Who we are
We're Sonny and Julia, an engaged couple who run Prairie and Pine together. A lot of our time is spent outdoors: hiking trails, finding waterfalls, and seeing the country from the road.
About Prairie & Pine
Editable placeholder copy: Prairie & Pine LLC is a homestead and small farm rooted in Monroe County, Mississippi. Our mission is to steward the land well, grow good food, learn from the seasons, and be a good neighbor to the community around us.
About Us
Sonny and Julia, the two of us behind Prairie and Pine, out on the trail and on the road.
Julia
Julia Christine Gale cares about good, wholesome food and about the old kitchen traditions behind it, like a well-made loaf of bread. She lives by the seasons and loves bringing people together in community.
Sonny
Sonny (Thomas K. Morgan, II) is Julia's fiancé and her partner in running Prairie and Pine. You'll find him on most of the trails in these photos.
What we're building
Prairie and Pine is our homestead and small farm. We want to steward the land well, grow good food, learn from each season, and be good neighbors to the people around us.
Where we're rooted
Our family farm land is in Monroe County, Mississippi.
On the trail and on the road
The Area
Amory & Monroe County
Amory sits in Monroe County in northeast Mississippi. The county seat is Aberdeen.
Born of the railroad
Amory was laid out in 1887 by the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad as the halfway point between Memphis and Birmingham, and named for Harcourt Amory, a Lancaster Mills executive. Frisco steam engine No. 1529 is on permanent display in Frisco Park, and the Amory Railroad Festival, started in 1979, is held there every April.
Sources: BNSF, Mississippi Main Street
The Tombigbee River
People from nearby Cotton Gin Port on the Tombigbee River left their town and moved to the new town of Amory. Today BNSF trains cross the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Amory.
Sources: Mississippi Main Street, BNSF
Climate
8aUSDA hardiness zone
72.9°FAvg annual high
49.8°FAvg annual low
54.26 inAnnual precipitation
Zone 8a per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (average annual extreme minimum 10–15 °F). Normals are NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 for the Aberdeen, MS station (USC00220021), about 10 miles south of Amory.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 52.3 | 56.7 | 65.3 | 73.3 | 81.0 | 87.5 | 90.4 | 89.9 | 85.2 | 75.2 | 63.5 | 54.7 |
| Low °F | 30.7 | 33.4 | 40.9 | 48.4 | 57.5 | 65.4 | 69.2 | 68.4 | 62.2 | 50.0 | 38.6 | 32.8 |
| Precip in | 4.97 | 5.3 | 4.56 | 5.79 | 4.76 | 4.28 | 4.3 | 3.46 | 3.74 | 3.32 | 3.98 | 5.8 |
Monthly data: NOAA NCEI monthly normals, USC00220021 (retrieved Oct 19, 2026).
Growing Seasons
MSU Extension puts north Mississippi in its northern planting zone. Cool-season crops go in from late winter to early spring, warm-season crops after spring frost danger has passed, and a second cool-season round goes in during late summer for a fall harvest. Check the exact dates in MSU's guides:
Local Resources
MSU Extension, Monroe County
517 Hwy 145 N, Suite 1
Aberdeen, MS 39730
662‑369‑4951
USDA Service Center (FSA & NRCS)
Use the official locator to find the current address and phone number for the Monroe County service center.
Did you know?
Amory, Mississippi: Recovering town comes together to celebrate community and history
Amory was founded in 1887 by the KCM&B Railroad, and Frisco steam engine No. 1529 sits in Frisco Park.
BNSF Railway
Amory Main Street
Residents of Cotton Gin Port on the Tombigbee River moved to the new railroad town.
Mississippi Main Street Association
Planting Dates for Mississippi Vegetable Gardens
Spring and fall planting windows by crop.
MSU Extension
Mississippi Planting Zones
How MSU divides the state into planting zones.
MSU Extension
U.S. Climate Normals
How NOAA computes its 30-year climate normals.
NOAA NCEI
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
Look up the hardiness zone for any ZIP code.
USDA Agricultural Research Service
How to Start a Farm: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
USDA loans, programs and state coordinators for new farmers.
Farmers.gov (USDA)
Videos
Videos coming soon
We'll share clips from the land and the trail here as they're ready.
Future Projects
Homestead Guidebook
We're putting together a practical guidebook for getting a small homestead started: planning the layout, choosing what to plant and when, caring for the soil, and learning the basic skills a small acreage needs. It's an educational guide that we'll keep improving as we learn. The first public edition is free to read.
Thank you!
© 2026 Thomas K. Morgan, II
Contact
Send Prairie & Pine LLC a message.