Welcome to the grazing. Podcast for Robertson s
Farmers C. My name is Clint. And I
will be your host as we record live
from our beautiful Springfield Tennessee location inside our
podcast studio.
Robertson C is a member own farm supply
cooperative. You've can learn more about us on
our website, your farmers coop dot com in
addition to our Facebook and Instagram.
Welcome back to the grazing podcast for Robertson
and C Farmers coop.
My guest today is missus Amy Corbyn. She
is the owner of Cor
Greenhouse located right here in Springfield, Tennessee and
we're gonna sit down with her. And learn
more about the greenhouse and and everything that
goes on there. Missus Amy. How are you
doing today?
Miss Amy. I miss Amy.
Pardon me. How you how you doing the
today? I'm great. Okay. Well, it's it's hot
out there this morning. Well, it is hot,
but I'm much...
Happier when it's a hundred than when it's
20. Are you more of a... I'm a
summertime girl. Are you? Yeah. I think in
your line of work, you'd... You just about
have to be.
You talking just like... You talk about getting
in the greenhouse and
this... What... I don't know what temperature supposed
to be... It's gonna be in the nineties
and it's hot, but you talk about being
inside a greenhouse and it gets exponentially hotter.
Is that right? It does.
It it gets quite a bit hotter in
night right. Right. But, you know, I... Some
people
some people do better in winter.
Some people do better than summer, I can
I can take either?
The only thing I don't like about summer.
If I'm not working in it, I don't
mind it too bad.
But when you... You know, when you go
in and say you gotta get cleaned up
or something like you gotta go to a
wedding, You know, something like that where you
have to be nicely dressed and you gotta
be clean. And you go out and you
have to sit outside and it's just burning
up and you're sweating through your clothes. That's
what I don't like. I agree. You know?
I agree. When you wanna be and dry
and and feel clean. It's not the... I
don't know why people have outdoor events. I
don't know you dress up. Event. Don't stop
a year. I don't Oh, either. I was
talking to somebody the other day had to
go to a wedding,
and they said everybody was just sweating through
their clothes. You know, It was just just
miserable outside. Now, if you going do it
it indoors, you know, that's fine, but
outdoor stuff this time of year, You know,
if it's... Yeah. When you're shorts and flip
flop. Right. Right. Be as comfortable as you
can. You know? So I'm I'm I'm right
there with you on that. So,
Amy, I'm I'm gonna be honest with you.
I... My wife has been at the Corbyn
Creek before. She's been out there with our
kids and and purchased some of y'all plants.
But me, personally, I've never been out there
before. So this is this is all new
to me. You're gonna be my guide on
the Corbyn creek, Greenhouse express teach me about
this stuff? Okay?
So I'm I'm just... You know, I'm wondering
that the history of Ko Creek. How did
all of this come into exist a
I know y'all been doing it a long
time. Well, we've been growing flowers
for 25 years.
It started...
My father,
and my brother
had a to tobacco company.
They actually brought
the
float method
to this area,
greenhouse,
and
he
decided 1 year that
if they could grow tobacco and greenhouse, they
could grow flowers or we would... He would
try.
So he put up
1
greenhouse in
the first year,
he gave all the flowers away. To tobacco
customers.
And then the second year,
we started charging for them and people were
like,
Now wait,
last year this was free.
Well, it became a business.
So that's how it started. Was my dad.
So with the the float method, he was
kind of a pioneer in that. He was.
He and my brother. Yes.
And he was open minded to not only
doing tobacco, but but flowers that way. Exactly.
What what do you think
let him to to pursue flowers.
Did he... It was because, some people just
you're like, I love flowers, man. I could
go to the store and just buy flowers
for me. And put them on face table
That's how much I enjoy him. But for
him, you know, what what do you think
led his mind to that? Was he somebody
that love flowers? Or did he just see
it as more of, like, a a business
venture.
He traveled a lot
between
plant city in Lab, Florida
With these
tobacco plants and greenhouse and all of that.
And I think he saw
what was going on down there with
flower per, you know, growing flowers and things
and thought well,
he was just
my dad was
that kind of person if he saw something
new,
that interested him, he was gonna try it.
And he was gonna go into it in
a big way
I've, you know, business minded people. I think
that's kind of a commonality they have, You
know, especially when you have... When you have
to think outside of the box.
And you know, that's a... I'm... What year
do you think that was? Will that have
been in the
seventies
or... Well there. That...
Tobacco
started
in the
eighties
when they brought that method here.
We started the flower
greenhouse
in
the mid nineties.
So the the float method for people that
don't know. Can you just explain that what
what that means.
In a basic way. And for... Growing tobacco.
Your tobacco or flowers you... Don't float flowers.
You don't. No. Oh, I thought you so
when he
when he used the float method for the
tobacco, he didn't he didn't use that for
the fall. Okay. No. No. Alright. I need
misunderstood understood you. Flowers.
