Name: Montana Stovall
Hometown: Austin, Texas
What brought you to the area? Taylor kept telling me about Yokna Bottom’s bountiful living soil.
How did you get started in agriculture? My family’s 2400 acre conventional farm.
What is a typical work day like? Up before sun. Lots of fresh breaths and coffee. Feed kids, chickens, and dogs. Then rally the troops, breathe deeply, and take care of the day’s work. Best times are end of day when my kids are happily in my arms. And dinner’s never boring around here.
What do you do on a rainy day? Inside work followed by lots of porch time.
What’s the best thing about working on your farm? Standing on living soil all day long
What are you most proud of this year so far? My two beautiful children playing with me in the dirt.
What are you most looking forward to this season? An abundance of quality produce
Funniest / strangest thing that has happened on the farm lately: Random dog chasing deer through 8 foot game fence into garden.
What’s your favorite vegetable? Tomatoes
What’s your favorite insect? Praying mantis
What’s your favorite music to listen to while digging in the ground? 80’s Grateful Dead with Brent Mydland, Yonder Mountain String Band, or quality Texas country
Ever dug up (or found) anything strange / interesting / valuable? Live 50 caliber round with dent.
Name an uncommon vegetable that people should try: Purple Tomatillo
Tell us one thing about farming that most people probably don’t know: America sprays too much.
Is there anything you’d like to see change about the way food is consumed in our community? Eat local, y’all.
Name one piece of equipment you could not live without: Walk-behind tractor with rotary plow and 22” tires.
Tell us one thing you’ve learned that you didn’t know when you first started farming: You can listen to Broccoli grow just as you can with corn.
What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten? Anne Marie’s Chicken fried tofu with Brown’s milk gravy and homemade biscuits, with Yokna Bottoms Farm collard greens, fried okra, sweet potatoes.
This article was published in The Local Voice #153 (April 5-19, 2012).
