Strawberry picking is a spring tradition in eastern North Carolina. Guests at Big Mill B&B Extended Stay have several great options nearby. For pick-your-own strawberries, visit Griffin’s Farm Market on US 17 in Washington, NC – about 15 miles south of Big Mill – or SouthSide Farms in Chocowinity, roughly 25 miles away.

If you prefer fresh, already picked berries, Ross Farms, 1536 Garrett Road , Williamston, NC, is just 3 miles from Big Mill and offers beautiful, ready to enjoy strawberries.

Discover the best strawberry You-Pick experience while you are here. Pick, weigh, and take home gallons of ripe berries. Then the fun begins? Will it be Strawberry Jam or Strawberry Bread or maybe a great smoothie?

Every year, I try to make sure each of my guests gets a taste of fresh North Carolina strawberries – they’re one of the sweetest parts of spring here on the farm. Strawberry picking is a beloved spring tradition and I, as innkeeper, feel obliged to make sure everyone tastes fresh NC Strawberries.

Folks say berries from different fields have different flavors, and I believe them.

I love making strawberry jam for our Big Mill B&B guests. Don’t think I’m bragging, but my jam is an award-winning Strawberry Jam!  It won best-of-show at our Farm Heritage Fair. And it surely does taste good.

When I was growing up, we would pick the berries, make jam and, on the very same night we ate homemade biscuits with jam and homemade butter. My biscuits aren’t nearly as good as my mother’s were, so I have to buy the frozen ones, but they’re still good.

Growing your own food and buying local is more than a trend in eastern North Carolina – it’s a way of life, and a good one. All around us you’ll find farmer’s markets, roadside vegetable stands, and local folks selling fresh produce straight from their fields. We even have vendors who sell collards right out of the back of a pickup truck. Supporting them keeps our community strong.

Plan to Visit:

• Griffin Farms in Washington, NC 252-721-8277
• Southside Farms in Chocowinity, NC 252-946-2487
• or if you want the berries picked for you, then try Ross Farms in Williamston, NC 252-792-8829 or J&J Farms in Jamesville, NC 252-799-8110

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay – Peaceful Lodging for Traveling Nurses & Professionals 252-799-8787

Settle into a quiet, fully furnished space at Big Mill Extended Stay in Eastern North Carolina. Our rentals are perfect for traveling nurses, medical professionals, contractors, and guests who need a comfortable home base during long assignments. Enjoy privacy, farm views, and the welcoming charm Big Mill is known for. Three RV rental spaces are also available for extended stays.

When it snows in eastern North Carolina, we absolutely fall to pieces. The moment the weather man whispers the word “snow,” folks rush out and clear every shelf of the grocery stores of milk and white bread. Me? I stock up on heavy cream, popcorn, and artichoke hearts. Then we settle in, cozy up, and wait for that rare, beautiful snowfall. Schools close, cameras come out, and suddenly everything looks worthy of a photo. And of course, we do the one thing that’s uniquely ours: we make snow cream.

I’m not sure how far north snow cream is made, but I do know you won’t find it anywhere past Virginia. Maybe it really is a true North Carolina treat. When I was growing up, we could hardly wait for snow; and most years we had to wait, because those rare winter storms didn’t come often.

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Snow Cream

The kids will love making snow cream from new fallen snow.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword almond biscotti, snow cream, snow cream ice cream

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 3 servings

Calories 429kcal

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup cream
• 4 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg optional
• 1 bowl of light clean snow (6-8 cups)

Instructions

• Cream together the cream, sugar and vanilla. Some folks add the egg, but I don't. Using a flexible utensil like a spatula, add the snow a little at a time to the cream mixture until it is the consistency of creamy ice cream.
• You will have about 3 servings and you must eat it immediately because it melts fast! Oh, what a treat. (In a pinch you can use sweetened condensed milk in place of the cream and sugar. We always kept a can around just in case it snowed).
• If you are caught unprepared, you can use tinned Eagle Brand Sweetened Milk. it is quite tasty.

