Sep 13, 2019
When I visited Chattanooga a few weeks ago, I wanted the air to be mountain cool, but instead, the morning I headed to visit Crabtree Farms, an urban farm just minutes from my downtown hotel, the air was thick with humidity and almost just as hot as the temps I’d left in Charleston. Still, executive director Sara McIntyre greeted me with a sparkling smile, and I soon understood why. Crabtree Farms is a little slice of wonderful to work in. We traipsed over acres, sampling flowers, herbs, paw-paw fruit, and tiny gold tomatoes right from the vine that were warm to the touch. Sara, a former school science teacher who completed her graduate studies at Teton Science School Graduate Program in Grand Teton National Park, does more than just lead farm tours. The farm is a hub for the community, and she has her hands in all parts of it, dirt under her fingernails, and a hope that springs forth even as weather and climate often create chaos.