This time of year is joyous, full of farm work and a bit somber for us, all at the same time. Our namesake and my maternal grandfather, Addison Farmer, passed away at Thanksgiving many years ago. As a farming family that raised tobacco, this time of year was usually very busy, and many years the family wasn’t gathered around a table, eating a big meal on Thanksgiving. We were in the barn, ‘handing’ tobacco – pulling the leaves from the stalks and tying them in bunches or baling them into bales. Our meal was frequently a pb&j and a pack of crackers. When you farm, you work when the crop/livestock/bees/whatever are ready to work, not when it is convenient for the farmer.

These days, it is a more relaxed holiday, though we still work hard most of the day. Two years ago, we were setting roof trusses on a new barn. Four years ago, we were re-roofing the garage in a really stiff wind. Man, was it cold up there!

This year, we will be working on one or more of the remaining tasks to complete the tasting room. Then, unlike those years in the tobacco barn, we will enjoy a big meal with our friends and family. My mama is a great cook. I can almost taste the ham, turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and banana pudding now.

On Black Friday, forget about the malls and shopping. Come out to Leicester, pick out your Christmas tree at Reeves Christmas Trees and visit with us for a bit. Enjoy some time in the country, see the vineyard and tasting room, and have a taste of Addison Farms Vineyard wines.