What's in a name?

Puddles of rain in our sodden yard.

There is light snow falling through the cold air. The snow isn't really noticeable, until you feel it's cold kiss on your cheek. The dogs, of course, are impervious to it. Really, all they seem to be concerned about anymore is the smorgasbord the yard seems to provide for them: frozen & rotten pears, apples and persimmons, and what I believe are bird droppings: the dogs treat it like brown popcorn from heaven. They can't get enough. It rained yesterday. Almost 1 and a half inches fell yesterday, falling onto already sodden ground. The ground, when not under water outright, is soggy and sticks to your boots. I spent yesterday morning reading about the local food movement around the country, and then reading about soil. I'm feeling more ready to begin tackling the garden!
Most of my seeds are ordered. The internet failed twice while ordering, so two orders didn't go through. I'll re-order those later in the week. Once they arrive, I'll be starting some of them in flats in the garage under grow lights. Rich & I are going to build a cold frame to get an early start of lettuce and onions and some other greens. I'm glad he's as excited as I am!
So this past Saturday, I headed to town and met up with the Charleston Growers Association. It's a group of six other local growers in the Charleston area, all committed to growing produce from non-genetically-modified (non-GMO) seeds and without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. (By all rights, they're organic farmers, but since the word "organic" belongs to the USDA, so many farmers say they're raising crops "naturally".) These folks were very welcoming. I'd seen three of them last year at the Farmers' Market, having bought produce from them and talked to them then. It is very exciting to get involved with the growers here in the Charleston area. They are as passionate as I am about growing good food and talking to people about it. I also got the skinny on how to get a spot at the Farmers' Market, which starts June 1, and runs every Wednesday through the end of October.

Me carrying a fallen limb to the burn pile.

The one thing that got me hung up about the Growers Association: the application. I'm going to have to finally decide what I want to call that garden out there. Since before we moved here, Rich & I have been referring to this place as Persimmon Acres. It's got persimmon trees and many acres of land, to it worked for us. Since getting here and learning more of the history of the place, I've learned that a man named John Ingram homesteaded this place in the 1820's. The url of this blog is a nod to his name: Ingram Farm. We also learned that many folks around here know this place as the Baker Farm. The Bakers are a prominent family in the area. The high school gymnasium is named after one of them who lived in our house perhaps 30 years ago. I think if we owned this place, I might be more willing to name my farming venture with a nod to the history of the place. But since we will likely be moving at some point, I want the name to be able to move with me. I'd like to think that my produce becomes a staple at the farmers' market. Were I to name my business after one singular location, only to move a few years later, what about the name then? Talking it over Saturday night with Rich & our friend, Sam, I came to realize that Persimmon Acres might just be the best name. By Sunday, I'd decided on Persimmon Acres Farm. I really like the sound of it. Yesterday I googled the name, and learned that there is already a Persimmon Acres Farm in Terre Haute, just over the border in Indiana. So that name doesn't really work. In looking around the farm for other names, I knew I wanted to stick with those persimmon trees. They're such cool-looking trees, and for me, quite exotic. Their fruit is delicious and really quite prevalent here in the yard. Were Rich & I to move to a farm of our own, we would definitely be planting persimmon trees. So I've tentatively decided on the name Three Persimmons Farm as the name of this venture. There are three persimmon trees on this farm, and to get to the garden from the house, you walk under the shade of two of them. To get to the barn from the garden, you walk under the other. And I picture a cool logo with the outline of the three trees... Readers, what do you think? Is it a name worth keeping?