seasonal news & notes ~ SPRING 2013
A SEASON OF GROWTH Every Spring Newsletter, I think that I must say the same thing! Early Spring is simply and by far my favorite time of year. Farmers look forward to the first growth of grass. After the colder days of Winter, the bright sprouts of green show promise of the warmer days to come, longer days to work in the field and a bountiful harvest. This farmer's theology lives deep within our hearts at Blackberry Farm—we long for that first sprig of green to appear through the earth and say, “come grass, we will . . . ” This year building on “come grass,” we will begin to see the beginnings of new happenings and continual improvement on the farm. For more than 35 years, our family has been working to make Blackberry a more inviting, refreshing and inspiring retreat. I am not comfortable with the word “growth,” but growth at Blackberry is not in rooms, but rather focused on what is provided to our guests. “How much more can we offer?” is often the question we ask when making decisions for the property. This year is no different as we continue to improve the guest experience with the development of our new wellness center & spa. This new project will start within the next six weeks. In addition to our efforts, we want to hear from you. In April we are launching a new section of our website that will focus on wellness, including articles on our programming, menu development, spa construction updates and surveys to get your feedback on what will be offered. Spring also brings new milk to the dairy with a welcome return to some of our Spring and Summer cheeses, as well as new products from our butcher Michael Sullivan. If you like good bacon just wait until you get some of this pork jowl, a.k.a. Guanciale, a.k.a. “bacon of good steroids!” As we welcome the warm days of Spring at the farm and some exciting changes, we hope you will share in these moments with us! Sam Beall, Proprietor
our new wellness center & spa
AHEAD on the horizon Most of us have spent the new year
community. We are providing
carrying out resolutions to improve
countless possibilities to renew
on in our everyday lives. Whether
the mind and body, as well as
it’s been a challenging workout
personalized wellness experiences
routine, a nutritious diet or simply
to fit different diets and lifestyles.
Finding balance has always been a focus at Blackberry Farm, whether you are searching for a retreat from a busy workweek or simply reconnecting to a healthier lifestyle. The raising of the our new wellness center & spa marks not a new direction for Blackberry, but rather a more focused outlook on sustainable living. Living on a farm gives us the unique perspective of full circle living and how eating locally and seasonally—mixed with a bit of exercise and proper renewal—provides the clearest thinking, most productive way of working and living and the best opportunities to enjoy life. Our new wellness center & spa will provide the perfect venue to redirect or simply remind and inspire this simplistic approach to living well.
enjoying the small pleasures of life,
may M on d a y T u es d a y
Property Jog W e d nes d a y
that lies at the forefront of all your daily choices.
T h u r s d ay
To make it easier to continue your routine—or to
Our team has also been hard at
led us one step closer toward a
work expanding our Blackberry
30-Mile Guided Cycling Ride
healthier and more sustainable
community, and this year even
way of living.
more guests can enjoy all of the
At Blackberry Farm we have
the farm from the comfort of
always been focused on helping
their very own Blackberry home.
improve the lives of the guests we serve. And now, more than
With a continued desire for
35 years later, we’re still offering
excellence and more sustainable
even more opportunities for better
living, now more than ever it is
living with expansions to our new
an exciting time to be a part of
wellness center & spa and real
the Blackberry experience.
estate offerings in our Blackberry
F r i d ay
Since 1976, we’ve been dedicated to preserving the unique character of the lands surrounding Blackberry Farm by acquiring land, preserving the vast majority of it and then reserving a small portion for a few lucky families to join us as Private Owners. We’re thrilled to continue our efforts in land stewardship with the addition of 176 contiguous acres to the heart of our 4,200acre country estate, and a compelling opportunity for private ownership: Blackberry Farmside. This collection includes ten home sites of one to two acres each located adjacent to the FarmStead and a stone’s throw from The Barn. For information, please call 865.273.8592 or visit blackberryfarmliving.com.
We believe that healthy living should be the theme
Stress Fix Massage
each resolution we’ve set has likely
refreshing sights and sounds of
at b l a c k b e r r y fa r m
Group Yoga
Group Stretch
a new chapter in private ownership
WELLNESS MONTH
S at u r d ay
On Property Trail Run (with heart rate checks) S u n d ay
Group Paddleboard Outing
inspire a new, healthier lifestyle—we have created opportunities to take advantage of the incredible natural resources here at Blackberry Farm each morning through the month of May. At the core is discovering the balance between nutrition, exercise and recovery. We hope that we can help make your day-to-day life a better one.
In addition to these activities, we want to make your entire stay wellness-focused with special additions to our already growing juice selection each morning, by offering wellness-minded dishes at each meal and providing a carefully crafted biodynamic wine list.
