I sat down to write an email about the list of upcoming classes we will announce, the beef that will go on sale for next summer, and the great opportunities there are for small retreats at our barn (we will be hosting a songwriting retreat!). But then this post happened instead, and I decided we could all use a little less marketing a little more appreciation for winter. I'll throw in a plug at the end for our gift certificates (good for anything here at the farm) and send the rest in the...

Pie? To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan. Most of them are unremarkable, with soggy, store-bought crusts, or fillings so sweet as to curl your teeth. But my friend, the “other Beth” or “ Pie Beth ” as she is often known, is well, into pie, to put it mildly. She’s written several books on the topic—books I liked much more than the dessert. Yes, Beth is from Iowa. But she also lived in the American Gothic house, where she sold, you guessed it, pie! And she recently made a movie, Pieowa ,...

This article first appeared in Beth's blog I n the Dirt. Sorry for the cross post--but we thought our readers would like it too! As the...