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Soft spring mornings sparkling with blossoms and birds’ songs make me want to pull out my gloves and gardening trowel and plant seedlings. 

For Sam and Deborah Crumpton, owners of Running Pine Herb Farm, spring is the busiest time of the year but it isn’t spent planting. They alternate with one another every other weekend going to herb festivals across the state.

The first festival is in Wilmington on Saturday and Sunday. Then they move  west, going to Raleigh, Salisbury, Greensboro and Asheville. The first Saturday of May, they will breathe a sigh of relief as they settle into their booth at the Rockingham County Farmer’s Market at Chinqua Penn where they will spend every Saturday (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Wednesday (3 to 6 p.m.) from May through October.

The Crumptons started their herb business in 1998 with an eye toward Deborah’s eventual retirement from teaching fourth grade at Wentworth School.

She is now two years away from that goal, and the business that began with a kitchen garden is now well known across the state. Not surprisingly, as an educator, Deborah is often a featured speaker at herb festivals and, when she’s not, she enjoys talking to customers one-on-one. 

“I give lots of recommendations. A lot of people want to garden but aren’t sure of the process,” she said. She tells people what each herb plant needs in order to flourish and sells plants that are adapted to grow best in the red clay and frequent droughts of the Piedmont.

Before they began growing herbs, the couple gardened for years and put up a lot of their summer vegetables. Herbs seemed a natural fit. 

“We used what we had grown up knowing and expanded with herbs,” Deborah said.

When she couldn’t find some of the varieties she wanted to grow, she started them from seed. Before long, their original PVC-frame greenhouse with a space heater had grown to two greenhouses full of plants, totaling 2,500 square feet of growing area, plus cold frames. They sell seedlings that are hardened off and ready to plant but also have fresh-cut herbs available during the summer growing season. 

Running Pine Herb Farm specializes in culinary herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, thyme and rosemary. Deborah also makes jellies and jams to sell. She offers savory jellies such as mint and basil to accompany meats as well as sweet ones like grape, peach, muscadine, blueberry, blackberry, and a special recipe, rosemary blackberry, that goes well with cream cheese and crackers.

Deborah enjoys developing and “tweaking” recipes for sample foods to bring to the farmer’s market. She makes lavender cookies and lemonade, lemon verbena cookies, patty pan cake, and a refreshing peach basil tea. 

“People like to try things,” she said. “Part of the fun is education, like showing people how much better fresh herbs are than dried.” 

She likes to pass out recipes with the samples. One quick and easy semi-homemade tip she gives is to chop mint and add to brownie mix for a taste similar to York Peppermint Patties. 

Running Pine Herb Farm is not certified organic but the Crumptons practice organic methods, and their goal is to become certified. 

The 5-acre farm is open to group tours by appointment, but all sales are done at the farmer’s market.

This summer, the Rockingham County Farmer’s Market is designated a 21st Century Market, meaning among other things, it can accept food stamps for fresh produce and vegetable plants. 

In this economy, it’s nice to know that people in need of a helping hand can eat healthfully. And, with the addition of fresh Rockingham County grown herbs, a simple vegetable dish can go from good to great.

Joni Carter lives in the Bethany community. E-mail: writetojonicarter@gmail.com