So
Okay. So you he pioneered the float method
for tobacco. And then his mind just got
started on the flowers after that, and they
were just grown in the greenhouse. Yes. Right
off the bat. Okay. Okay. I misunderstood. I
was thinking you grew them in a... You
used the float method on some butter cups
out there or something. Okay. Alright.
Well, in that case, you don't have to
explain it then because I don't I don't
know if it's... Unless you just want x.
Yeah.
Okay. So he
took that and
was it
the first flowers that were grown, were they
were they inside of a greenhouse? Yes. Okay.
Do you remember what
species they were?
It was mostly Pet
and
common things.
Mh. That
you see around here a lot. That's mostly
what the first ones were. Okay. And then
You know, I that was kinda like a
trial run it sounded like where he gave
him away to a lot of
a lot of neighbors and whatnot. And then
the next year,
maybe they got a little bit a little
bit sp and he started charging for him
after that it sounded like.
Yeah. Yep. Okay.
It it's telling about, you know, common stuff,
pet,
stuff
opportunity is pretty... From what I understand about
them. They're pretty easy to grow. They're pretty
hardy plant. They are Pet,
Beg,
things that have been around for for years.
Okay. So, you know, once he sorry once
he did this, and I... I'm sure he
saw
potential in it, obviously, he kept going,
was it just year after year, growing a
little bit more. Y'all just keep getting more
greenhouse or... Yeah.
2 or 3 years after... Du,
we started,
then the genetics and all of these flowers
became
the main thing. And all these prop
and
breeder
started,
expanding,
well, a
used to be a pet.
Now, there are as many different
types
of pet
as many different
genetics
as there are
colors.
It's it's
it has become
more of a scientific
thing now than it used to be.
It... I'm sure with the technology
evolve and and I'm I'm not sure the
the methods of how they do that. Like
you said, I'm sure it's quite scientific how
they... It is in these big breeding,
propagation,
tissue culture.
Houses.
Yes. So for y'all to stayed any, I'm
sure you've obviously had to evolve with that
and and keep paying been wonderful.
Seeing the
evolution and
seeing the improvements
that have been made. Yeah. Does it make
it?
Easy in in a sense just having the
options available, or is it... There's so much
out there that can be overwhelming trying to
figure out. Be very over Wilmington trying to
figure out.
We have gone the route
of
Stronger
genetics,
heat,
tolerant,
drought, tolerant,
plants
to carry you through
the temperatures
and he humidity
that we're going through right now.
We also
expanded
into
growing our own perennial.
We grow
from bear root.
We get the root in
pot them up,
bring them out of dorm sea, and that
has become
a a big part of what we do.
We grow
a world
of vegetable,
plants for people.
And we seed all of my mother who's
87
hand seeds
all
of
the tomatoes,
peppers,
squash,
all of the
garden plants that we sell. Wait we are
we are not mechanized.
Our mech
recommendation
is...
Filling our pots, flats, trays, whatever with our
hands
out of a big old water and trough.
I think that adds to the the cool
of it myself, You know, just the
maintaining that old timing method. It and in
doing it. You know, It's just... I think
that's character building. The fact your mom is
out there 87 years old still doing that.
That's fantastic. There's not a lot of people
that can say that. No. And,
so
it
it's it's truly been a family
venture,
has its good times, and it's bad times,
and...
But it's good. Oh, it's... I'm I'm sure.
I'm sure you... Blessed many people in the
in the process of doing it as well
as yourselves.
So as this
progressed through the years, did your day... Obviously,
you're gonna learned through trial and error, obviously.
But did he have people... Like, I know
you said he in Florida Some? I'm sure
he picked up knowledge there from some of
those folks. Learn about how to grow plants.
Did he...
Not really. So it was something he just
kind of Yeah fourth on his own, He
didn't have a mentor with it. No
not really. It was just kind of a
trial and error. He had been a farm
all of his life, and he knew
and the 1 thing that he taught,
Us,
and it's the most important thing is first,
you have to grow a healthy root system.
And so from that, we just,
you know.
Starts there. It starts right there.
So, you know, speaking of the root system
to make sure that happens, what...
And this can be applied to people that
just have a a hobby garden, for example,
it all starts with the root system.
What do you try to really focus on
to make that happen from the start to
make sure the plan is gonna have an
advantage. Of 1 80 emerges. Well, for me
it all starts with the soul or the
growing media.
It's and it has gotten so expensive.
But
that's the most important thing.
When you take a little rooted ke
that's
maybe
2 inches tall
and the
circumference
of that
root system
out of that little
plug tray is
maybe 2 inches, and you put it in
a 6 inch pot
with wet soul,
you've got to
concentrate on...
Not over watering, not to dry
until those roots
get established
and spread to the
pot cells.
So before that happens, it's... It's essentially just
making sure it's kind of
maybe baby in a way to make sure
not too wet, not too dry trust right.
Baby. Pride.
And all plants
have different
growth habits
different water requirements,
but it all starts with for me, the
soul. Mh.
Your your pot sold that Y'all use in
your greenhouse is where is that source from?
Go up. It is.
Alright. Wonderful. Look at it. Growing media,
our pot,
pal and Christy.
