Forgotten Fields Project

Forgotten Fields Project 19 - Killing Frost

April was a crazy weather month.  As warm temperatures moved in, plants said "yes please". Then bitter cold followed. This episode ponders the effects and costs for local farmers and orchards.

Episode 18: Weather Folklore

Before radar, satellites, and apps, there was the sky—and those who knew how to read it. In this episode, we explore the sayings passed down through generations, like rings around the moon before snow, red skies at morning, the hush before a storm. Are these just old wives’ tales, or do they hold real observational wisdom? Our ancestors lived close to the land, watching patterns, seasons, and subtle shifts in nature to guide their decisions. Somewhere along the way, many of us stopped looking up. Joined by Kevin Myatt of Cardinal News, we wander through pieces of weather wisdom and regional lore—examining what holds truth, what doesn’t, and what these sayings reveal about how people once lived in rhythm with the natural world. Along the way, Chuck Miller weighs in on how we might begin to incorporate these observations back into our own lives—what it means to live with that kind of awareness, and what we may need to remember again in order to do so. More than prediction, this episode asks a deeper question: what might we gain by paying attention again?

Episode 17: Deep Freeze

Join us this episode as Tom and Tara reflect on an unusually long stretch of icy winter weather and how it shaped life on the farm day after day. With no quick thaw in sight, even routine chores become calculated, careful work. They talk through the challenges of animal care, frozen ground, and altered rhythms, alongside the stark quiet and fleeting beauty that winter can bring. It takes preparation, patience, and adapting when the land sets the terms—and a reminder that farming means meeting each season as it comes, ice and all.

Episode 16: Holiday Special

As the year draws to a close, we gather around the metaphorical hearth for a thoughtful holiday wrap-up episode. We’re joined by Tom Williamson, who offers a candid and deeply grounded perspective on the future of farming, and the barriers, obstacles, and opportunities that face farmers today—highlighting the critical role of community, stewardship, and long-term thinking in sustaining agriculture for generations to come. As we look ahead to the coming year, this episode serves as both a reflection and a call to remember what matters most: the land beneath our feet, the people who tend it, and the responsibility we all share in shaping the future of food.

Episode 15: Haunted Heritage: Ghost Stories that Refuse to Rest

In this episode, we step into the misty crossroads of memory and myth, where history lingers and the past refuses to rest. Joined by Lynsey Allie, Director of the Botetourt County Historical Society, and investigative medium Laine Crosby, we wander through the area's most enduring ghost stories— from whispered Fincastle legends to spirits said to haunt old homesteads and forgotten spaces. Along the way, we explore why we cling to these tales, what they reveal about our fears and hopes, and how our stories shape the land just as surely as the land shapes us. These aren’t just ghost stories; they’re reminders that history has a heartbeat, and sometimes, you can still hear it...