The Barn
Cycling the
At Blackberry Farm
Smokies
Executive Chef Joseph Lenn runs a tight ship in The Barn, so how does he and his team turn out up to 720 plates a night? What’s his secret?
It’s time to kick start the cycling season this March with our Spring Tour de Smokies event! Join former professional cyclist and current manager of the Garmin-Sharp team Jonathan Vaughters, and Proprietor and cycling enthusiast Sam Beall as they lead you through the winding roads of the Smoky Mountains for this four-day warm-up event! From tips and training to techniques and amazing food and wine, the Spring Tour de Smokies event, held March 26–29, is sure to prepare you for cycling season! Don’t miss this opportunity to have a unique one-on-one insight into the sport—the skill and technique involved, some of the controversies, but most importantly, the healthy future of cycling. And what better representation of cycling’s exciting future than Jonathan Vaughters, one of the most formidable figures and promoters of healthy racing.
For more information on the event and to book your stay, contact our Reservations Team at 800.557.8864.
WINE
on the
FLY
APRIL 7–10 We all know fishermen and wine enthusiasts often have a story to tell about the biggest fish or an epic bottle they discovered. Now those stories have a home at Blackberry Farm with Wine on the Fly. Join winemakers Jim Barbour, Justin Stephens, Brian Lamborn and fellow passionate fisherman Blackberry Farm Executive Chef Joseph Lenn for a weekend of great wines, delicious food and amazing fishing.
things you may not know about . . .
Our Wine Cellar
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It’s all about the toys, like our wood-burning oven that delivers the rich smoky flavor in dishes. Every facility, tool and appliance makes what we do true and precise.
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Our Garden, just steps away, produces farm-fresh inspirations for new dishes and directions for our menu.
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Diverse but Southern to the core, our team was handpicked for their hard work ethic and great attitude. Overall, we like to keep our kitchen staff fun, inspirational and open-minded.
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Spicing up the flavor with guest chefs! I don’t know anywhere else that has as many guests chefs as we do—except the James Beard House. Our chef program is unique in that chefs spend multiple nights with us and we work with them directly on their demons and dinners. From Alain Ducasse to Gabrielle Hamilton, we are constantly inspired by our guest chefs.
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All the pieces fit together, both through taste and function. The moment you walk into the dining room you see the kitchen. This open kitchen nature allows guests direct access, ensuring a more approachable experience.
O N T H E FA R M
We sat down with Food and Wine Director Andy Chabot to find out a few secrets and tidbits about the wine cellar and program at Blackberry Farm. Here’s what we discovered:
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A lot or a little? We have more than 350 selections of half-bottles from great producers. It’s perfect for couples wanting to pair different selections with one meal or someone wanting a glass or two. On the other end of the spectrum we have more than 1,000 magnum selections. We display our wines with the most elegant decanters around! Inspired by Martine Sauiner, when I first purchased our Ercuis decanters, colleagues gave me flack for their feminine style, but now they’re our most complimented pieces. We love to educate our guests on what they’re drinking. We offer a flight of madeiras from the 1800s (respectively 1834, 1863, 1875). Guests can enjoy the old one glass at a time.
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We have a collection you can’t count to. How many bottles you ask? Ringing in around 160,000 bottles! Due to state laws, it’s difficult to purchase a lot of older vintages, like through auctions, so we want to foster the program along so that future generations of the Beall family will have wine to sell from great vintages 30–50 years from now. We hired a local artisan to build the wooden and iron racking for the cellar. Sadly, just as completion for the first set wrapped up, the artisans’ warehouse caught fire. The racks had to be built again—and just in time for the opening.
Brews News
Producing as much beer as we can, we still can’t keep the Gift Shop shelves stocked. Along with plans to expand our operations to yield more beer, we plan to release our first allocation to the first 100 people who sign up to receive. The fun begins with a PICK UP PARTY on May 9! Be sure to sign up for the Beer allocation list—as we produce more bottles, you will want to make sure you are in the early subscribers to snag the reserved bottles!
I d e a s fo r m a k i n g M om ’ s d a y e x t r a spe c i a l B r e a k fa st i n b e d Mom goes out of her way for you and the family—this year pamper her with breakfast in bed. We have all the fixins you need to make it special in our Breakfast Box. S en d he r to the spa She deserves to be spoiled, so send her to the spa for the royal treatment— pedicures, massages and facials sounds like a good start to us! Call for details about our Mother’s Day weekend packages for the Farmhouse Spa. TAK E H E R AWAY F R O M I T A L L Slip away to Blackberry Farm this Mother’s Day and leave the soccer practice schedules, late homework and work deadlines behind. We’re extending Camp Blackberry availability over this holiday so the kids can spend time crafting mom’s gift in camp, while you two can spend time together. It’s the perfect getaway that celebrates mom!