Do a fabulous
job
of getting...
We use different sizes for different
things.
And
yeah, all of our growing media and
pots,
trays,
inserts
whatever
is,
it comes from
Robertson County.
C.
Alright.
Alright. That's... I... You know, I I've heard
Kyle talk about that before.
So... Because we were when we still... When
we start doing this podcast, we... We talked
about having y'all alone here, and then, of
course time goes by and then thought about
you And and look at us now. We're
sitting here just sit... Done talking about pet
and coop soul and just like brother and
sister or Right. So, you know, the soul
itself, what does... When you put these
seed in there,
you know, when I when I think of
Tennessee soil. Somebody that wants to have a
hobby garden in their backyard.
You know, a lot of times it's red
to clay sole. Depending on where they live.
That's not gonna be conducive to what you're
doing, I wouldn't think. No No, not. We
use
sol.
Growing media.
Now,
I will
pinch pennies
on a lot of things,
but not
the soul because that's the beginning.
I had to leave I've used
the same growing media for years
out of Canada.
But it got so expensive that just So
we went to something different this year.
And
Kyle has been coming out and looking
because the beginning and know, what's going on
whether it was right now are 2 different
things for plants.
How is the soil working now?
Well, it's drying
really fast.
And we have found... He was there
a couple of weeks ago.
I have found
that
I do not like
this
growing media
for the perennial.
So we've already looked at
what we're gonna use for perennial for next
growing season.
So,
I mean,
we've got help right here
with soul and, you know, how is it
doing,
especially when it's something new
Do you like it? Well, for this, it's
fine, but for this,
and he said, well, okay. This is what's
available.
So we've already talked about the route for
perennial that we're gonna go for next growing
season. And it... It's just 1 of those
things that's dependent on the weather. You know,
obviously, we.
Right. We don't know go into... We don't
have much rain we're gonna get the summer.
We don't know if it's gonna be a
mild summer if it's gonna be a summer
we're burning up.
So it's 1 of those things I imagine
you're just... You're trying to give yourself the
best chance at producing a good crop, which
that's all farmers. Right. You know,
but, you know, having those options of it,
and that's where we go back to the
technology. I'm sure within the genetic side of
these plants, you can select 4 plants that
tend to be
more resilient when it comes to dry weather.
Perhaps? Exactly. Is there a trade off in
that though? Like, if you
let's say, you know, we... You anticipate a
hot summer next year. So you say, okay.
I'm gonna try to select for plants that
have been...
Genetically
predisposition to to tolerate that weather,
is there a
is there a price to pay for that
Whenever you
lean that way towards a certain,
genetic quality. Like, does it affect?
I don't know. Like, if it maybe it
is not a hot summer or maybe it's
small of a mild some or do Will
they not do well? Like, is it? They'll
be fine. Sure. Okay.
The majority of the annual that we grow.
Will people use in
containers.
And
the main thing you have to realize
the bigger the container.
The more sole volume,
the more
water
retention,
back off your water,
you can kill
a plant with too much water
just as quick as you can,
letting it
trial.
So,
you know?
It's There was a lot of...
Of,
in
may when we were having those flooding rains
a lot of people, their containers drowned out.
And
rather, the only thing you can do to
stop that is pull it undercover. You know,
so it doesn't get 9 inches of rain
at a time when it... Those flooding rains
come through.
We
we also grow
a lot of produce.
Well,
To this day, we have yet
to have a bean or a ap.
Rain,
rain, rain
the
flooding,
you know, our corn,
it's sweet, early sweet corn. It didn't do
a squat
because it was underwater so many times.
We have rep reprinted and rep reprinted.
And
I think we will finally
have some squash
this next week.
That's exciting. But
I told somebody the other day.
I am going to pick beans and peas
if it's snowing outside when they're ready.
Because
it's just... It has affected everything.
But,
you know, and
then you have no fertilizer left
in the ground.
So we're up here the other day, Christie,
I've got to reapply fertilizer hand
because everything's washed away.
What do I need?
So
she told us what we needed,
and we're out with 5 gallon buckets. Throw
and fertilize fertilizer her behind, and then my
brother be came through with the tractor and
cult and worked in
to see if we can get
Something. Right. It's it's... It's been a very
challenge
here. 0II
can imagine.
I imagine. But
what do you do? You take what the
Lord gives you and you work with it.
When it was strange because April April was
rather un season dry, I thought compared to
other April. With and then meg gets here.
And we get a foot of rain
sometime in the middle of May. And then,
memorial they weekend, we got another. I don't
know how many. Oh, we had
the...
Was it the
first week of April?
We had that horrible hail storm. Now not
everybody was it torn up as we were.
I remember that. Yeah. We
we had
so much damage to
houses,
born raised.
Vehicles,
greenhouse roofs.
And then the rain started, and it rained
and it rained and it rained and it
rained and it rained.
The month of May, we had... There 31
days in May. And I keep
on my daily calendar,
extreme weather when we go,
what I call end this season,
21
days out of those 31. We had an
inch or more
of rain.
