Now that we are seasoned Farm Tour-ers, we decided to check out a couple farms that were new on the route. Surprisingly close to home was a beautiful U-Pick vegetable farm where Jenson and Keston harvested potatoes for the first time. Since our own little gardens were having a fallow year*, they filled up the wicker baskets with all sorts of goodness. Green and yellow beans, carrots, squash, tomatoes, strawberries, and the red potatoes - all picked by them. The farmers were sweet to the them, making it all the more special.
Further into the valley, we wandered around Mama's Gardens, went on a hay ride tour, the kids planted radishes, and we took home bunches of delicious produce, herbs, fresh eggs, and handmade soaps. The produce stand (and whole farm) was country-adorable. Like right out of a Martha or Country Living magazine. We plan to make weekly trips during the growing season to get our produce and eggs there from now on. The deal of the day was a 4 pound zucchini for fifty cents. Hello zucchini bread all winter! The farm is run by four young mamas and their husbands. Between them, they have 16 children ages eight and under. I love the idea of supporting those families rather than supermarkets with jacked up prices on their grapes from Chile. Have you read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? This would be the answer to my 100 mile diet!
We stopped at home to put away the eggs and eat pbj's before heading north to a couple more farms. On the way there, Jenson told me he found three pennies in the garage this morning. He used them to make lucky wishes. The first one he wished for not having to make nature journal pages at the farms, the next was to go to Boxx Berry farms and get his favorite-ever corn on the cob, and the third lucky wish was that he could find his shoes - the reason he went into the garage to begin with. We were all laughing so hard. He got all three wishes, though he was supposed to do one nature journal page, he never got around to it.
So our next stop was Boxx Berry Farm. We all loved the buttery sweet corn on the cob so much last year, it was high on our agenda. It did not disppoint. I am not a five-second rule kind of girl, but when my corn rolled off the holder onto the table, I grabbed it up and ate it anyway. That is saying something if you know me. :) Strawberry sundaes too, a pumpkin to take home for the front door, and a tractor ride...
Our last tour was another favorite from last year, Heritage Farms. They breed and raise heirloom vegetables and heritage animals. Heritage animals are similar in concept to heirloom veggies - they are the farm animals that are almost extinct, because they just aren't the easiest/heartiest/biggest money makers in the farming industry - therefor farmers don't have any reason to keep these certain breeds. We saw Navajo churro sheep, "large black" pigs, mule-footed pigs, a bazillion piglets, and Talouse geese. We held chicks and rekindled a friendship with the little boy that lives there whom we met last year. He was intent on selling his chicks to make some money. For $4, he offered to keep the chick at his house, feed and take care of it for us, then have his mother deliver all the eggs to our house. He was quite the business man. I should have taken him up on that offer!
For less that $20, we came home with a bounty of nearly-organic produce for the week and a dozen fresh eggs, and sweet memories of a great day! Not to mention, it all counts as school time, thus extending our summer just a bit longer before we begin our regular studies.
*Our garden isn't really fallow, it just doesn't exist. We tore the square foot gardens out in the spring (except the box of strawberries) to correct a drainage problem and replant our lawn. We'll be back in business next year, but I am sure we'll still be visiting these amazing farms quite a bit!
{To see our farm tour adventures from last year, go here. I just realized I talked about the same little boy last year, explained heritage animals better, and raved about the corn. It really is that good. And exactly like last year, Frank stayed home to watch college football - and babysit the dog for us. Hmm. Have you seen Groundhog Day?!}
