Farmers, chefs, friends and family remember woman who helped begin local food movement

Amazing. Dedicated. A hard worker. A best friend. Always willing to share.

Those are some of the words used to describe Teresa Birtles, the owner and operator of Heartland Family Farm who died June 30 at the age of 60, at a recent event honoring the woman known to many in the Bloomington area.

At a potluck at her farm near the Owen/Monroe county line, about 50 people gathered on a recent Sunday afternoon to share produce-laden dishes of salads, casseroles and desserts as they remembered how Birtles touched their lives.

One of the first at the potluck was Rosie Sill, who came with her three children. Sill owns and operates Earth Song Farm. 

"Teresa and I were farmer colleagues and on the winter farmers' market board for about 10 years," Sill explained. "She was also my best friend and adopted mother."

Sitting next to Sill at the potluck, Sable Beyers, a friend who worked at Birtles' farm for a while, said Birtles offered "generous advice. She's the first person you called." Beyers remembered calling Birtles about dealing with COVID-19 issues.

Even though she had her own farm, Birtles was willing to share information and to help other farmers, Sill said. She would answer questions, act as a counselor and give advice when it was requested.

"She was so dedicated to the local food movement, to helping farmers succeed, to growing great food and to fostering meaningful relationships as a mother, friend, colleague and grower. She was a gem in this community, but her light shines on through everyone that she touched, the seeds she planted and the organizations she devoted so much time and energy to," Sill said. 

Some of those organizations include the Bloomington Winter Farmers' Market, which Birtles helped establish, as well as serving for a time on the advisory council for the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market and helping form the Woolery Farmers' Market, which is a summer offshoot of the winter market.

She also made a difference in the growth and success of the Farm to Family Fund, which purchases food at the end of farmers' markets to provide local produce to people living in The Rise, served at Community Kitchen and receiving produce from Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.

"Teresa really jumped on board when we were starting up," said Janice Lilly, who volunteers with the Farm to Family Fund. "She made a real difference in its success."

It was Birtles who approached Lilly to offer 70 pounds of butternut squash after a farmers' market ended. At the time, the fund was providing produce to only The Rise, and Lilly knew they couldn't use that much squash. So Birtles suggested checking with other agencies, and Community Kitchen said they could take the squash.

About the Farm to Family Fund:Local fund feeds the hungry and helps farmers, too

That led to both Community Kitchen and then Mother Hubbard's Cupboard being added to the places where produce and other food was dropped off each week, Lilly said. 

Farm-to-table efforts

Chef Dave Tallent and his wife, Krissy, recalled Birtles working with them to begin collaboration between area farmers and chefs, providing farm-to-table produce and products. Birtles eventually provided produce to many area restaurant chefs, something that other area farmers now are doing as well.

"She was integral to our restaurant," Dave Tallent said, adding Birtles was the first farmer willing to talk to him about providing produce specifically for Restaurant Tallent, which was then located on West Kirkwood Avenue. The restaurant opened at that location in Nov. 7, 2003, and closed in December 2015. Tallent now is executive chef of dining and catering at Indiana University.

"I feel we taught each other," he said, adding he had to learn that growing vegetables and fruit takes time. That led to menu changes to accommodate what was ripe and ready to pick. Birtles would bring seed catalogs for Tallent to peruse, circling what he wanted her to grow. Sometimes they'd discuss an experimental plant, often "meeting in the middle."

Tallent also recalls the first "real eggs" Birtles provided in the summer of 2003. They had raised, orangish yolks and made the best pasta he'd created up to that time. 

And the strawberries from Heartland Family Farm were the best, Tallent recalled. "She'd bring me the first strawberries of the season."

He remembers stumping her when he requested green strawberries to pickle. "It was a happy experiment," Tallent said. "It was one of my favorite things."

The collaboration between Tallent and Birtles continued when he moved his restaurant and then again when he became a chef at Indiana University. He was buying produce from her until COVID-19 hit.

"She was exactly what I needed at the time," Tallent said. "I can't begin to quantify what I learned from her."

"She was family to us," Krissy Tallent added. "She was just so generous with her time. She was the kindest soul."

More about the chef:Chef David Tallent to highlight Indiana specialties at James Beard dinner

That generosity continued even after Birtles became ill. Dave Tallent recalls Birtles asking how she could help with fundraisers for Greg Hardesty, a popular Indianapolis chef who, like Tallent, was a James Beard "best chef" finalist. 

A family perspective

Growing up with Birtles for a mother, Sarah McGee, who now has her own farm, remembers helping at markets and the farm, watching her mother help others.

"She had a very deep faith in God," McGee said. "She was not one to preach or hit someone with a Bible, but she lived by example.

"In this tumultuous time in the world, it's very important to love everyone. She always showed love to everyone. No matter who they were or where they were from, she loved them."

McGee recalled some Croatian refugees who stopped by their house in the 1980s. Birtles fed them and helped them before they left.

"If someone was upset, she would say, 'Calm down and we'll fix it.' ... She was the mother of the community in a lot of ways. Anyone that was broken down or upset, they could come to her and she would help them."

Finding ways to help others is the view of life McGee said her mother imprinted on her and her siblings. That has now turned back on the family, which has had an outpouring of help and comfort, McGee said.

"It's a good feeling to know that what you do comes back to you in one way or another," she said.

Currently the family is preparing to sell the 40-acre farm that Birtles owned. The herd of about 80 sheep have been sold, as well as the hundreds of chickens, three hogs and a few donkeys that served as guardians of the sheep. 

The strawberry, blackberry and raspberry bushes are still there, as are the peach, apple and plum trees.

"She had no background in farming," McGee explained. "She just decided she wanted to do it."

Birtles once lived in a tiny rental home in Lawrence County. As a single mother with four children, Birtles was cleaning houses for income. But that wasn't good for her soul, McGee said. Birtles wanted to become a farmer, so she tilled her front yard and read books and took extensive notes.

"She loved farming and being outdoors. If she wanted to do something, she would do it," her daughter said. "Her two slogans were: 'Question authority' and 'There's a tail, let's pull it.'"

McGee believes her mother's strong work ethic allowed her to expand her farm's offerings, including a 180-member CSA. But when she became sick, it "overtook her," McGee said. 

Now, McGee and her family and friends are trying to find their way forward, spending time together and "trying to dig out from under the weeds." 

Celebration at farmers' market

Another celebration of Birtles life will begin at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 7 at the Woolery Farmers' Market, which is open Saturdays in the grassy lot at 2250 W. Sunstone Drive near Woolery Mill, off West Tapp Road. There will be an open mic so anyone who wants to talk about a memory, story or contribution of Birtles can share. People are asked to bring a tribute along with a lawn chair or blanket.