By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
After a family visit to a tulip farm, Jerry Moody casually mentioned they could start something similar at home. His daughter, however, wasn’t convinced.
“My daughter looked at me and said, ‘you always say that, and you never do it,’” Moody recalled.
Determined to prove her wrong, he took the challenge head on.
With a little research and planning, Moody was ready for the new adventure on their Mount Pleasant farm.
And it was a true family project. Together, they planted 23,000 bulbs by hand in four hours.
“The first year with tulips, we didn’t have a clue what to expect,” Moody said. “We started this, and social media just took off with it because everybody that came to the farm took pictures and posted them on their Facebook or Instagram, and it just exploded from there.”
The following year, they doubled their efforts, planting 52,000 bulbs by hand once again.
“Our hope is, if this continues to grow, that we can get some type of mechanical planter to plant the bulbs. It would go a lot faster,” Moody said.
The bulbs are shipped in from the Netherlands, and they grow over 30 different varieties.
They plant in December, and the tulips usually start blooming near the end of February and early March. This year’s freeze, however, pushed that timeline back a bit.
But tulips are resilient flowers, growing even in the most challenging conditions.
“We plant them six inches in the ground, and even the 13-degree weather we had this year didn’t damage the tulips at all,” Moody said.
The tulips bloom at staggered times, ensuring there are plenty of flowers for picking throughout the short season.
When visitors come to the farm, they walk through colorful rows and pick their own tulips. Once selected, the tulips are wrapped into bouquets by Moody’s wife, Deanna, and their daughters.
Grazing in pastures alongside the tulips are Moody’s cows. He also raises broiler chickens on their Titus County farm.
For some, it’s their first exposure to agriculture beyond the grocery store.
Through casual conversations and hands-on experiences, visitors leave not only with a bouquet of flowers but also with a deeper appreciation for farming and ranching.
“The most rewarding part of this is seeing people enjoy the farm,” Moody said. “Having tulips in the field brings people to the farm, and when we get them here, we can share our story. We can show them how we’re taking care of our cattle, and they get a glimpse of what it takes to grow or raise a product that is put on somebody’s plate.”
The tulip farm holds cherished memories for those who visit.
“We had a dear friend bring her mom and dad to visit and pick tulips, and that was her mother’s last outing on this earth,” he said. “She passed a few weeks after that, and the picture in her obituary was her in our tulip field. A family that was going through sickness and heartache—we gave them a moment of joy.”
Although Moody didn’t grow up in agriculture, the first-generation farmer has embraced every aspect and isn’t afraid to try something new. With the help of his father-in-law, Moody and his wife began raising broiler chickens.
“He offered us some property that we could use to build the chicken houses, and that’s how I wound up getting involved in agriculture,” he said.
For Moody, the true joy of the farm lies in working alongside his family.
“To do this with my family means everything to me,” he said. “We have the opportunity for all generations of our family to be involved—from my wife and our children to our sons in law and grandchildren. It brings together the whole family for one goal.”
And that’s creating lasting memories one tulip at a time.
Watch a video from Moody Blooms.
Leave A Comment