Tell us about you and your family.
We are a family of three - me (Aliceson), my husband Barry, and our 14-year-old son Marshall Bales. Barry is a farmer, hunter, and multi-Grammy award-winning musician and plays bass for Alison Krauss and Union Station. Marshall is in charge of the egg program, and this past July, he won several ribbons in the Greene County Fair. I spent the larger part of my life as a Physical Therapist and now enjoy days on the farm homeschooling Marshall and living alongside Barry. I like to read, run and cook for the guys, and I regularly share recipes and videos on how to cook our farm-raised products from my blog and YouTube.
Describe your farm.
Our farm is located in Mosheim, Tennessee. This land has been in our family since 1882 - Marshall is the 6th generation to live and farm here. Since he was old enough to walk, Barry spent every possible moment following his grandfather all over these fields - on foot, on horseback, or on the trusty old 8N tractor. A lot has changed since then, but our family's love for this land still remains.
What products do you raise?
We raise grass-fed/grass-finished beef, pasture-raised chicken, pasture-raised pork, and free-range eggs. We employ regenerative agricultural methods that grow better grass, build healthier soil, and produce the healthiest, happiest animals possible! Marshall is the 6th generation to farm this land and is in charge of the egg program.
Do you deliver to Knoxville?
Yes. Customers can order directly from our website, and I deliver every week to Knoxville and surrounding cities. We also serve Johnson City, Greenville, Kingsport, and northeast Tennessee.
I'm always a little intimidated when buying a whole chicken. Do you have an easy recipe that can help?
Absolutely. I really want to encourage people to use the whole bird as opposed to buying parts. When we buy boneless, skinless cuts of chicken, we lose flavor. It takes money and time to introduce flavor back into the bird.
Aliceson's Buttermilk Chicken
Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Feeds: 6-8
Medium to large whole Bales Farms chicken (3-4 pounds)
Salt of your choice
Buttermilk
Take your chicken and place it in a large Ziploc bag. Sprinkle generously with salt and pour buttermilk to cover the chicken. Place in the fridge for 8-24 hours. (I recommend at least two hours, but the longer, the better. Honestly, I've forgotten until a few hours before dinner, and it still works.)
Once the chicken has marinated, take it out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature (or somewhat close). Rinse off, pat dry, and place chicken in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt again and roast at 410 for 10 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 350 for 50 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
That's it! It's so simple. It's my go-to. I fix it once a week. We have roasted chicken one night, then chicken pasta, nachos, sandwiches, salads, tacos - anything goes. And I make bone broth with the carcass, which is full of collagen and all the good things we need.
What is the best way for people to get in touch with you?
Through our website, but you can also call me directly. My phone number is listed on our website along with my blog at BalesFarmsTN.com.
Join Amy Campbell-Rochelson weekly at The Tennessee Farm Table Podcast & Broadcast for stories of Tennessee Food, Farming, and Folklore. Listen on your schedule by podcast at TennesseeFarmTable.com or by radio Saturdays 9:00-9:30, 89.9. WDVX, Knoxville, 2:00-2:30 WUTC, Chattanooga, and Sundays at 1:00 from Radio Bristol.