Some days, it was 6 inches, 8 inches
1 day we had 12 inch.
Are y'all in an area to what, obviously,
heavy rain like that is gonna affect the
crops you're gonna try to grow? Are you
y'all in area that floods where you get
damaged from it? What we know that is
not a flood zone, a flood plain, whatever
you call it.
Now, It's just
the del duluth.
You know? Of course, the hail that's devastating.
It was... I've never seen anything like that.
I actually had steel being.
I had forgotten but where I'm at, we
got a little bit of hell. We're, you
know, more
east from where you are. And Right... I
I had to get under Out doing something.
I had to get under cedar your tree.
Tried to knock it off of me too
far away from the house. But I'd heard
later, a prem Baron plains area was much,
much worse.
It,
some of the... It...
We've had these greenhouse for 25 years.
The plastic covering,
the dome
top is 6 mil heavy, heavy, heavy plastic.
And
double layers with an inflation fan,
the hail... And we've had a lot of
hail in 25 years.
Never have I had plastic
penetrated.
It riddled the plastic. And then once the
hail stopped,
we had 10 inches of rain.
The rain
came through that top
penetration,
and
created
water pockets in that second layer
and the weight, those greenhouse,
the steel
have a wet load of 2 tons.
And the water was so heavy
that it bent some bows.
That is
un unheard up. But it... Obviously, if we
wouldn't have gotten the hail, you wouldn't have
had the penetration where that heavy range could've
have gotten in to cause. So it was
just
a a terrible set of circumstance. Yeah. The
chain reaction of events happening.
It was yes. Golly late. So when it
when it started sag down, I... Of course,
it it bent to steal and then you
talking about did it.
Did it get all the way to where
the plants were? No. No. Okay. Did you
leave the plants in there or or did
y'all hu get them out Thinking
everything in there no we
Wasn't worried. It was gonna come all the
way down and crush everything. Nothing like. What
you do.
Shoot. I'd be going in there grab 1
by 1. 0, there's running in ma'am. No.
There's no way. First of all,
if you're... If you've got
weather that's severe going on.
A greenhouse is the last place you want
people. Mh.
And then when you start, you know,
No. No. We didn't no. It it... But
you were fortunate it besides the
greenhouse structure itself, did the plants themselves?
Fair okay? The plants inside were fun.
The
perennial and things
outside,
the larger foliage
plants
had a lot of hail damage. Mh The
smaller foliage,
it didn't seem to affect. This much. But
that's something that you just trim out and
it grew out. Sure. So
this of of all the... Not necessarily the
vegetable
crops, but
perennial and and flowers, for example. What are
some of the species that just they don't
tolerate water. That that amount of water, but
they're really sensitive to water that y'all grow.
Well.
I think about a fern. You know you
can't Hardly out. Can you offer water a
fern? No.
As long as you've got drainage
in the pot. Mh. As long as the
pot or the container,
that has that plant or group of plants
in it has good drainage.
No.
Not a foreign.
It just depends on the plant and how
big and heavy the root system me is.
Mh. Some plants have a very
light,
small roots system and they are less watered
tolerant
or a
huge amount of water, tolerant. Mh. They just
don't
require. They don't use.
You run into trouble
when you have
root systems
sitting in water,
and they're not using it.
That's where your roots start to rot. Just
get over saturated at that point. Yeah.
So during that time, once... Well, once May.
You know, came and gone. We're into June
and
we had some
good decent rain in June that I thought
nothing like May, but grain that we was
very helpful, but it's is hot hot and
dry Parts of June.
Have y'all all been able to kinda
get together and and regroup and put a
plan in place for the damage that was
sustained or... Well, that the roofs are,
you know,
Fixing the be replaced,
the bows
that were bent.
My brother bill
And a friend of his is
in bearing Plains, Vince Starks who has
worked with steel and welding all of his
life.
They came up with
a method
to
jack up these bows,
and
then
William
design, these big steel supports vents welded them
come in
because once that
once that steel has been miss,
once you put it back up or
jacket it back up, you've got to give
it permanent
support. Mh.
And
that has been done,
we are,
the next step is to pull new
plastic
tops.
That's... It takes several people.
I'll call you to come here.
Okay.
I'm sure it takes a lot of manpower.
Yeah. Yes. Because you've got to think
the...
Weight of a roll of
45
by a hundred and 60 foot
6 meal plastic.
The weight of that.
But anyway, in heat and humidity like this,
you can't
Because once you get the bottom layer over
and you start coming over
with that top layer, you've got
condensation, it sticks together.
There can't be any wind.
And so it takes,
something
that's very hard to
find a time.
I perfect pull... What we call a perfect
data whole plastic. Sure. They are few and
far between. Right the way our weather is
evolving.
But it has to be done. Right. So...
During this time, when
when this weather was going on, and it
it
y'all sustained this damaged to your greenhouse. Of
course, I know... And I I said, I've
never been out there, but I know
y'all have...
We y'all have it where customers can come
to you. Yeah. To purchase your your products.
