P. Allen Smith's
NATURALLY Summer 2018
PLAN YOUR OWN
CUT FLOWER GARDEN Try a Kombucha Cocktail
Make the most of your THYME 1
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mix and match Henry James once said, “Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”
And here we are, finally into the bounty of spring and summer. Farmers markets are vibrant and bursting with tomatoes, squash and juicy berries. We’ve got flower gardens so lovely you can hardly take your eyes off them, the grass grows lush and thick, and evenings are made for drinks and socializing on the porch.
It’s a busy time of year for gardeners, and we often get lost in the work of planting, weeding and harvesting, and forget to bring creativity into our day. So, with this issue, I’d like to bring something unexpected to your season. It’s about putting things together in a way you’ve never tried before. Kombucha cocktails? Perennials you’re overlooking? Natural soil improvement? Yes, yes, yes.
I hope you enjoy this issue and are inspired to try something new.
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P. Allen Smith's
NATURALLY PUBLISHER
P. Allen Smith EDITOR
Melissa Tucker ART DIRECTOR
Katherine Laughlin DESIGNERS
Sunny Madrenas Patrick Tuell SOCIAL MEDIA
Sam May PHOTOGRAPHERS
Beth Hall Mark Fonville Jason Masters Steven Veach Brent Walker STYLIST
Lori Wenger
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table of contents
Cut flower garden 6
Underused perennials 14
Storing fresh herbs 22
Kombucha happy hour 24
Cilantro green rice 30
Summer stunners 34
CONTACT For advertising inquiries, email cfreeman@pallensmith.com. For editorial and general feedback, email smay@pallensmith.com.
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Maki ng arrangement s for a Maki ng arrangement s for a
cut flower garden 7
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If you’re like me, you’re a sucker for a beautiful vase. But too often they sit empty on the shelf. That’s why creating space for a cut flower garden has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done at Moss Mountain Farm. The secret to a productive cut flower garden is to select varieties that go from seed to bloom very quickly. Just a handful of seeds will give you armloads of flowers — enough to fill every neglected vase in your home. And it’s friendly on your wallet, too!
How to ge t st arted: Find a strip of ground in a sunny location that is about 3 feet wide and 15 feet long (the size may vary for your situation). Prepare the beds by removing the sod and turning over the soil. Divide the strip into 3 foot squares with temporary strips of wood laid on the ground. Within each square, follow packet instructions and plant the seeds, one variety per square. Keep beds consistently moist. When seedlings are up, thin the plants and mulch to keep weeds down. If you are short on space, use large containers filled with potting soil to grow the flowers. 9
S ome ea sy - to - g row c ut flowe r sug gestion s: Yarrow (perennial) Purple Coneflower (perennial) Bells of Ireland Delphiniums (perennial) Bachelors’ Buttons Cockscomb Calla Lily (perennial) Daisy (perennial) Love in a Mist Sunflower Zinnias Snapdragon Nicotiana Cosmos Gomphrena
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Kee pi ng Cut Flowe rs
fresh:
Begin by preparing a solution of equal parts lukewarm water and lemon lime soda, one aspirin, and half a teaspoon of bleach. Even after a flower’s been cut, it still needs to be fed. The sugar in the lemon lime soda provides nutrients to the flower and the citric acid in the solution allows the nutrients to be taken up more efficiently. The bleach keeps the water clean. Whether you use a preservative or not, you should replace the vase water every 3 to 4 days.
Before you slip the flowers into the solution, recut the stems under water at a slight angle; this is particularly helpful for roses. Also strip away any leaves that fall below the water line.
Keep the flowers out of direct sunlight and away from sources of heat.
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Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date. — William Shakespeare
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TO P P E R E N N I A L S YO U ' R E P RO BA BLY N OT P L A N T I N G cultivate a love for these oft-over looked bloomer s
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Believe it or not,
flowers often swing in and out of popularity over the years. Though most annuals stand the test of time, no flowers fall in and out of fashion faster than perennials. Right now, some of the more popular perennials are purple coneflower, aster, and daisies. Because of gardening trends and what’s available in local nurseries, it’s easy to forget about some of the previously popular or even entirely overlooked perennial bloomers. Some might say perennials are too much work, but I disagree. They are reliable, often hardy, and some even re-sow themselves! What’s easier than that? Here’s a few favorites I think are worth remembering.