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 95mg | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1535IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 0.3mg

At Big Mill Bed and Breakfast when it snows, we feed the birds, make snow cream, take photos of everything and play in the snow.

Sledding at Big Mill in the fifties

Above: a photo at Big Mill from years ago of Chloe Ann (left), that’s me and Chloe, Sr. on the right – my mother. Same yard, same outbuildings. We thought this was a big hill. Santa brought Nephew Barney and me these strange things called snowflakes. They were round, fast and steering them was impossible. But they were fun.

Be sure to check the December 2012 story by Scott Simon of Weekend Edition from NPR about my snow cream. Now it is famous!

   Big Mill Bed & Breakfast, Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

I imagine this field is the most photographed cotton field in Eastern North Carolina! Every year, I get calls from folks who want to be photographed in a cotton field.

I might be a little biased, but the cotton fields at Big Mill Bed and Breakfast Extended Stay tucked away in the countryside near Williamston, North Carolina, are some of the most beautiful you’ll find in Eastern NC. Every fall, they burst into fluffy white bolls of cotton, drawing photographers, guests, and nature lovers from all over.

Some things change, but fall is still harvest time on the farm. I woke up today, and the big tractor was outside my window picking cotton.

In the fall after the cotton is picked, rye or wheat is sown in the field. In the spring, the rye isn’t harvested; the cotton seeds are just planted right in the middle of the cover crop.  The rye dies away, and the cotton seeds emerge. This is called “no till” farming.

Cotton plants peeking up in the field of rye.

The cotton plants will grow over the rye, and they never have to plow the field. Miraculously, the rye just disappears and becomes compost.

Harvesting cotton has changed so much over the years. Just a few years back, this big machine came on the farm and picked the cotton.

Cotton Picker unloading Cotton into the Hopper

As soon as the cotton was picked, it was dumped into a hopper, which rolled the cotton into big, round bales. Just as soon as they picked it, they dumped the cotton from the picker into the hopper, and then yet another machine rolled the cotton into big, round bales.

These bales of cotton weigh about 500 pounds each. Next stop –  the cotton gin.

Now one machine does it all. It picks the cotton and rolls it into the round bales. If you would like to purchase this machine, the price is $1,000,000.

Cotton is a gorgeous plant, and I use the empty bolls for decorating, and always in my cork wreaths. I also visit the Cotton Gin in Everetts, and they give me cotton mulch for free.

As soon as the cotton is picked, Mark returns and cuts the stalks. If you want to see this happening, plan a trip to Big Mill B&B Extended Stay in September or October.

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay 

Quiet rentals for traveling nurses & professionals in eastern North Carolina 252-792-8787

Looking for extended stay lodging in Eastern North Carolina? Big Mill Extended Stay offers quiet, fully furnished rentals ideal for traveling nurses, medical professionals, contractors, and guests relocating to the area. Our accommodations provide comfort, privacy, and Southern hospitality, perfect for short-term and long-term stays. We also have three RV rental spaces.

Made with fresh pecans, golden honey, and a touch of sea salt, they roast to a beautiful, caramelized crunch in minutes. Whether you’re filling gift jars, topping a salad, or setting out a festive snack tray, these homemade honey-roasted pecans are always a crowd favorite.

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine American southern

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12

Calories 187kcal

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 3 cups pecans whole, shelled
• 3 tbs honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt Plus more

Instructions

• Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet. Set oven to 250°F. Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Toast pecans. Spread pecans in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes to lightly toast.
• Coat with honey and salt. Transfer warm pecans to a mixing bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of honey and stir to coat. Sprinkle in ½ teaspoon salt and mix well.
• Slow roast for flavor and crunch. Re-spray the cookie sheet. Spread coated pecans in a single layer. Bake at 220–250°F for 1½ to 2 hours, checking often and stirring once halfway through.
• Finish and store. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and separate any clumped nuts. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Honey-roasted pecans stay fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate in a sealed container.

What is the secret to luscious roasted pecans? Roasting at a low temperature for 1-2 hours. 