Like Did did y'all have to shut down
during that time period?
The first
day...
After
the damage happened
during the night before,
until we could get
plastic
drained and stabilized,
the steel,
we
did not let people in the greenhouse
simply because
we weren't sure. You know,
but after that, we got the plastic
drained
the weight off. And
again, my brother bill
came through and said,
we're good.
We're... Now 1 back area of 1 house
we did block off because there was a
heater
that
was
at an odd, hanging at an odd angle,
and I was like, no,
I don't need anybody back here. You know.
But
But, yeah, We got it. We got it
no again. Was this...
To your memory and knowledge, was this probably
the most challenging year y'all had since you
been in this line of?
Yes.
Yes. Do do you feel like you've gotten
to a place now or you can kinda
No. I'm not gonna say that because every
time I do,
something else.
Wait do. Why make you to drop? I'm
going to get through today. Right.
I'm laughing because I can relate to that.
We,
you know, we've... It's been a...
We we raised beef cows and it's been
1 thing after another this year. The rain.
That we we we have we have a
lot of flooding where we're at, and it's
just been say that was another thing that
massive hail.
I was... Because we have cut... We farm.
It doesn't matter if it's
out in the field or under a piece
of plastic way farm,
and you are at the
mercy of the elements,
you know, with that horrible
hail,
I was thinking, oh my god because we
have cattle and calves. What
what flesh wounds are we gonna see? From
this. Mh. But they got deep enough back
in there,
that
from didn't have any. If they can get
find some shelter to get in some woods
or a thick Well they knock it off
of them yeah. Of would. Right. But
well, it... It's 1 of those things you
just...
You had a a bad series of events
1 after the other after the other, you're
like, what's what's coming next?
No It's like today, I have today,
and I'm gonna get through today? It makes
sense. That's a good way to look at
it. So, you know, for y'all business,
I know, you know, customers can come to
where you're at. Y'all also do farmers markets.
I'm not assuming.
But let's say, you know, someone
they like me, for example, Never been out
there they wanna come check it out. They,
you know, they love plants and having plants
around the house.
What can they expect?
When they come to Corbyn Greenhouse.
Flowers,
perennial.
We
do not grow the only thing we sell
that we do not grow are tropical.
Because
during the growing season, we literally
do not have enough hours of sunlight
to meet the light requirements. Mh. So
I I don't have many tropical left this
season, but
and, we will
help you
if you have questions,
that's what we're there for.
Which means a a lot. If someone, you
know, not front they moved here and they
wanting to landscape their house, for example,
you know, the front of there make it
look really pretty. You can go to lowe's
and get plants, but a lot of times
the the people working there,
don't have the first firsthand experience and the
knowledge to give you on advice, advice on
what's, you know, a good idea. It's not
a good idea. And that's a beautiful thing
though.
I think about, like, coop. You know, the
people that work here just about everybody has
hands on experience and farm and experience and
we can give people advice. And that's very
important order? Yes. Yes. Absolutely Very important. So
what are some of the most popular plants
that y'all sell?
Order
When you think the ones that are just
going out the door, you know, year after
year that people really seem to enjoy, What
what comes to your mind.
Well,
pet,
Caliber
or million bales farms,
in hanging baskets.
Montana,
beg gh.
Just
a variety of
all things things. Okay. Well, and... I'm for
familiar with some of those things that you
said, but some of them, I'm I'm sure
I've seen them before,
but,
you know, fern, for example, I love a
big old, massive
dr firm.
I all... For some reason, I don't know
what it is. I don't know if it's
the placement of my house and the sunlight,
but I... If
by this time you year my friends, and
I we try to water them. Consistently. They
just don't keep that
really beautiful lush formed...
Because they're so root bound.
The best way to water a fern
this time of year
as big as the roots are and as
big as the actual plan is
is get a big...
Not a 5 gallon bucket because your
pot in gonna fit down in there. We
use,
big feed tubs.
Yeah. Fill it up with water. Set your
fern there and let it wick the water
up
because you you can't get enough to it.
More of a
subversion technique instead of just dumping water? Yeah.
On top of them. What about fertilizer? Are
they... Is there something they need to continue
to be fertilized?
Yeah.
In your opinion. Yeah.
And
what's a good,
you know, just a good... Base fertilizer analysis...
Consists using your fertilizer
consistently
is the key.
Miracle grow for home use
is great,
but you have to use it. And there
are some
plants
like
gerber Da
in
uranium.
I tell people they're like hungry teenage
boys.
You have to feed feed feed
to keep them bloom
lush.
I know somebody said, well,
on the label or on the container of
miracle grow, it says use once every 2
weeks.
I was like, well, for
a affirm that's fine. But for something that
blooms,
It needs the food. I said use it
3 times a week.
It's not gonna hurt anything. The only way
you're gonna hurt some... Thing
with fertilizer
is
if you let the plant get very, very
dry and then you fertilize
You're gonna burn it mh.
Just, you know, and if it gets real
dry, and you need to fertilize,
give it some plain water, wait about 30
minutes, and then come back and fertilize.