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Sun-Seeking PE R E N N I A L S : CONEFLOWER Praised for their cheerful and brightly colored flowers, perennial coneflowers (also known as Echinacea) are a mainstay in today’s garden. I use them in both our vegetable and ornamental gardens, and they are magnets for pollinator bees and butterflies. Be sure to leave some spent blooms on the plant in the fall, since their seeds provide winter food for finches and other birds.
BLACK-EYED SUSAN Black-eyed Susans are the most popular wildflowers grown. Very well-branched scapes carry loads of flowers from midsummer through early fall. The stems are stiff and wellbranched. More branches result in more flowers per plant and a showier display in the landscape. They are a great cut flower; they also work well for borders or in containers.
AGASTACHE Found in the hyssop family of herbs, agastache has historically been used to make tea. They typically are tall, showy plants and work well at the back of a border or along a fence line. You can easily pair them with other flowers in a container. They attract pollinators and hummingbirds and seem to repel deer and rabbits.
MEXICAN SAGE Also known as salvia leucantha, this bushy plant has sage-like leaves and velvety, bell-like purple blooms from summer to fall, which are lovely in flower arrangements. It likes sun or part-sun, is drought tolerant, and attracts hummingbirds. Expect it to get 4 to 6 feet tall and fairly wide.
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ARTEMESIA These silvery perennials are typically used as an accent plant and paired with more colorful flowers. It grows up to three feet tall, but can spread out up to 10 feet wide, and is often used as ground cover and for erosion control. The “silver mound” variety has lovely, soft foliage. They can grow best in dry soil and can perform well in rock gardens.
SUMMER PHLOX The star-shaped, colorful blooms cluster together on this fragrant perennial. It’s short and ideal for containers or as ground cover. They are not drought-tolerant, so keep them watered and add some compost and mulch, and you’ll be good to go. If you deadhead, they will continue to rebloom.
DOUBLE FLOWERING PEONY DAYLILIES Daylilies have long been an obsession of mine. We use lots of them throughout the gardens for their showy, carefree reliability. I can always depend on them for a great show of bloom. The ‘peony-types’ are showstoppers–invariably a visitor will comment on the “odd foliage” of our peonies…..only to discover they are daylilies!
BUTTERFLY FLOWER Also called the butterfly weed or milkweed. The bright orange blooms are reminiscent of the Monarch butterfly, and of course, it will attract these insects to your garden. They look lovely in flower beds, rock gardens or paired with other flowers in containers. These flowers are toxic to children and pets, though, so keep that in mind.
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Shade-L oving PE R E N N I A L S : HEUCHERA These from my Coral Bells collection are easy to grow and blend well with other perennials in the landscape. And such color! The ‘Palace Purple’ gives a regal, unexpected look to containers and garden beds. They are ideal companions for other shade-loving varieties such as hosta, ajuga, strawberry begonias or creeping jenny. They are easy to grow and reliable year after year.
BERGENIA It can be difficult to find flowers that are willing to live in the shady areas of your garden, and bergenia will help remedy that issue. The don’t like to be crowded, so keep about a foot of space between them. The bell-shaped blooms are typically pink, white or purple and and will extend up to 16 inches tall.
SOLOMON’S SEAL This shade-loving plant can serve as a backdrop to some of the shorter perennials in your garden. Some will have delicate flowers, and others will produce berries (which are poisonous to humans but not birds) but mostly they’re planted for their foliage. They like rich soil but are drought-tolerant once established.
HOSTA Hostas are easy for me to obsess over. It's the perfect way to make your garden even more compelling! Hostas give a full season effect beginning in the early spring with the lush foliage, leading to a long blooming period in the summer. One of the great features of this plant is even before and after bloom they look great in the garden, because of the foliage. 18
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Types of PE R E N N I A L S : BI E N N I A L – This is a plant that completes its life cycle over two years. The first year it produces only foliage and the second year it flowers, fruits and dies. Foxgloves and hollyhocks are both biennials.
T E N DE R PE R E N N I A L – A tender perennial is especially susceptible to cold weather and should be treated as an annual in most areas of the country. For instance, purple fountain grass is technically a perennial, but it will not survive temperatures below 20 degrees F.
H A R DY VOLU N T E E R – A hardy volunteer is an annual that reseeds itself in the garden each year making almost like a perennial. Larkspur is a hardy volunteer that I grow in my garden. To encourage hardy volunteers, allow the flowers to die back and form seed heads. Once mature, shake them over the area to be reseeded, or just leave them alone and they fall to the ground. In the spring, identify the seedlings so you don’t pull them up as weeds, and avoid smothering them with a heavy layer of mulch. Also resist using any pre-emergent herbicides in the area.
