A little history...
The Cobbler Kit's beginnings...
My mother, Rita (pictured), was not a baker. She was an attentive wife, a loving mother, a lover of house cleaning and laundry (I kid you not), and a vey good cook - but I repeat, not a baker. My father was the baker, and so confident in his skills and bold in his critiques that my mother felt too intimidated to bother. That said, she made this one dessert even my father couldn't find fault with. It was her Blueberry Cobbler. Everyone loved it. We even ate it for dinner on occasional summer nights during blueberry season. It was her thing she made better than anyone else! I began making them when my mother no longer did. I can't tell you how many were baked in a season, but it kept me busy. I always had one with me when attending a cookout or potluck. I brought them to work, welcomed new neighbors, and made them for my own summer gatherings. Because I worked full time, I streamlined the process so I could turn one out as quickly as possible. I measured and premixed the dry ingredients for about ten cobblers and stored them in my pantry to use as I needed them. One day, it occurred to me that maybe this would be a great way to share my mother's recipe without giving it away (every family needs a secret recipe). Family and friends that already had her recipe were sworn to secrecy, and the Cobbler Kit was created! My mom passed in 2014, and we miss her still. I would love to be able to tell her just how popular her cobblers are these days. I imagine she would take one look at my dad and say, "So "Carl, who's the baker now?"
About Piney Hollow Farm...
Piney Hollow Farm was established in 1939, by C&E Measley. "C" was my dad, Carlton (pictured), and "E" was his mother, Eva. The property they chose was on Piney Hollow Road, thus the name. It was purchased from a man in England and cleared by Carlton and his dad, Horace. The blueberries were (and still are) cultivated on approximately 25 acres of black, sandy soil. His children and grandchildren put in their time in the packing house and fields throughout the years. Carlton rode his tractor until he was 89 and then passed the ownership to my brother, Skip. Piney Hollow Farm is still run by the Measley family. It has kept up with the ever-changing industry, but at the heart of it, remains an old-fashioned, family-owned and operated business. In addition to all of the berries that are shipped all over the country, loyal customers from near and far still arrive daily during the season to "pick-your-own" and to purchase by the pound.