It sounds like it's a pretty good rule
of thumb. If you dealing them with the
plant that is consistently putting out blooms,
it's gonna need to be fed. It's gonna
need to be faye. Versus something that just
kinda sits there like a firm. It's just
exactly. Requirements are exactly.
So let's say
if you were If you were Maroon on
Island.
Right? You're on an island, you got plenty
of food. You got a stuff to survive
there. There's 1 plant.
That you can plant and grow? Just 1.
It's gotta be your favorite 1,
what would your favorite plant be? If you're
gonna look at something for the rest of
your life, which 1 would you pick?
Flowers.
Yeah. Flowers.
Just 1 that really jumps at it. No
a hard question.
I would say a big phone.
And I... You know,
Why do you think that is? I mean
I can tell you from... I love a
big it's just a giant. Dr phone is
just something about it. Do as much
with
foliage
strictly foliage
as you can with bloom plant. Mh.
The challenge of keeping that firm trimmed and
keeping keeping it growing
I guess, you know, and it's green.
If if that's my only
choice. Sure.
But it's not gonna require,
feeding
which I'm not gonna have. Right. You know,
have to worry about it. I said it's
gonna it's gonna
be hearty and and stay like it is.
So
The fern y'all grow,
do y'all start them from from ceilings?
We start them from what is called A
align.
Again, though, it's... They, we buy the rooted
liners from
propagation houses.
2 inches tall,
root system
developed,
about
3 inches around.
For fern,
we put them pot them into
5 inch
pots to grow.
Firms grow very slowly.
They have rooted in
and they're big and pretty in those 5
inch pots.
Are fern for next spring, we will
take 5 inch pot material
and put in
11 inch hanging baskets,
and start
growing them now for next spring?
What's the difference between those firms and say
the... The wild firms that grow here. If
you walk out into the woods and Well,
it seems essentially the same? No. They're
those that are wild that they're perennial, They're
native to our area. Mh We do grow
some,
perennial
fern, but there's, you know, they're they're for
the ground.
These are
Boston,
asparagus firm
in hanging baskets
that people like to hang
would they grow anywhere naturally in the country
or the world
where you can go? South?
You every
plant
has
a what we call a hard
zone.
Mh Perennial.
So
what is the hard zone on a Boston
fern? I don't know.
But
I would say, Florida,
they'd grow year around. So prolific in the
south. Yes. Sounds like. I got some fern
somewhere way. I can't came remember where it
was and that they were...
It's said something about Michigan. They were originally
grown in Michigan, which I thought was odd.
Well That's where they rooted them.
But they don't net... You're not gonna grow
up to go to Michigan and see these
naturally beautiful fern just growing out on the
side of the road.
I wouldn't think so it. Right.
It's kinda cold they. Yeah. Well, that's what
I was when I saw. And I was
like, last but that's where they rooted them.
Yeah. Right. Okay. That makes sense.
But if you were gonna be maroon island
and you go with a big old firm.
Yeah. To look at it. I mean, I
think that's a good choice.
Good... I might do the same thing. What
about a
what about a sunflower or just a big
beautiful sunflower? Do you like those?
Yeah. They're pretty. Yeah. I love a good
sunflower. And that's something that would produce its
own seed.
To come back every year. Mh.
What about a tulip? You like a tulip?
They're very
Yes. For early cool spring blooms, they're beautiful.
I love a good tool bag. My mom's
got a picture me as a toddler, I'm
going up and my grandmother yard. I'm looking
at these beautiful red and purple too. And
I just got this big g on my
face and something about a tulip is just
I don't know. I... I love a good
tulip.
So, you know, depending on the time you...
Obviously, this is a year round job. Y'all.
I don't think y'all all have necessarily an
off season?
No.
When does it slow down the most? Would
that be the wintertime? For Well, yeah. But
you're still maintaining
plant material in the greenhouse. Mh.
But, yes, it's... That's our
Slow off Slow lacey.
Get some rest Sure.
But you're more of a summer gal you
said, you don't necessarily like... So in the
wintertime, what do you what do you like
to do?
Well, I I don't know. Just what happened?
You going make case? You go to Florida
where it's warm. Oh, I don't...
Because of everything at home, you know, you've
got maintenance
on everything,
and,
oh, I would love to be able to
spend the winter in Florida,
but it's flash out winter? Too much to
take Sure.
The the irrigation y'all have in place. Well,
because I'm sure you have to have irrigation.
I I would imagine.
In in these greenhouse.
Is that source from... Is it city water?
Or is it well water? Okay?
It... I've always heard people talk about a
difference. So, you know, you're
If you can water your plants with well
water or, you know, at It's much better.
Is it... Our city water is so bad.
That I have to,
there are a lot of
flowers
plant
that are very ph
sensitive.
And I have to
treat
the water
through
injector
with c
lime
to lower the ph,
Our water's really bad.
You can imagine if it kills flowers, what
it's gonna do to you. Oh I...
So is it more of a a
base to it, the the water, and
it's more a in the city? Is that
what you're saying? Okay.
