Tami Thompson is our TriangleMom2Mom mom of the week. She lives on a farm in Johnston County, which has been in her family since 1850. Lazy O Farm hosts special events throughout the year, including the upcoming Maze Dayz this Saturday, and is open to groups throughout the week.

Here's Tami ...

Mom2Mom: Tell us about yourself.

Tami: My handsome husband of 29 years is David.  Not sure how a short country bumpkin like me managed to snag him, but I'm glad I did.  We have two wonderful children, Denise (24) and Jamie (17).  During the winter months, I do vision screening on preschoolers in Johnston, Sampson and Harnett counties and substitute at the local middle and high schools. I taught children's  Sunday School for 22 years at the church my great-grandparents helped establish. 

I was a medical technician for 20 years when I decided I was ready to come back to the farm I was raised on. My family has owned the farm we live on since 1850 and my roots have grown deep.  We raise Black Angus cattle, Boer goats, and run a small produce and feed business.  Our son, Jamie, is the man in charge of the produce and fall decorations. This started as his FFA project and won him first place in the county for entrepreneurship. 

Lazy O Farm is our latest farm diversification to help make ends meet. We're about to start our seventh year of farm education.  We offer a look at how farming touches your life (if we didn't have farmers you'd be reading this naked -  think about it!), where your food comes from and a chance to get up close to lots of cute critters.  In October, Maze Dayz sends you meandering through a maze to find about 30 learning stations that tell you about crops and livestock.  You get to write with a feather, feel real sheep's wool and cotton, go on a hayride to the pumpkin patch, see bugs,eggs,and bones,oh my! Visit our barnyard animals and feed the goats. We have a huge picnic shelter, so bring a bag lunch 'cause it's always fun to eat at the farm.  We can handle large groups anytime during October - just call for an appointment. 

If you just have yourself and a couple of children, plan to visit us on Family Day, October 17.  Show up at 10 a.m. and we'll keep you busy for about three hours. We also sell fall decorations like Indian corn, cornstalk bundles, straw bales, mums, pumpkins and gourds and will start selling jams, jellies, cider and salad dressing this month. We have events going on throughout the year-Easter Egg Dayz in March or April (whenever Easter falls); Summer Dayz in May, June, and July;  Maze Dayz in October;  Turkey Dayz in November;  Christmas Dayz in December.  Other Dayz include:  Kite Dayz, Bird Dayz, Fishin' Dayz, Summer Camps, and we do birthday parties!  You can rent our facilities for your own event.  

For your safety and ours, smoking and alcohol are not allowed. For more information, click here or give us a call at 934-1132.

Mom2Mom: What's your favorite family place in the Triangle?

Tami: AgriSupply - told you my farming roots grow deep!  I could look around in there forever.

Mom2Mom: What's your favorite place for yourself in the Triangle?

Tami: Cold Stone-I love the Berry, Berry, Berry GOOD Sweet Cream

Mom2Mom: What's your favorite ritual with your kids?

Tami: Feedin' up - That's feeding the livestock each night.  We get to check on everybody one last time, make sure they're all OK, gather the eggs, and tuck them in for the night.  Then we go in and feed us!  We talk about our day, and our plans for tomorrow over a meal that, for the most part, we grew ourselves.

Mom2Mom: What did you eat for dinner last night? Can you share the recipe?

Tami: We had the best pork loin cooked on the grill, corn and fried okra, both came from our garden.  The corn is out of the freezer, into a pot with a little water, salt, pepper, and a little butter, not too much, you want to taste the corn, not the butter. Boil easy for about 10 minutes.  The okra came straight from the garden.  Wash it, cut off the ends, and cut in pieces about an inch long.  Coat it with House Autry Seafood Breader and drop into a pot of HOT oil.  Fry until golden brown. We use House Autry because the mill is only 5 miles from our house and we support our local folks. The pork loin-- get a baby pig, feed him for about 6 months and .... we'll skip a few steps here but we do raise our own hogs. Just cook the loin slow about two hours, depending on it's size.  We like to sprinkle it with Montreal Steak seasoning before cooking.  Wash it all down with a glass of ice cold sweet tea and Minute Maid lemonade mixed half and half. Mmmm,Mmmm, Good.

Mom2Mom: What's your guilty pleasure?

Tami: Sleeping late.

Know a mom we should feature? E-mail me. And learn more about other local moms by going to www.trianglemom2mom.com/meet and checking back here every Monday.