grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Turnrows: Farm is the New Hip

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Turnrows, Jonesboro

Do you know about Turnrows? Turnrows is a hip boutique in Jonesboro, Arkansas that you need to visit if you like farming and the Delta and southern casual clothing and accessories. And eating… Yes, farm is the new hip. And guess what? Even if you don’t live in Northeast Arkansas, you can still visit because there’s an online store. Bringing the farm to everyone… (This post is sponsored by Turnrows. Opinions are my own.)

I visited the store with my friend Becky the last time I was in Jonesboro. We were hoping to be invited to the Barrett Baber concert that night as Turnrows was a sponsor. Boo, that didn’t happen, but I did get this cool t-shirt which is pretty perfect I think.

No grit, no pearl

Turnrows has clothing for farmers, farmer wives, farmer’s daughters, farmer fans, farmer wannabes.Continue Reading

Spring Planting!

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spring planting

I love driving across Arkansas during spring. In the Ozarks, redbuds and dogwoods compete for attention, and roadsides are exploding with wildflowers. Spring planting is in full swing as farmers and gardeners put seeds in the ground. It’s no secret that harvest is my favorite time of year, but after a slow cold winter, spring planting is cause for celebration. Not that there’s time for a party.

Party in the field, maybe.

Of course, without spring planting, there would be no fall harvest. And timing is key. With spring comes wild weather bringing storms and hail, tornadoes, dust storms, a chance of frost? Rain, rain go away until we need another shower.

The soil is rich and wide awake, the fields leveled and hipped. The state is humming.

Here are a few spring planting pics from across Arkansas…Continue Reading

These Students at Blytheville Middle School…

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Accidental Salvation at Blytheville Middle School

Y’all, these students at Blytheville Middle School…this is what it’s all about. You never know where this crazy life will take you, and how one decision can change you in ways you never anticipated, but that’s how writing has been for me. The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee has led me to doors I would have otherwise never opened. Beyond those doors? The road I almost completely missed. For me, it’s about so much more than the book itself. It’s about the people and the relationships and the surprises along the way.

My own accidental salvation…

I was invited to Blytheville Middle School by Amy Harmon who teaches there. She’d been reading Accidental Salvation to her class and they were enjoying it. Literacy is my thing, so I was happy to go and provide a few books for her classroom. I read from a particular chapter I thought the students might relate to—Gracie Lee was at school, bored, unable to concentrate on her assignment, thinking about how she’d been grounded at the end of summer. We’ve all been there, right?Continue Reading

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!