FRESH FROM T H E F AR M Nothing makes a party appetizer or a family cooked meal better than fresh ingredients—well, maybe these farm-fresh Spring ingredients. Add a hint of Blackberry to your gatherings this season with some of the finest meats and cheeses we have to offer.
Proprietor Sam Beall fills the pages of our second cookbook—The Foothills Cuisine of Blackberry Farm—with gorgeous photos by beall + thomas photography and insight into the kitchen, our farm and the Appalachian communities that surround it. Purchase your copy in the Gift Shop or at blackberryfarm.com/cookbooks/purchase.
MEET
the
BU TC H E R
MEET
M
ichael Sullivan’s larger than life personality and passion for old traditions have accompanied him through his travels all over the country touting the benefits of Lard and heritage pigs. You cannot miss this dynamic artisan! Learning importance of passion from his father, a baker who delighted to wake up before dawn and discover how his yeast had changed overnight, Sullivan assumed the same joy and love for his work, but in a different field. He became a minister. By his early thirties, he left the church and moved his family to upstate New York where he attended the Culinary Institute of America. Working in the
kitchens at Blackberry Farm since 2004, he became our first dedicated butcher and led us into our meat curing program in 2007. “I am all about heritage and tradition; I go back into time rather than forward to learn,” he says. “I butcher every ounce that I use. It is my responsibility. I hand tie my sausages the Old Italian way with hemp—it grips the casing better. I mix meats with my hands so that people taste the human touch, not some cold, stainless steel machine.” Today Michael is nationally recognized and referred to as the “Reverend of Fat!”
the
M E AT S
F i no c c h i on a
S op r ess a t a S a l u me
Finocchiona is a Tuscan Salume, which takes its name from wild fennel seeds (fennel is “finocchio” in Italian). Made of finely ground pork and laced with white wine, cracked fennel and fennel pollen, Finocchiona supposedly owes its origin to a thief who stole a fresh salume and hid it in a stand of wild fennel, where it absorbed the aromas of its hiding place. (approx. 8–10 oz.) (Item: #605601)
Blackberry Farm’s dry-cured Sopressata is a perfect harmony of sweet and hot. Made from carefully selected pieces of pork from the ham and shoulder of heirloom-bred pigs, Sopressata was an old-country staple of traditional Italian cuisine. Perfect when served very thinly sliced with some olives and a glass of pastis or dry sherry. (approx. 8–10 oz.) (Item: #605600)
NEW!
S a l u me T os c a no
G u a n c i a le
A truly classic salume distinguished by its intense aromatic flavor, Toscano epitomizes the allure of simplicity. It’s made from carefully selected pieces of pork, which are coarsely ground and then mixed with salt, spices, red wine, red pepper flakes and garlic. Toscano is excellent with fruit, figs, cantaloupe or kiwi. (approx. 8–10 oz.) (Item: #605602)
New to the farm offerings, so very special and a delicacy in Italy, Guanciale is a full-flavored bacon crafted from Bershire hog jowl that has been cured with salt, sugar, spices and herbs. Its erotic and distinctive flavor adds an impressive accent to a variety of dishes. Use this just like bacon—it’s twice as good! (Item: #605825) Watch Michael’s video on how to use Guanciale in your next recipe and all of the ways to use our salumis by visiting blackberryfarm.com/waystouse.
S AY C H E E S E ! Springtime brings about new milk for the farm and a bright new focus on our cheese program. This year we have some exciting news to share! We are revamping our Cheese Club to provide specialty offerings for all of you cheese lovers out there, and now you can find Blackberry Farm cheese in select Whole Foods stores. So make sure you ask your local Cheese Monger to order your favorite Blackberry Farm cheeses to carry!
For the entire month of March we are celebrating cheese. This month when you open your order of Singing Brook Cheese, Fromage Blanc or other favorite—take a picture of how you are enjoying it and post it on Instagram or Twitter, tag @blackberryfarm and #saycheeseBBF, and we will select one lucky recipient from the posts to receive the ultimate cheese box from Blackberry Farm!
M a k e M e S i n g Cheese !
Singing Brook Cheese is an aged sheep’s milk cheese with a hard rind. Each wheel is aged for a minimum of 5–6 months, and our reserve selections are aged a minimum of 10–14 months! Tasting Notes: Best served at room temperature, our flagship cheese is rich, nutty and buttery with a sharpness reminiscent of a Pecorino Tuscano. Available year-round with varying degrees of age and wedges are approximately one pound. (unpasteurized)
the
sounds of
s u m m er
Some of our favorite moments on the farm hum around a song. After a great day of activities and adventure, there’s nothing like settling into an evening blessed with a delicious meal and inspiring music from legends and young talent. This Summer is no different with a host of concerts and weekends dedicated to the sounds of Summer!
fun with the family all season long
You’ll know Summer has arrived when the fireflies fill the sky and you’re sure to notice its absence when the leaves turn to the beautiful hues of Fall. At Blackberry, the Summer holidays are celebrated as the beginning and closing bookends for family fun and memories.
during certain times of the year. Take August—its delightful weather allows plenty of time in the afternoons and evenings to be spent in the garden. We simply celebrate the best of what the month has to offer in its fullest. Check out a few of our other favorite months!
