Kimmons Family – Southeast Tennessee
Part of the 25 Projects for 25 Years series.
On the side of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee’s magnificent Sequatchie Valley lies Carol and Johnny Kimmons’ 328-acre protected property. The Kimmons family partnered with The Land Trust for Tennessee in 2011 to place a conservation easement on this ecologically diverse land. We hopped on a phone call with Carol and Johnny Kimmons and their son, Patrick Ironwood, to chat about their story and what the land means to them.
Carol and Johnny Kimmons in front of their home, Moonshadow.
Carol’s parents purchased the land in 1965, and it quickly became a cherished family farm. Carol describes her parents as “hillbillies from rural Appalachian Tennessee.” Her father had left a poverty-stricken background to become one of the few engineers at NASA without a college degree. After retirement, and inspired by the “back to the land” movement, they settled on the land and were soon joined by Carol, Johnny and their young sons, newly returned from teaching at an American school in Turkey. According to Carol, when their family moved to the Sequatchie Valley property, it was like coming home to Appalachia, giving them a deep sense of place.
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- The muscadine arbor and patio by Moonshadow.
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- Johnny Kimmons reading in the Moonshadow inglenook by the fire with Gnarly and Spinoza. Built by hand by Johnny and Carol, family and friends.
Carol told us, “We lived with my mom and dad when our sons Patrick and Joel were small children, working together, building homes, tapping a mountain spring, rebuilding a coal-miners road, and clearing land for gardens and orchards. My mother was a fabulous gardener, and I learned about forest lore from her. Johnny’s parents soon joined us from New Mexico with their hard-working pioneer ethic.” Their sons, Patrick and Joel, both graduated from Sequatchie County High School and from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
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- Mud Dauber, built of “cob”, made by hand and foot with clay from the hillside mixed with straw. It is now a temporary shelter for visitors.
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- Sweetgum, the house by Hick’s Creek, home of Patrick Ironwood and the Liquidambar Art Gallery.
In 1997, driven by their passion for permaculture, armed with advanced degrees in agriculture and biology, and backed by their environmental active sons, Carol and Johnny established the Sequatchie Valley Institute, a non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to environmental education, sharing their knowledge and love for the environment. As part of the SVI program, they have built, mapped, and now maintain several miles of geomarked nature trails through seven different ecosystems including an arboretum trail with over 100 identified plants, open to the public on weekends. Guided tours are also available for students of all ages and other groups.
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- Springtime view inside 70’ foot greenhouse built with a Dept. of Agriculture grant.
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- Hick’s Creek, which flows by Sweetgum (home of Patrick and the Liquidambar Art Gallery).
The property includes hand-crafted passive solar homes, some with solar electricity, and an art gallery featuring local artists. The pristine forest ascending the side of the Cumberland Plateau was last logged before the 1950’s, leaving some ancient giants over 100 years old.
Of the 340 acres, only 5 are currently cleared. The Kimmons family has 2 homestead zones on the property and, per their conservation easement, will eventually be able to build 2 more if they choose. As part of their Forest Management plan, they are working with USDA NRCS programs to maintain and improve the historic integrity of their ecosystem.
L to R: Trish King, Patrick Ironwood, Michelle Kimmons, Joel Kimmons, Carol Kimmons, and The Land Trust for Tennessee Director of Stewardship Sarah O’Rear. Solar panels in background provide electricity for Moonshadow area.
According to Carol, “We began to realize that the Sequatchie Valley was no longer a hidden gem but has been discovered and might face unsustainable development. That’s when we decided to safeguard our land forever by working with The Land Trust for Tennessee to establish a conservation easement. As more people come to the Valley for its peace and beauty, this land will be here. It’s not just for our family, it’s a place to learn about the diversity and importance of our bioregion. We live on the side of this fantastic Valley, and we want to protect our bit of it. We can watch the sunrise over the Eastern escarpment and the sunset over the Western escarpment. The Sequatchie Valley is our home.”