Cultivating the 2019 Blackberry Year

With the release of our 2019 Blackberry Year, Mary Celeste is sharing a message of excitement and intention for the year to come. We look forward to sharing another year of remarkable experiences with our guests, friends and team.

When life’s clamor calms and busy days ease into evening, I find myself at our table, my children gathered around me, laughing, listening, sharing. These are the moments I look forward to most—times when we slow down to be present in the moment and connect.

The last few years at the Farm have been a whirlwind. From the typical rush of a busy family to the heartache of losing Sam, to jumping into new roles as a single mother and Proprietor. Even on our beautiful Farm, nestled in the peaceful Great Smoky Mountains we love, it can still feel like chaos balancing so much. In those hectic moments, I walk through the Garden. No matter the season, it is so full of life! Always changing, always growing. The seasonal blossoms, the colorful vegetables and those courageous seedlings becoming more—everything is always being fed and nurtured. That’s the true beauty of a garden, and of Blackberry Farm: they cultivate something in us.

This year, I’m determined to embrace my husband Sam’s call to “Make a Great Day” in a different way. Just as seeds on the Farm need to be tended, so do our interests, our intentions and our connections with others. In the coming year, I intend to seek out more calm, peace and ritual in my life. It’s a commitment I’m making, a seed I’m planning to cultivate. I invite you to do the same. Whether you want to stir your spirit, your palate or your passions, join us in a year of extraordinary growth. With so many inspiring visionaries, educators, chefs, vintners and artists sharing their talents with us this year, I have no doubt there will be plenty to nurture every interest.

Looking ahead, there are so many things I’m excited about. I can’t wait to keep feeding my love of cycling, savoring events like Passing the Torch and launching our epic new destination, Blackberry Mountain. More than anything, though, I’m eager to welcome all the old and new friends who will come and cultivate their own passions here at the Farm.

Sincerely,
Mary Celeste Beall, Proprietor