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

Springtime Resolutions

Even though spring isn't officially here until Friday, I'm invoking a new spring "resolution," which is to get outside every day, particularly in the morning if I can.  So far I've been out gardening the past two mornings, and I'm loving it!  The smell of the air, getting my hands dirty, and hearing the birds chirp is an instant (and free) mood lifter.

This recent habit has got me thinking a lot about gardening, including projects I want to start, and changes I'd like to make.  For instance, last year I planted my first ever kitchen garden, and then subsequently discovered that "cold crops" really weren't meant for June.  They were, however, meant for March, and so I've already cleared away the remnants of cauliflower and brussels sprouts (some survived the winter!) from last year, and am now ready to amend my soil and plant seeds for this year.  I'm also plotting a list of new trees I'd like to add to our modest property (a suburban lot), including an apricot tree (I can already taste the cobbler...) and some ornamental pears.  

I've been seeking out garden inspiration too, and finding it in spades.  I'm in love with this English Garden, featured in this last (sadly, The last) issue of Domino Magazine (sniff, sniff), and have my sights set on my sideyard to attempt something similar.  If only my house really were a stone cottage to match....  I also snagged up a copy of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, about her experiment to eat locally for a year, and am already filled to the brim with ideas for growing my own food and supporting community agriculture.  

Of course, all this inspiration is trickling into ideas for my next series, Recessionistas, and I'll be sharing more details soon!  You can definitely expect to hear more about gardening and the value of growing food during a recession in the days to come, so get your spades ready!

Previous Related Posts:

Fall Harvest: A Second Chance for a Bad Gardener

Food for Thought

Marketplace Maven: featuring Sharon Astyk (an author who blogs and writes a Ton about growing food)

Saturday Sussie: 24 Boxes

note: sussies are amusing things I find during the week (or year) that I thought you might like to know about too.  I call them sussies because I like the word.

Since I wrote about cooking yesterday, I thought I would carry on the theme for today's sussie.  I stumbled upon 24 boxes last year when it made Blogger's "Blogs of Note" list.  Creator Jennifer Mayer decided to start the blog when she signed up for a community supported agriculture share (CSA) in her local area and needed to figure out how to eat all of the fabulous seasonal produce she received!

A quick view of the site reveals a few things:

A.  Jennifer has a knack for food styling and photography, making her food creations look absolutely delicious.

B.  Her recipes are unique creations, and she usually offers a downloadable pdf for your printing pleasure.  Thanks Jennifer!

C.  After a few weeks of reading and printing, you'll be well on your way to your own 24 boxes cookbook.

D.  Participating in a CSA is a great way to support small, local farms, and also a very good way to get your recommended daily servings of fruits and veggies!

So, if you like creative recipes made with lots of yummy produce, check out 24 boxes this weekend and happy cooking!  As I mentioned yesterday, I--of course--will be eating cheesecake.

Previous Saturday Sussies:

Confessions of a Shopaholic--the movie

ReadyMade magazine

Champagne Brunch