Yield: 3 cups

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbs | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

My parents planted these pecan trees in 1922. Amazingly, they are still producing. Some years, they do take a break.

Looking for extended stay lodging in Eastern North Carolina? Big Mill Extended Stay offers quiet, fully furnished rentals ideal for traveling nurses, medical professionals, contractors, and guests relocating to the area. Nestled on a peaceful farm with gardens, lakes, and orchards, our accommodations provide comfort, privacy, and Southern hospitality—perfect for short-term or long-term stays.

We also have three RV rental spaces.

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay 

Quiet rentals for traveling nurses & professionals in eastern North Carolina 252-792-8787

The silence is awful – their chatter was so soothing. Now they are gone. They have started their long journey south.

A Family Squabble

They don’t head straight to South America. They “hole up” for several weeks in places just south of here like Mann’s Harbor, in the North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where they have been going for more than 50 years.

Those wonderful, rowdy purple martins that liven up our farms and backyards are gone from NC. They are headed back to Brazil – an arduous journey that they make every year. But they do make several stops along the way.

Vacancy at Big Mill B&B – Our Martins are Gone

The Crystal Dawn head boat from Manteo, NC used to offer a sunset cruise for folks to see the martins come home to roost. That is no more, the numbers of birds are not there.

Some purple martins are still roosting under the William B. Umstead Bridge, also known as the Mann’s Harbor Bridge. There just aren’t as many as before. No one knows why.

Sunset at Mann’s Harbor

As in past years, the N.C. Department of Transportation still temporarily lowers the bridge’s speed limit from 55 mph to 20 mph and added flashing lights during the roosting season to safeguard the purple martins from traffic. The numbers of purple martins who arrive in late spring seem to be the same as always. We just don’t seem to know where they go when they leave. They will eventually end up in South America, probably Brazil.

Until we see you at Big Mill Extended Stay B&B again in March, bon voyage to my purple martins.

Distances to Big Mill Extended Stay B&B from:
Raleigh, NC – 100 miles
Greenville, NC – 27 miles
Outer Banks – 98 miles

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay 

Quiet rentals for traveling nurses & professionals in eastern North Carolina 252-792-8787

Looking for extended stay lodging in Eastern North Carolina? Big Mill Extended Stay offers quiet, fully furnished rentals ideal for traveling nurses, medical professionals, contractors, and guests relocating to the area. Our accommodations provide comfort, privacy, and Southern hospitality, perfect for short-term and long-term stays. We also have three RV rental spaces.

Geeks on Tour Jim, Contemplating Starlink Hookup at Big Mill B&B

For those of you asking, “What is Starlink?” it is Elon Musk’s Satellite Internet Service SpaceX. I really don’t understand Elon’s obsession with the letter “X.” And SpaceX keeps launching more satellites for faster and better service. March, 2024, SpaceX launched a payload of new satellites. And SpaceX cell phone service is not far away.

Sometimes Starlink Installation Can be Uncomfortable!

You can’t image the comments that I am getting. I feel like folks just hear something and then never really research it. I heard things like, “I certainly wouldn’t do anything that involved Elon Musk.” Well, how trite. Do they research the board of directors on all brands? No, they don’t.

Friend Marty installing the original Starlink

We had to mount the antennae on a roof that had no trees encumbering the view to the sky.  We picked the workshop – I do have 8 barns, so this was the lucky one.  It is fascinating to see the antenna move to follow the satellites.

We also had to bury the cable to the house, so that I could have the modem inside where I can fiddle with it inside and not in a barn with dirt daubers.

Bob Greene Supervises Jim from Geeks on Tour

Bob Greene has installed Starlink at Green Acres Campground and he too loves it. We both have lots of territory to cover. Since the Pandemic, I am getting many folks who work from home – which is the situation here at Big Mill B&B. Starlink is the answer, thank goodness.

Starlink is especially good for folks in under-served rural areas, like us and for folks in RV’s, boats, or anything mobile. That version is called Starlink Roam.

Anyway, I am quite pleased.