Farm Visit Snapshots: Heart Song Farm Known for Their Peppers and Flowers

— Written by Debbie Roos | December 15, 2021 (Updated: Dec. 15, 2021, 11:35 a.m.)

Emily Fuller is in her third year of farming at Heart Song Farm in Silk Hope, truly a labor of love for her. Emily grows vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers and also produces amazing farm-grown value-added products like smoked garlic scape salt, pepper spice blends, and herbal teas. Emily doesn't do it alone, and she swears she couldn't do it without Emma Stapleton, her year-round full-time employee. Emily's husband Jeff also helps with farm infrastructure and occasionally with harvesting.

Emily has acquired a devoted following of customers in the three years she has been growing, and is especially becoming known for her peppers and cut flowers. She grows over 60 varieties of peppers, from sweet to hot and all in between. She only grows hot peppers that offer culinary value, meaning they are not only hot but also intensely flavorful. You can view a list of all her pepper varieties (with short descriptions) on her farm website.

Emily also grows dozens of different species of flowers, and she is adding more and more perennial flowers every year. Customers have fallen in love with her roses this year and will be thrilled to know that she plans to expand production in 2022.

Emily and Emma dry flowers throughout the season so that when the fresh flower season is over they turn to making dried flower wreaths and arrangements, evergreen wreaths, garlands, and door swags, as well as okra art, pine cone gnomes, garlic braids, and pepper ristras!

You can find Heart Song Farm year-round every Thursday from 3-6 pm at the Pittsboro Farmers' Market. Pittsboro establishments such as Angelina's Kitchen and The Beagle buy Heart Song Farm produce, spices, and flowers.

Heart Song Farm also offers a Flower CSA, and sign-ups for the 2022 Spring Flower CSA will start next week. This would make a lovely holiday gift for that special someone in your life! Check the website next week for details.

Visit the Heart Song Farm website and follow them on Instagram at @heartsongfarmnc. Email Emily directly if you have any questions or want to connect.

I took the photos below in late summer-fall. Check the photo captions for additional details.

Rows of sunflowers and pink flowers in a garden plot with trees in background — A mid-August snapshot of a small portion of the flower production at Heart Song Farm. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Purple chili pepper plant with raindrops in a green garden background — Cheiro Roxa peppers; they turn lavender/orange when ripe. Not quite as hot as a habanero but with a unique sweet flavor. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Person harvesting colorful peppers into a colander in a dense pepper field — Emily picks peppers in mid-August. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Cluster of red, yellow, and green chili peppers on wet leafy plant — Emily grew three different varieties of Arbol peppers, which are similar to a cayenne pepper. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Assorted colorful chili peppers in blue cartons arranged on a market table — Mid-August pepper display at the Pittsboro Farmers' Market. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Colorful bins of assorted fresh peppers with signs reading "Big Sun Habanero" and "Chile Arbol" — Late August pepper display at the Pittsboro Farmers' Market. Emily includes helpful signs with information about each pepper variety to educate customers since so many of them are unusual. It's really fun to try new peppers! Photo by Debbie Roos.

Farmers market table with baskets and bins of assorted peppers, onions, and flowers — Late September pepper display at the Pittsboro Farmers' Market. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Colorful floral bouquets, baskets of dark red roselle pods, stickers reading "HEART SONG FARM" — Late September flower bouquets and roselle at the Pittsboro Farmers' Market. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Vendor at market stall with bouquet and scale; sign reads "HEART SONG FARM" — Grower Emily Fuller at the Pittsboro Farmers' Market. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Colorful chili peppers arranged in cardboard trays at a market stall — Late October pepper display at the Pittsboro Farmers' Market. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Assorted colorful chili peppers arranged on a wooden cutting board — A few of the many varieties of peppers grown at Heart Song Farm. I enjoyed buying unusual peppers and figuring out how to cook with them! Photo by Debbie Roos.

Jars and bags of dried peppers with sign reading "Smoked Pepper Spices: Mild Medium Hot" — Emily dehydrates peppers and uses them to make delicious salts and seasonings. One of my favorites is the Cheeky Chipotle. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Assorted small floral arrangements displayed on a black tablecloth — Mini flower bouquets. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Bundles and garlands of dried flowers and red chili peppers hanging on metal racks — The Red Barn is the designated dried flower arranging spot on the farm. It is filled with dried flowers and flower balls, wreaths, ristras...you name it! Photo by Debbie Roos.

Bunches of assorted dried flowers hanging upside down to dry — Flowers are hung upside down to dry. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Braided garlic bulbs with dried red chilies and assorted dried flowers — The garlic braids are beautiful and useful! Photo by Debbie Roos.

Person assembling dried-flower wreath at a cluttered table with jars and floral tools — Emily makes one of her beautiful dried flower wreaths. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Woman wearing a beanie arranging dried flowers and hanging wreaths in a workshop — Emma is working on making some okra art! Photo by Debbie Roos.

Assorted dried floral wreaths hanging on a wire display grid — A sampling of finished wreaths. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Dried chrysanthemum flowers arranged in gray egg carton depressions — Dried dahlia blooms. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Hand holding three painted dried pods with faces: red Santa, green grinning figure, blue-faced figure — Emily has been having fun making Christmas ornaments out of dried okra pods! From left to right: Abominable Snowman, Grinch, and Santa. Photo by Emily Fuller.