What about, you know, I... I've always heard
cl cl... They they treat some of chlorine
and I made. Yeah. And I imagine that's
probably not great either for the clients.
So we use ke lime
through inject. To bring the ph down to
a more... To try to neutralize some of
that mess. Sure.
Yeah. I've... I've kinda tried to do an
experiment before where I water firms with city
water, and then I'd use the method of
what you talk about more of a method
where I'll I'll think to Creek and dip
them down in it. And it seems... I
don't know if it's just me, but it
seems like they they they like that creek
water better.
It's natural.
It's...
I can find a tray of
sick.
Plans.
Set it outside,
let it get some good rain and wind,
air mode, good air movement,
and
you can do more
curing thing. I call it god's
antibiotic,
then you can
with all the chemicals
imaginable.
Oh, absolutely. So.
Absolutely. That's the way it's supposed to be.
It is. You're exactly right. You know, I've
heard people
I've heard people say that plants respond good
to, like, people that plan them they talk
to them afterward. They'll talk to the plant.
Alright. Little plants yours you're gonna grow up
and be so beautiful and big and strong.
I've heard plants like that. Do you got
you got an opinion on that? I do.
The and there was a book. It's out
of print now
that was written back a habit at home,
back in the sixties.
And I hope I'm remembering this title correctly
the secret life of plans.
They did all of these studies.
They would have a room of plants here,
another room, the exact same plants,
and they were each
watered and fed the same, but they were
talked to
very differently.
Yeah. And the and the ones that were
spoken to
in a positive manner, did they according to
the studies they did better? Yes. What do
you attribute that to?
They're living beings.
They don't walk and talk like we do,
but...
They're
living
organisms.
It's really fascinating.
You know, the same thing with animals. Mh.
I an animal lover. I love my dogs
better. I like most people.
This but you said you raise cash. Yeah.
Now, then how do your cattle react to
you? Well,
you go out there and you start ranting
and Raven and carrying on
or when you go out and you're very
calm there's an old say in Calm. There's
an old say in...
The best way to work cattle is slow.
Yeah.
And what that means is, you know, if
you
Whenever it's time to, you know, work, and
give them shots. For example.
Give them shots, warm and whatever,
you don't want people out there that's,
you know,
impatient or loud or bo you want it
to be as... You don't want music playing.
I don't want dogs barking. No. I don't
want anything around like
anything. I won't quite. We're gonna walk them.
If it takes us all day, we're gonna
go as slow as we possibly can because
of... That is not gonna raise their cortisol
and stress levels and and
get them screwed up and gas up, where
they're gonna be, you know, ill tempered and
hard to work. Body up fences. It's it's
it's it's terrible. So it's...
Anything
that the Lord created
that's leave living.
Has to be taken care of. Steward
the right way. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. You know,
I planted some perennial
Oh, what are those things called? They're like,
they're evergreen.
Kinda like, privacy trees, I guess you call
them are they...
Like the
spiders.
Is that... Yes. Yes. Or a,
Leland cyprus. Yeah. And after I planned it,
and I talked to them, I tried to
build them up and tell them how good
they're gonna do. And,
you know, I hadn't lost 1 yet. Right.
That was,
4 or 5 years ago. But they seem
to be doing really well. And it's it's
kinda fun to talk to to be honest
with. Yeah. You know? Yeah. They're easy to
talk to for me,
better than most people, like you said.
Yeah.
Exactly. So, you know, okay. So getting back
to the Corbyn Greenhouse, you know, y'all have
obviously
flowers,
vegetables, but also,
Cbd.
Oh, y'all carry that as well. Is that
is that correct? Yes. Cbd product. Yes.
And, you know, what...
I've heard the health benefits of it before.
I mean, what do y'all
what do y'all try to... Know, what are
y'all heavy promoter?
And the main thing is it it's...
Most people...
You hell... It helps with
inflammation.
So if say if you have arthritis or...
U.
Some pain in your joints. You can get
some of this stuff out. Is it just
you just rub it on the area. We
didn't have a sa that my mother makes.
Yes.
Do you use it?
Every day.
And you can tell
tell a big difference obviously
with it?
We we have
Bobby Grant and Green,
roast and grounds coffee from all over the
world, Cumberland Valley coffee.
And several years ago,
he started
using our
tin,
roasting a hon and bean with our tin,
and then grounding it in
packaging it, and we sell it there at
the green hat.
That's all, I'm a huge coffee drinker.
That's all the coffee that I drink is
our coffee.
Back in the early spring, I got
sick and Had to
have a lot of tests at different times.
And
1 day, I'd I told my mother, I
was... We were going to...
1 of the hospitals in Nashville, so I
could have some test. I said, I am
so... We're death
and so.
And she said how many days have you
not had coffee with your... With
You know.
And, yes, I can tell a difference. Oh,
I'm sure. And pain sa, give me a
joint that aches, and I'm gonna grab a
in a pain sa and right right
rub it on.
So, you know, between the the Cbd and
the flowers and the vegetables, it's just in
y'all, like a hail store out there. I
don't know some. We have a good time.