The longer days and warmer temps means getting outdoors and seeking new adventures! So, we are officially claiming July as Adventure Month. Each day we will offer complimentary activities and demonstrations for those interested in learning more about paddle boarding, hiking, fly-fishing, as well as cycling workshops, kayaking basics, sporting clays and more. We will also sit down for a Twitter Chat with our favorite activities managers and find out the best times, trails and secrets to exploring the Smokies in the Summer!
Country music hit-maker Lee Brice returns to the farm in a big way. Since his last performance at Blackberry, Lee has topped the charts with Billboard’s 2010 Song of the Year “Love Like Crazy” and the number one hit, “A Woman Like You,” in 2012. Right now he is topping the charts June again with “Hard to Love,” and we know 2013 10 is going to be a mega year for this young star. Grab your tickets before they sell out! Lee is one of the hottest young stars in country music and we are excited to welcome him to our big stage in The Barn!
garden month
If you can’t get enough of one of country’s hottest stars like us, be sure to check all things Lee at leebrice.com.
E mm y lo u H a r r i s
We find that our attention tends to gravitate to a few topics that naturally become important
adventure month
L ee B r i c e
Each year we look forward to hearing from Emmylou Harris to find out who she’ll bring for our annual Emmylou & Friends event benefiting Crossroads Campus. She never fails to deliver legendary and stunning music from artists to our stage. The award-winning singer, August songwriter and storyteller joins us for a special 23–25 evening featuring her favorite songs—it’s sure to be a can’t miss experience. You’ll enjoy her trademark folk style, with the perfect mix of rock and country, creating a truly unforgettable sound. Reserve your place today for this exclusive performance and stay tuned for which amazing musicians she’ll bring with her this year. Past few years include Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, Robert Plant, Buddy Miller, Shawn Colvin and Patti Griffin.
Make the Most of Each M onth
Memorial Day
May 24–27
Celebrate the start of Summer with our Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy hand-churned ice cream, picnic lunches, movies on the lawn and the beautiful Summer weather. Join us as we head outdoors to enjoy great food, music and family!
Labor Day
August 30–September 2
The perfect farewell to Summer, there’s one last chance to enjoy the warm weather, long days, star-filled nights and our annual end of the Summer concert! Joining us on stage is recording artist and chart-topping songwriter Will Hoge just in time for the last drops of Summer. With eight studio albums under his belt, this Nashville recording artist has a portfolio of great music to fill up The Barn and spill over into the night, while you enjoy picnic food and our old-time country fair, complete with games, crafts and barbecue.
Calling all green thumbs and garden lovers! Blackberry Farm’s annual Garden Month is a long-standing celebration of all of our vibrant summer vegetation. Throughout August we will celebrate the bountiful produce coming from our fields and we will offer several garden-inspired programs. Guests will interact with our master gardener as well as our culinary team, learning techniques for better growing—while savoring the fresh flavors our fields have to offer in this dynamic season.
beer month A Salute to all things beer-related, Blackberry Farm’s first ever Beer Month celebrates one of our other favorite libations on the farm. In addition to special samplings from our own small-batch brews— including our Saison, Pale Ale and Dubbel—we’ll offer guests an in-depth look into how different beer varieties are made here and around the world. Join us throughout September for a month of special tastings, lectures and flights from some of today’s top beer producers.
1471 WEST MILLERS COVE ROAD WALLAND, TENNESSEE 37886 WWW.BLACKBERRYFARM.COM
PRESORT STANDARD FPO US POSTAGE Place actual PAID Indicia PERMIT # 2295 ATLANTA, GA
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#1 RESORT IN CONTINENTAL U.S. & CANADA
#1 FOR SERVICE IN NORTH AMERICA
Fa m i ly R ates We know families have to plan—between sports camps, summer reading assignments, and back-to-school dates—you’re already planning your Summer vacations. Unforgettable adventure, laughter-filled days and moments together are found between the white fences of the farm. We continue to reinvent Camp Blackberry and have exclusive “Kid Rates” to share. Make plans to make memories this Summer at Blackberry Farm.
call today to reserv e yo u r fa m ily ’ s ne x t adv ent u re on the far m !
800.557.8864 OR EMAIL R E S E RVAT I O N S @ B L AC K B E R RY FA R M . CO M