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make the most of your thyme How to Store Fresh Herbs for L onge v ity and Fl avor Sometimes we need to get back to basics. To me, that often means revisiting or revising simple things like how to store your freshly picked herbs. How long should you expect basil to last? What about rosemary? Follow these steps, and you’ll feel confident in your ability to have ready herbs on hand for any recipe.
First, classify your herbs by type and treat them accordingly. Tender herbs such as basil, cilantro, mint and other leafy varieties will need extra care. They won’t last as long as hardier varieties like rosemary, thyme or oregano.
TENDER HERBS: Basil should be washed, gently dried and used as soon as possible. For best results, make a quick pesto or chimichurri sauce and store that instead of your herbs.
If you simply must wait a day to use these tender herbs, snip the stems, wrap the leaves in paper towels and carefully place in a plastic bag. Try to use within 24 hours.
Herbs like dill and chives will last a bit longer in the fridge. Once they are thoroughly dried, I remove the leaves from the stems, chop the chives and store in jars in the fridge. They will be ready for salads and other dishes throughout the week.
HARDY HERBS: Though fresh rosemary is wonderful with roasted chicken, these hardier herbs will last longer if you dry them. Simply wash and air dry, then tie with a string and hang upside down for a few days. Once dried, take them down, remove the leaves from the stems and store in airtight jars in the pantry. Voila! Dried herbs for all your cooking needs. 23
KOMBUCHA MOJITO Click here for the recipe by HalfBakedHarvest.com
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Photo credit: HalfBakedHarvest.com
Photo credit: HalfBakedHarvest.com
Kombucha happy hour Tr y swappi ng out you r re g u lar m ixe r w ith th i s f iz z y, del ic iou s probiotic
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KOMBUCHA MIMOSA directions ingredients 2 oz kombucha
Chill all ingredients. Mix together and stir. Add more or less orange juice
1 oz triple sec
to change the sweetness factor. Top with champagne for an extra kick.
3 oz orange juice Champagne (optional)
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KOMBUCHA CUCUMBER COOLER ingredients directions 2 oz gin
Muddle mint, lime and simple syrup. Add to shaker with gin and
1 tbsp simple syrup
cucumber slices and shake. Pour over ice and top with tonic water
6 mint leaves
and kombucha.
1/2 lime 2 oz kombucha 2 oz tonic water 4 cucumber slices
Photo credit: HalfBakedHarvest.com
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fall
LUNCH TOURS get tickets Moss Mountain Farm in roland, arkansas 29
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Cilantro Green Rice view recipe 31
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“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.” — Al Bernstein
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Summer Stunners S U N PA T I E N S G I V E N O N - S TO P BL O O M S F RO M H E R E TO H A L L OW E E N
The day the SunPatiens are delivered at Moss Mountain Farm is like an early Christmas. I’m continuously inspired by their various colors, shapes, and full blooms, while ideas start flowing like water from a hose.
I plant them almost everywhere I can. They’re the perfect summer flower: beautiful, long-lasting, heat-resistant and low maintenance. I can’t say enough about them!
They work well in hanging baskets, containers or garden beds. They’re also disease-resistant, don’t require deadheading, and some even have variegated foliage.
But the best part has to be the non-stop blooms all summer long. 35
The right type for you: These flowers come in three types: compact, vigorous and spreading. Your landscape will determine the right one for you.
VIGOROUS: The vigorous SunPatiens make a big visual impact! Use them to create a backdrop or massive color display. Vigorous varieties can grow 24-42” tall and 24-30” wide in the garden and are ideal for large landscapes. Like the spreading series, Vigorous SunPatiens are great for “fill-ins” and ground cover.
SPREADING: These provide more coverage than compact SunPatiens, with the plant width typically exceeding its height. Spreading SunPatiens can grow 18-36″ tall and 24-36” wide. Their aggressive spreading nature allows you to plant further apart (14-24” spacing) and increase your coverage, compared to traditional annuals. This type of SunPatiens is ideal for hanging baskets or areas where you need quick “fill-in.”
COMPACT: These grow 14-32″ tall and 14-24” wide. They like warmer night temperatures, like those in the South and Southeast, and result in stronger growth while SunPatiens planted in cooler, northern locations are somewhat shorter. Compact SunPatiens have a somewhat mounded shape and are perfect for containers.
