Cottrell Country Farm

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Blum, TX
Cottrell Country Farm

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Our story: after retirement I pursued my dream of starting a small farm. Now it's been seven years I've been retired and I kept on expanding the farm.

Besides growing two very large plots of vegetables, I have Christmas trees, pears, and grapes.

11/01/2026

CHRISTMAS MARKET

The next farmers market will be our Hillsboro Christmas Market on 12 December 2026. Cottrell Country Farm will be participating in this Hillsboro market. The Christmas Market is a very special market and different from the normal farmer's market. While Cottrell Country Farm still will be offering many of our normal popular products during the Christmas Market, we will also have many special items such as a variety of Christmas jams, eggnog bread, and more. If you have never been to our Christmas Market, why not come out on Saturday, 12 December, and start the Christmas season in a very special way. It is guaranteed to put you in a festive mood.

10/26/2026

FINAL FARMERS MARKET:

This Saturday, October 31st, will be the last farmers market of the 2026 season. So come rain or shine, if you want some of our tasty treats be sure to stop by the Hillsboro Farmers Market this Saturday, between 0800-1300 hours. Cottrell Country Farm will be returning for the Christmas Market on 12 December. Of course, as always, if you want some our products during the off season, you can always contact me and put in a special request. We do sell direct from the farm or will meet you somewhere in the local Whitney/Hillsboro area, within reason. I would like to thank all our loyal customers for their support throughout the 2026 market season.

10/23/2026

COTTRELL COUNTRY FARM'S HEALTHY SOUP KITS:

Cottrell Country Farm makes four special soup kits:
Farmhouse
Vegetarian Five Bean
Friendship
Black Bean

Each of our soup kits are very different, having a unique flavor. Additionally, they are healthy, unlike many of your store-bought soups.
Each soup kit is complete with all the ingredients to include spices and bouillon. It is fall now and soup weather season. Why not come out to the Hillsboro Farmers Market this Saturday and give one or more of our special soup kits a try?

09/06/2026

FALL CROP UPDATE:

For 2026, Cottrell Country Farm planted butternut squash and pumpkins for their fall crop. Due to the extreme summer temperatures this year, the crop went in later than normal. The pumpkins have flowered, but unfortunately the crop will not be ready for the market till our Christmas Market on 12 December.

05/03/2026

MICROBIAL GROWTH IS VITAL FOR SOIL HEALTH: Microbial growth is the increase in the number of microorganisms over time. This occurs naturally in soil with decay, such as in a woods with rotting leaves. However, many gardens/fields that produce crops year-after-year, microbials deplete. This is especially true if you do not practice crop rotation. Note that certain vegetables draw more nutrients out of the soil than others. Tomatoes require large amounts of nutrients. There are little things that you can do to increase microbials in your soil, such as bury kitchen scraps in your garden. However on large vegetable plots, this usually is not enough to replenish microbials. How can you tell if your soil has enough microbials? The best way is to have your soil tested. Soil sample testing is easy and relatively inexpensive. This year, Cottrell Country Farm is trying a different method to ensure our soil is not robbed of important microbials. We are adding microbials back to the soil through irrigation injection. The picture shows one method of doing this.

03/16/2026

EARLY GRAPES: Proper pruning and early warm spring weather have shown positive effects in March. This is just the beginning of grape production at Cottrell Country Farm. A few of the muscadines have come out, but many more are on their way. There are three steps to proper pruning and so far, I've only winter pruned. Getting soil samples and properly fertilizing also have reaped benefits. While our crop of grapes our still young, we hope to start selling table grapes this year at the Hillsboro Farmers Market. The market will be opening 2 May. See you at the market!

03/09/2026

CHRISTMAS TREE PLANTING:
Besides just growing great produce, Cottrell Country Farm also raises Christmas trees. In 2026 we've added 25 more trees to our plot. Being in Zone 8, we plant Afghan Pines, because they are drought tolerant. Afghan Pines are excellent Christmas trees. They do not lose their lower branches. Furthermore, once cut, they remain green for an extended period of time, as long as you keep water in the tree holder. How long you ask? Well, I've had them last well over a month remaining green. What makes Christmas trees different from other pines? The key is the pruning. Christmas might seem a long way away, however it is a yearlong job at Cottrell Country Farm. If you've never had a real tree at Christmas, you should consider buying one this year. There are too many artificial things in our modern world, and Christmas trees are one of them.

02/09/2026

PEAR TREE WINTER PRUNING: Cottrell Country Farm has expanded in 2026 adding a pear orchard. This is the first year of growing and it will most likely be a few more years before I have my own pears at the Hillsboro Farmers Market. However, in the meantime I partner with a neighbor to sell pears at the market during August.

A big part of properly growing pears is to correctly prune your trees. The first step is to start with good healthy trees. I could not find a nursery in the local area that met my standards, so I travel over two hours to get my pear trees. The first year of pruning you must shape the tree for future growth; thus, pruning is more severe. After that you take off 1/4 of the branches. When initial pruning, you need to think about how the sunlight will hit the branches. For example, you never want one branch directly over another, within two feet proximity, going in the same direction. Another key is to have a good set of shears. Spend the extra money on a good shears, you'll be glad you did. Also, cleaning your shears is a MUST to prevent any disease from spreading from tree-to-tree. These are just a few of the critical pruning steps. I've posted some "after" pruning pictures so you can get an idea of the pear tree pruning process.

12/17/2025

FARM FRESH EGGS for SALE: Cottrell Country Farm has limited amounts of farm fresh eggs for sale direct from the farm. We raise Welsummer and Rhode Island Red chickens. Please call or text if interested to made arrangements. Our eggs are $4 per dozen. We raise our chickens naturally and do not agree with large commercial chicken house practices. I worked at a commercial chicken farm as a FFA teenager, pulling chickens for market, and know what large commercial practices are like.

While we have limited supplies now, we are expanding our operation in the Spring of 2026. We will be selling eggs at the Hillsboro Farmers Market too in the 2026 season.

04/26/2025

BEST HOMEMADE PICKLED BEETS: For the start of the Hillsboro Farmers Market, Cottrell Country Farm will carry three variety of pickled beets: Sugar Beets, They're Not Hot; They're Spicy, and Chunky Funky Beets. The variety of beet we are using is Detroit Reds. Our Sugar Beets are close to the traditional pickled beets you might find in a store, however our Sugar Beets have a twist. We use just the right amount of cinnamon and clover to give our beets a unique taste. Our Chunky Funky beets are mixed with a variety of spices to give them a very special taste. It is hard to describe, but the closest I can come is a relish type flavor. Once many of our customers try Chunky Funky they buy only that flavor. Trust me, they're delicious. For those of you old enough to remember The Average White Band or Steely Dan, you'll know where the funky word comes from. That leads us to They're Not Hot; They're Spicy. What an unusual name. Well, unfortunately it is not my original saying. There was a famous cook by the name of Justin Wilson. He came up with the fraise. Our beets are available for sale direct from the farm, upon request.

Address

957 HCR 1221
Blum, TX
76627

Website

http://cottrellcountryfarm.com/

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