Yeah. Yeah. So you know, if people are
interested. Y'all They've, you know, they've never been
out there before and
there's a lot of new people moving here.
Right? Maybe They don't wanna go to the
a big...
Corporation like lowe's and get their plans They're
looking for somewhere local.
What are the hours
of Corbyn Green? We're open Monday through Saturday,
9 until 5.
And Sunday,
1 until 5.
Our address is
49
20,
Highway 1 61
Springfield.
We are 3 miles
from the city limits.
3 miles. Just right out... Just right north
the town on 1 61. Exactly.
Going up to barren planes.
Well, miss Amy, is there anything that we
haven't covered or anything maybe coming up, y'all
are excited about, you know, new plants y'all
are gonna try, you know, something something that
you know, you're looking forward to try it
at some point. Anything you wanna announce or
talk about. No
we
start ordering
rooted cutting and roots for perennial.
For next year's growing season in the next
couple of months. So
there are new
introductions coming out from all these
propagation houses,
and
I'll know more about new
introductions,
in December. Alright. Right around Christmas time. Right
around or... That's perfect. Right. And, you know,
somebody that
they're just wanting to glean wisdom from y'all.
When it comes to plant production. I'm sure
y'all welcome that as. We do.
We do. I'm not 1 of these people
that says oh.
I'd do that, and that's my secret. No,
I'm gonna help anybody.
That has questions that I can. Yeah. We
don't wanna be s you with our. No.
It was experience not. Enough to believe that
we were put here on this earth
to help each other. Absolutely. That's what it's
all about. We're all neighbors trying to help
each other and. Right.
Well, Guess how long we've been talking on
here. Oh, I don't know. How long.
56 minutes. Oh, yeah it goes by fast
doesn't it. Yeah. Before you're talking it, I
said, you, might 30, 45 minutes, but it
time flies when you're having fun? Yes. It
does. Well, this has been fantastic. Miss amy.
I really appreciate you coming up here and
sitting down with me to talk about
what y'all do. And you know, it just
sounds like y'all are a wonderful resource for
the community.
As far as the products that you produce
as well as the knowledge
that pass on the people.
And you know, I've... Heard a lot of
batteries. I'm gonna have to come out there
and see for cell. Right. That would be...
Call you when we're gonna pull plastic.
Let me know.
Don't worry. I will.
But it's gotta be 1 of those perfect
days. No win. Does. And let me tell
you something.
Once you un enroll that
huge
sheet of plastic,
there's no stopping.
You start and you work you start, and
it has to go fast.
Temper
flare,
words start flying.
But at the end of the day, we
all get together and sit down and have
suffered together.
So...
You know, it sounds like 1 of those
things... How how heavy or 1 of those
roles? Oh my gosh. I have no idea.
It's 1 of those things that. 3 grown
men to... The... Of course, the larger
the the the larger, the dimension of the...
Plastic on the row, the heavier it's gonna
be.
But,
they're heavy.
And what like you said? Once you once
you un enroll that,
you're committed. Ain't no stopping. I have had
winds come up and everybody grab and
I have seen...
I've seen some ugly sight.
I can imagine that. It's all part of
the job. Oh, you and it's it's time
to pull plastic where All like, oh,
but we get it done.
It's just 1 of those things it has
to be done. It sounds like, you know.
I have... It's got... I have saw a
t shirt 1 time. It talked about...
Working cow sometime. I mean, sometimes temper people
get upset. That's just part of, try to
limit that, But... I, used to have to.
My... 1 time my brother decided I was
gonna work the head. And I was like,
no.
No.
Because
you have to be very
coordinated Yes. And you have to have the
timing just perfect. Yes. And I'll let
you slip through. That was the end of
my training.
How much.
I don't... I'm too old and too slow.
Anymore to get into pain. A, sword. It
I used to love to sword. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. It can be... It's great comrade robbery.
But sometimes it was a assured. It said,
I don't know I think it was like
I may be pertaining to a husband and
wife or someone Was like, please forgive me
for the things that I said when we
were working in cows. You know. And it
sounds like that can be applied to the
roll. Yeah.
Exactly.
Well, missus Me saying has been great.
We're coming up on an hour, so let's
just
we'll cut it right there. If that's okay
with you unless you have something you wanna
have. You for inviting me. Oh, absolutely.
For all of the services that you all
offer
to the farmers in this area, it is
value. We have a a very wonderful team
here.
The the experience and the knowledge of people
here and just the commitment of to the
the c. It's...
We're very blessed to have the team that
we do, and the customers that we do
like y'all. We
and we appreciate it. And we appreciate you.
Alright. Alright.
Y'all. Well, that's that's Amy Corbyn of Corbyn
Greenhouse located in Springfield, Tennessee,
and
appreciate y'all listening to this episode. Be sure
to tune in next week for another 1.
Bye bye.
Thanks for listening to the grey's podcast. Be
sure to subscribe, leave us a review and
come pay us a visit at Robe Sheet
and Farmers C.