Last Farm Trip of the Year

We took a leap this summer. We signed up for a farm share with my parents. Once a week since June, we drove a long road, waited for endless (twenty minutes or more at times) road construction, down a gravel road, to the Riverhill Farm. In June, the flowers were being planted. The fields were full of red strawberries and ripening tomatoes.

Today was the last day.

The flowers are dry and stiff as we walk to the farm stand to pick up our produce for the week.  Anika and Ian know exactly where to go.  To the strawberry patch.

What a perfect taste of summer!

We learned about new veggies like Jerusalem Artichokes this year.  Ian learned a lot about strawberries.  These late season treasures are struggling to ripen, but the boy doesn't care.  He shows off his berry basket.

Behind Ian is the crumpled mess of tomatoes, which only two weeks ago gave us baskets and baskets of sweet treats.  This summer, I learned how to make homemade tomato sauce.  Easy enough for the tired days :)

Ian learned how to find ripe red strawberries, to leave the 'babies' for later.  He learned how to pull the leaves off each berry before eating it.

He eats the whole berry at once, because why nibble on berry-bliss?

Well. Maybe the entire berry is a little much . . .

Still yummy!

Then once more through the gate, until next spring!

We will miss the farm-share.  The fruits and veggies were amazing.  Reminded us of what our food is supposed to taste like.  All sunshine and earth and goodness.  It inspired us to try new things, rediscover old recipies.  We made big batches of salsa to share at parties.

Food was an event.  A weekly adventure.  Fun to gather and eat.

We split the share with my parents, so we had help with pick-ups on busy weeks.  We also got way too much food for our one family so it worked perfectly.  Yes, it was more money than buying at our local grocery store (cost-wise), but I suspect it came close when we measure how much food came home in each week's box.  And the experience, to see my children learn to pick strawberries and eat them sun-warm right then, to pick tomatoes and green beans, discover new flavors and favorite dishes, that is, as they say, priceless.  Anika loves my tomato sauce more than anything she finds in a jar.

What a fun growing season.

Our farm-share was with Riverhill Farm in Nevada County- sustainable farming, yummy food :)