Peter Nicol - The Gracious Garden

Down the road and around a gentle bend from Van Cheeseman’s place is Peter Nichol’s 50 acre farm. Neighbors for just one year, Peter shared Van’s desire to be his own boss and leave city living. Peter purchased his farm four years ago, a small parcel from a plantation owned by Joseph Matthews, governor of Mississippi during the 1800s. Today Peter has a busy schedule maintaining his arugula, cherry tomatoes, lettuces, edamame, yellow & green beans, spinach and okra while keeping a demanding schedule as Pinnacle Airlines pilot carrying passengers for Northwest Airlines. Flying 15 days out of a month, three or four days at a time, from Denver to Canada and the East coast, Peter relies on a second person to help out at the farm.

Peter calls himself an artisan farmer. His crops are grown pesticide free. Peter’s assortment of chickens and ducks scurry around, producing manure used to fertilize his crops. “I’m really emphasizing freshness, trying to harvest within 24 hours of selling my produce and heirloom vegetables. Since the 1900s, 900 varieties of what would now be called heirloom seeds have been lost. Saving seeds is intriguing to me, “ he says.

Early Saturday, before the Memphis Farmers Market opens, Peter takes his flashlight and harvests his crops at 4 four o’clock in the morning. “The only way these vegetables can be any fresher is if you were to come and sit in my garden with a fork, “ he claims with a laugh.

What does the future hold for The Gracious Garden? “I want to focus on heirloom vegetables and expand to one or two additional markets during the week such as the farmer’s markets in Oxford or the Agricenter,” adds Peter. “Selling directly to restaurants is something I also want to do more of. I have learned a lot this year.”

The customers and staff at the Memphis Farmers Market look forward to seeing more of Peter Nichols and his fresh vegetables in stall #32.