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PLANTING SUNPATIENS: ■■ If repotting into larger container or basket, plant in welldrained soil. If planting in a garden, use organic matter, such as compost. ■■ Incorporate a slow-release fertilizer at half the label rates into the soil (if the soil you are using does not already contain fertilizer). ■■ An alternative way to fertilize is to apply water-soluble fertilizer at one-third the label rates, as needed; do not over fertilize. ■■ Plant in full sun or shade. ■■ Water plants well after planting and keep the media evenly moist until plants are established (7-10 days). ■■ If plants wilt after they are established, simply water well and they should revive within 24 hours. ■■ New leaves and new flowers will cover old blooms, so you don’t need to remove old flowers or cut off older growth. ■■ In most cases, SunPatiens should not be cut back to control size, as it alters their natural form. 37
l a rg e st g row e r o f day l i l i e s , p
s ho p n ow
p e o n i e s , a n d i r i s i n t h e wo r l d 39
WA T E R H O S E P RO S BE S T P R A C T IC E S F O R P RO P E R WA T E R I N G I N T H E S U M M E R H E A T
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atering W Watering may seem like an easy gardening task, but it
about an inch of water per week. Always aim for the
really is both an art and a science. Let’s brush up on the
roots when you water—the foliage does not need to get
fundamentals of good watering practices in the
wet since it’s the roots that drink up all of the moisture.
summer heat.
When watering, it’s best to give dry plants a deep soak
Watering is very important for growing healthy plants.
in the morning. Watering in the morning gives plants
They will let you know how they’re doing, so pay
time to drink it all in and get ready for the sun. It also
attention to their signals. If a plant is wilted, it’s better
decreases the amount of stress they feel during the
to water in the middle of the day than let it remain
day. If you water late in the day or at night, excess
wilted in the sun. And if you have the opportunity to
moisture in the soil can cause fungal problems and
move a plant that continues to wilt, be it in a container
disease, and water left on the leaves can
or planted in the ground, you should.
encourage mold.
The key is removing stressors that are impacting your plant – water, wind, heat, poor soil, lack of fertilizer or improper sun/shade exposure.
You might have misgivings about watering during the midday heat because of an old wives’ tale that says it’ll scorch the plant, much like a magnifying glass angled just right will scorch anything beneath it. But that’s only a myth. Water droplets do act as tiny lenses, but light moves more slowly through water and it’ll generally evaporate before doing any damage.
Make it easy on yourself by placing plants with similar water requirements near each other. For container plants, water when the top inch of soil is dry or invest in a water timer to make sure they are watered on a regular schedule. Most plants in the garden require 41
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Yolks On You
FA R M - F R E S H E G G S F RO M YO U R OW N BA C KYA R D The best eggs come from free-range chickens, but even better than that are eggs from your own free-range chickens.
If you’ve ever considered taking the plunge and investing in raising chickens, you’ve probably also considered the morning stroll from your back door to the henhouse to gather freshly laid eggs. Sounds lovely.
Those eggs will certainly be delicious, but they will also be a direct result of what the chickens are eating!
Healthy, well-fed chickens produce more eggs, and those eggs taste better when the hens are getting a quality diet, with a constant supply of balanced nutrients.
A good diet often eliminates the need for antibiotics and other interventions that could affect the taste of your eggs. The right feed can deliver peak egg production, optimal egg development and give you delicious eggs for years to come.
Give your backyard flock the very best you can with HomesteadÂŽ by Hubbard Life.
Be sure to support your local 4-H/FFA chapters and to visit your county, state and regional livestock and poultry shows heritagepoultry.org
to help further the cause.
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The perfect patch
G ROW I N G P U M P K I N S TA K E S
T I M E BU T WO RT H T H E E F F O RT
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If you’d like a successful pumpkin patch when Halloween rolls around, you better get going, its not too late to plant! I am obsessed with pumpkins, and growing them takes a lot of space, but if you’ve got it, I recommend giving it a try.
Growing pumpkins
temperatures are expected to drop down into the 40s for an extended period of time.
Pumpkin plants like warm soil so set out plants about two weeks after the last frost
Gently clean the pumpkins by brushing off any excess dirt and
date when the ground has had a chance
then place them in a dry, warm area for 7 to 10 days. This will heal
to warm. The soil also needs to be fertile.
scratches and further harden the rind, which helps reduce moisture
Amend the planting area with a generous
loss. If a frost is expected, cover the pumpkins with a frost
amount of compost or well-rotted
blanket overnight.
manure. Unless your soil is nitrogen poor, don’t add nitrogen. Too much of this nutrient will result in lots of leaves, but few flowers. Space plants a few feet apart or place one plant per hill. Make hills about three feet in diameter and six inches high.
