Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Fall Harvest Party

The growing season is coming to an end in our climate. To celebrate, "our farmer" as she is known around our house, had all the shareholders from our CSA out to the farm for a harvest celebration.

(Isn't it great that the person that grows our local, organic, and sustainable food is a WOMAN? From a parenting perspective, I lovelovelove that our kids automatically think of *her* when they picture a farmer.)

Though the skies threatened us with rain all day, we managed to make it through the potluck meal, garden tour, and hayride without getting wet. WHEW! It was otherwise a nice, windy, fall day.



I really thought these old silos and farm equipment were beautiful.




Hurray for hayrides!


(This is my sister, flanked by my three kiddos.)


Sonny, the horse.



Shareholders taking a tour of the biggest of the three gardens.


"Our farmer" does not yet have children of her own, but kids love her.
Here she's reading them the directions to the scavenger hunt she planned.



Gourds!!! (Not edible, but fun to get none-the-less.)


View of one of her THREE huge gardens (foreground) with the MN landscape showing off in the background.

Marin, Joan, Kate, and my niece June, with the pumpkins "our farmer" grew.



Marin and her best bud (also a CSA shareholder) had fun climbing this huge dirt pile.



My sister and niece were visiting to celebrate Marin's birthday, so they were able to join us. It felt so "right" to see the kids learning about where our food comes from, how- and where!- it is grown, etc.

I think the adults too came away with a huge dose of reality. How she grows and tends to the vegetables ("our" vegetables!) is a TON of work. I get overwhelmed for her every time I think about it. And yet, for her, it is a labor of love. I'm quite sure I'm far, FAR too lazy to do what she does.

While I am somewhat ready for this year's CSA to wrap-up (the pressure! to find ways to use/store all that beautiful food!), I know it will not take long before I am yearning for some garden fresh veggies.

I hope "our farmer" gets plenty of restful days this winter, before she's out there again. Growing food for us.

P.S. The pumpkins are piling up... any good pumpkin or pumpkin seed recipes that you'd like to share?

6 comments:

d e v a n said...

Great pictures!

Sunny said...

Toast those pumpkin seed in the oven then flavor with your fav spices...YUM!!!!

I wish I had someone give me a load of those gourds!! Fall decorations abound!!!

Erin said...

Looks like SO much fun. And it makes me miss MN (though that emotion will pass in a few more weeks when the ground is already frozen in Nov).

Hey, I really want to know: did you get a new camera? Or new photo editing software? Your photos are stunning.

Swistle said...

YES, that's GREAT! When I was little, I used to say I wanted to be a "farmer's wife." A farmer's WIFE! AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH.

Beautiful Neighbor said...

Great pictures - it's fun to see the farm, and to see where all of "my" shares have come from. :) I, also, cannot even begin to imagine tending gardens that size. Labor of love is right. I don't have that much love to go around.

Anonymous said...

Oh how beautiful! I do love autumn.