Down on the Farm

Ok, we officially live in the most awesome place ever. I can't even tell you how excited I am to be surrounded by all these amazing family farms. I knew all along that our town was primarily a farm town but, until today, had not actually been to any of the farms. To be honest, most of them (especially the ones that focus on fruits/vegetables) are closed for the winter. And I just felt kind of nervous about the whole thing, since that's just how I am about trying new things.

Still... We had a playdate with my friend Caryn and her kiddos this morning, and she was telling me about the place in town where they pick blueberries in the summer. I decided to drive us by the place on our way home, just to see where it was. And then, as we were coming back into town on the road by Nikos' preschool, we decided to stop at the farm right there. I knew from looking online that they had a store, and that it was open year-round, so I wasn't quite as nervous about it.

And... it was so cool!! They don't have a lot right now, but they did have plenty of fresh milk, eggs, cheeses, and honey, as well as frozen local chicken and pork products. The ladies in the store were really nice, and told me all about the story hours they do twice a week for little kids. And there is a nice little cafe where you can sit and drink coffee and have some of their homemade pastries. Meanwhile, there are a bunch of kitties roaming around the property, and a few pens right there with the big chicken coop, a bunch of goats, and a llama. It also looks like they have a few swingsets outside, but the swings themselves have been removed for the winter. All in all, a VERY cool "discovery"! Gus' mom bought a jar of honey, which is absolutely delicious, and a big glass bottle of whole milk for the kids. And the milk was very reasonably priced, too-- comparable to the supermarket!



Tomorrow, we might go and check out a few more farms in town. One is primarily a beef farm-- they raise grass-fed Black Angus cattle. My mouth is watering just thinking about steak right now! And then we might go to another one, which currently has a sign out front advertising their fresh grass-fed lamb. This particular farm also has a pancake breakfast coming up that I would really like to go to... you pay a flat fee and get all the homemade pancakes, pork sausage, and maple syrup you can eat. And then you get to walk around and view the sugaring process (where maple syrup comes from!). SO cool! And this same farm also has farm camp during the summer for kids ages six through twelve. Oh, and lots of programs on sustainable farming for interested adults (it's part of the Heifer International program). And have I mentioned that all of these places are less than a five-minute drive from here?

Anyway, it's a really cool place to live, especially if you want to eat locally. I'm so excited! OH! And Caryn was saying that she and her other friend were talking about going in together on a side of beef (or a whole cow, if we can get enough people). I told her that I want in, too, if they do it. Time to buy a chest freezer for down in the basement!

And one last picture, just because. Maya has been 100% Mommy's Girl lately. She clings to me like a baby koala. And of course I adore her, but it's also exhausting. Especially since she has her yiayia here who needs to stock up on snuggle time before she flies home to California! Still, she gave yiayia some love this morning, and I was able to take a quick pic. Yay!