Farmer's Market Loot

I had a fabulous time at my local farmer's market yesterday afternoon, and thought I would share some photos of my loot.


First purchase was a bunch of fresh asparagus grown on a nearby farm. After having read earlier this spring about the Huge difference between fresh asparagus and the store-bought variety, I admit that I was more than curious to try it out. I asked the farmer at the stand when the skinny spears were harvested (because apparently they should be eaten as soon as possible for the best flavor), and was therefore pleased to learn that they were cut from their stalks less than 12 hours prior.

So I spent $5.00 (yes, I know that's a lot for produce) on my bunch and then promptly cut them into ribbons for pasta at dinner. So are the rumors true? Is fresh asparagus really that much better than store-bought? Absolutely Yes! Even my husband agreed, and he hates to agree about stuff like that. The spears were so crisp and fresh, with this wonderful earthy flavor. Would I spend $5.00 again for the experience? Definitely. Totally worth it. Even more so, I now have a hankering to plow some asparagus trenches and grow my own...



The next purchase was this locally made pasta. I can't even begin to tell you the sizes and shapes and flavors that were available from this pasta stand! Orzo, fettucine, linguine, etc. etc. in tomato basil or lemon sage or whole wheat. After deliberating for several minutes, I finally settled on some chipotle pasta for a little kick. And since the sellers conveniently printed recipes for us to take home, I enjoyed the pasta with some chipoltle cream sauce (I'll share more about that in a few weeks!).

For $4.25, it was pricey for pasta, but I thought it was a fun novelty. Will I buy it again? Probably not, since truthfully the sauce provided the real flavor. But it was definitely fun to try!

Finally, the bread you see was my last purchase. I hadn't intended to get anything from the local bakery shop, but one of the bakers caught me trying to leave and insisted that I try some samples first. I am So glad he did!

They had everything you could think of, including this amazing Asiago Sourdough that I almost stole right there. Talk about having a hard time deciding! I deliberated forever, asking for opinions and eating samples by the fistful. Finally I decided to go with a sweet bread perfect for breakfast. Which flavor, you ask? Only the most delightful lemony-choclaty bread Ever! Lemon White Chocoloate to be exact, which didn't sound appealing to me at all until I had a bite of it in my mouth. To. Die. For.

Needless to say, you can probably guess what I had for breakfast this morning... At $5.00 a loaf, it's way cheaper than drugs! I'll definitely have to get my fix next week!

Thus concludes the tales of my day at the farmer's market. If you haven't shopped one recently, I highly recommend it! Just remember these simple tips:
* bring your own bag
* bring cash, including smaller bills and quarters
* set a budget, and expect to pay more. The great food (stuff you would Never find at the grocer) is worth it!

note: this trip was part of my Retro Summer June calendar of field trips! Click here to download the calendar to join me on the next event!

A Day at the Farm

I can't think of a better field trip to kick off the summer than Saturday's trip to a local farm. There was lots of good food, fresh produce and dairy to purchase, animals to pet, and even a tour on an old yellow school bus! Below are a small selection of my favorite pictures from the day.


Lettuce, strawberries and rhubarb where the order of the day, as well as stacks and stacks of farm fresh eggs and even some exotic mushrooms. In addition to all of the wonderful food, there was plenty of informational material to stock up on covering a variety of topics like organic food, local farms and community supported agriculture.



Undoubtedly my favorite part of the day was visiting the chicken coops. Hundreds and hundreds of clucking hens roaming about was a sight to see! I got a half-dozen fresh eggs out of the tour, plus a few pecks on the toe.


Since this summer is all about nostalgia, I couldn't resist snapping some shots of iconic farm images, like this grain silo and the dusty rafters of an old barn. These images, plus the warm day and community atmosphere of the farm made me long for a simpler time. By the time the day was done, I was ready to don an apron and set to some canning. Or baking. Or hanging laundry in the sun. You know--farm stuff.

And after touring the acreage and seeing the produce, my friend and I couldn't resist signing up for a small farm share. So we'll be receiving 26 weeks worth of farm produce starting this month! I'm sure you'll get to hear a lot more about that in the weeks to come (like what we're going to do with all of the beets when early fall rolls around!)!


Previous Related posts & links:
Going to the Farm
Retro Summer on Flickr
Oh How I Do Love a Good Field Trip!

Going to the Farm

I’ll be kicking off the first of many field trips this summer with a trip to the farm tomorrow! Not my farm, of course, but one of the local farms surrounding my town that offers community members shares of their annual crops.

A Farm First
Even though I was born and raised in an agricultural area (Northern Colorado), I have never actually toured a working farm here, so I am excited. They’ll even have an animal barnyard, although I probably won’t be elbowing the kids to get my hands on the pigs and lambs.

Drawing Me
What draws me most to the farm is hearing about the local food movement, and learning more about their crop-sharing program. After reading several books recently on the subject of growing food, agriculture and the like, I am eager to see the action in my town.

Plus, there will be food and drinks (we have A Lot of local micro-breweries), live music, and vendors. What could be more fun than that!?

Join Me, or Host Your Own Trip!
If you live close by, and are interested in joining me for the event, just email me for more information at shillberry@stephaniehillberry.com. Or consider gathering up some of your friends for a tour/visit to a local farm near you!

And I’ll certainly be taking lots of note to share more during the “Plant Nerd” mini-series coming later this summer, so stay tuned for that, too!

Previous Related Posts & Links:
download a copy of June's other field trips!
visit Retro Summer's webpage for the latest updates!
Plant Nerds & Cookie-Cutters: a glance at the topics ahead
Oh How I Love a Good Field Trip