the story is a priceless read for anyone interested in farm to table living…not to be missed!
“Coykendall (master gardener of Blackberry Farm since 1999), a hale blue-eyed fellow of 69 years given to Round House brand overalls, possesses a magical touch with topsoil, vegetables, and his fellow humans. You could say he is the embodiment of Blackberry Farm’s hands-on, old-school, artisanal ethos, which offers not just a meticulously crafted escape from everyday life but something on the order of time travel.” ~ Mark Rozzo, Town & Country
above, photography by Andrea Chu for Town & Country
below, my post from June 2011
Today’s post features one of my dream destinations…a place so special, it was awarded #1 in Service in the US by 2005 Conde Nast, #1 in Service in the World and #2 Cuisine in the World by 2006 Travel and Leisure and was named one of America’s Best: Top 10 Destinations with Alton Brown on Food Network 2010 (just to name a few!)…located on an idyllic 4,200 acre estate in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, Blackberry Farm is one of the most celebrated small luxury resorts in the world…owned and operated by the Beall family since 1976, the farm offers guests an unparalleled experience filled with outdoor adventure, spa pleasures, and extraordinary cuisine created by a rare collection of artisans ~ the chef, master gardener, baker, cheese maker, forger, butcher, jam lady, chocolatier, and sommelier ~ this is farm to table living at its best! Enjoy!
“On the farm, our goal is to cultivate the bounty around us by harnessing the natural systems at play. The passionate pursuit of our farm generates a range of heirloom produce from the garden, wild flower honey, farm-fresh eggs, and artisan cheeses from East Friesian sheep. Sustainably harvested ingredients are the essence of our celebrated Foothills Cuisine.” ~ Sam Beall
“Each of these seeds tells a story, and the fruit they bear is only the half of it. It turns out you can trace each one back to some very interesting people and places.” ~ John Coykendall, Master Gardener
photos from Blackberry Farm
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a thoughtful eye 