I’ve spent most of my life as a big city girl, but there’s something about the sunshine and scent of the baking earth on the breeze that I just adore.
So we make the drive out to Underwood Family Farms several times a year, and I get my fill of fresh air, farm produce and frolicking in the fields. It’s the perfect antidote to the congestion and craziness of the the city.
The farm stand was stocked for the season, and I quickly filled a wagon with pumpkins and decorative gourds. I’m loving all the heirloom varieties that are becoming popular- I think they’re so much prettier than the traditional ones!
The farm was all decked out for the Harvest Festival, and we were happy to enjoy the festive decor sans the crazy weekend crowds. And when I realized the cow train was running, I couldn’t hold back from acting like a kid and catching a ride out to the fields via my friend Angus.
Though we patronize the farm stand, we go especially for the”u-pick” offerings… I love getting down and dirty in the fields, and eating handpicked farm-to-table even more! Fried green tomatoes are one of my favorite foods, so I take advantage of the bushes of underripe fruit and pick way too many.
Tomatoes, squashes (and their blossoms!), peppers and more easily filled the wheelbarrow, but the carrots gave me a run for my money! I kept tearing off tops while the veggies stayed firmly in place. As I pried them out of the earth with my fingers, I was wishing we’d brought a trowel along.
I was bummed the raspberry fields were bare- they’re my favorite to pick, eat, and cook with. But the heatwave and drought shortened berry season, and the canes had already been cut back in preparation for next year.
But the beet fields were loaded, and I promptly piled up the produce. They made for quite the farm-style bouquet.
And of course, no trip to the farm is complete without visiting the animals. I hung with my fellow piggie and tried, yet again, to convince David of my need for a pet goat. (He’s not even entertaining the idea, if you were wondering.)
Harvest at the farm really makes it feel like autumn has arrived, even when it’s still eighty degrees out. And I may be prissy, but I’m happy to mess up my manicure if it means I can support local farmers and know the provenance of the food I feed my family. Frankly, produce this fresh tastes so much better than anything I can find in store. And y’all know I’m all about eating well.
J. Crew gingham shirt | American Eagle skinnies | Hunter wellies | el Coral Barcelona pearls
loveRavayna