After they have been cured, keep your pumpkins in a cool location (about 50 to 60 degrees F), out of direct sunlight with plenty of good air circulation. Stored this way, they should last up to 3 months.
Water early in the day and low to the ground using a soaker hose or drip irrigation. This will help keep the foliage dry and prevent fungal
Proper pollination
diseases like powdery mildew.
Lack of pollination is one reason pumpkin
Pumpkins bear both male and female flowers. The female flowers are easy to identify by looking for a tiny fruit below the blossoms. Male flowers are borne atop a bare stem and often drop to the ground as they wilt. Bees and other small insects pay numerous visits, spreading pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers.
vines don’t produce fruit. There are several reasons why pollination does not occur. Environmental conditions such as unusually hot or cool temperatures, excessive moisture or low light will reduce successful pollination.
Harvesting pumpkins
Honeybees and other pollinating insects are invaluable helpers in the
Pumpkins mature in 3 to 4 months,
or even organic insect repellents you reduce the ability of these
depending on the variety. A pumpkin is
garden helpers to get their job done.
pollination process. If you use floating row covers, harsh insecticides
ready to harvest when it has reached the desired color and the rind is hard. You can test its readiness by jabbing your fingernail against the outer skin, or rind. It should be strong enough to resist puncture. Also, you can tell a pumpkin is ripe if you hear a hollow sound when you thump it.
If you are using floating row covers to protect your plants from harmful insects, remove them when female flowers begin to appear. Repellents such as garlic spray should be applied a few days before the flowers open. And only spot use insecticides for problem areas. You can also hand pollinate female flowers. Using a small paintbrush or cotton swab, collect the pollen from a male flower and transfer it
Collect your pumpkins before the first frost or when night
to the top center of a female flower. 45
dirt THE
O N NA T U R A L WA YS TO I M P R OV E YO U R S O I L
You’ve probably heard kitchen scraps like eggshells, coffee grounds or vegetable peels can improve your soil, but how does that really work?
It’s true that eggshells can add calcium and coffee grounds can add potassium and other minerals, but that’s not always helpful unless you know your soil is deficient in those minerals. This is why I suggest soil testing for those who’ve had trouble in their gardens and suspect poor quality soil could be the problem. It could be! But, even if that’s the case, you won’t know which nutrients to add without a test.
However, some tried-and-true methods, such as adding manure, compost and other mineral-rich supplements typically improve the soil quality right away. 46
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COMPOSTING 101: If you don’t have a backyard composting pile or bin, what are you
wet. Your container should be rotated or the pile should be turned
waiting for? Even small gardens often have room for a bin, and compost
over occasionally to add oxygen, which helps with decomposition.
keeps those kitchen scraps from going to waste. Give it some time and care, and soon you’ll have a happy and Getting your compost going will likely take a season or two because
well-fed garden on your hands.
you’ll need “green” matter, like leftovers from the kitchen, to combine with “brown” matter, such as leaves from the trees or old newspapers. These two mix to make mineral-rich matter for your plants. Compost works best when it’s warm and moist but not overheated or soaking 47
plan your wedding, rehearsal dinner or bridal photography at p. allen smith's private garden home retreat Photographer: Erin Wilson
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moose's
PA RT Y A N I M A L PLAYLIST
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Click here to listen.
1.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN? Creedence Clearwater Revival
2.
ME AND JULIO DOWN BY THE SCHOOLYARD Paul Simon
3.
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' The Mamas & The Papas
4.
WAGON WHEEL Old Crow Medicine Show
5.
AMERICA'S OPEN ROADS Cicada Rhythm
6.
HEY MAMA Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
7.
DEARLY DEPARTED (FEAT. ESMÉ PATTERSON) Shakey Graves
8.
RAMBLIN' MAN The Allman Brothers Band
9.
SATURDAY SUN Vance Joy
10. AROUND THE WORLD Kings of Leon 11. ARE YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO BE? Foster the People 12. FREE FALLIN' Tom Petty 13. SMALL TOWN John Mellencamp 14. HO HEY The Lumineers
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Bryan Gosling This adorable gosling hatched in the spring, and though he has many siblings, he stood out for his good nature and willingness to explore. As he’s grown, seems like he would walk up to almost any animal on the farm and try to be friends. And if he couldn’t get close, he’d at least chirp for attention to start a conversation. What a character! It’s how he became an instant favorite at Moss Mountain Farm. Take a tour and meet him!
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