We have now been farming 10 years....yep it happened a decade...how did that even happen?
It has been an amazing adventure and we continue to grow as a business, family and all around veggie farm.
I didn't grow up a farmer, though i did reside on a hobby farm with a large garden, assorted animals and a couple horses. What I did learn from a young age was where our food came from. We butchered our cows, pigs, chickens and had fresh eggs. Also we had a garden that supplied us in the summer with plenty of fruits and vegetables and also processed for winter consumption.
I did eventually move away and lived in a few cities and had a career in the restaurant industry. My growing up connected to food ended up turning into a passion for great ingredients and an adventurous palette. The restaurant industry was amazing for seeing how it all connected.
Little did I know the interest my husband and I shared would lead us into the world of food production! It was a crazy leap but a great one. I also discovered a new found interest in local, sustainable and connecting with the whole process of farm to fork.
What has been most apparent in this farming venture is how disconnected as a society we are from our food. Now don't get me wrong I am not on a soap box saying we all need to forage the land for sustenance....but learning and knowing how our food system works should be taught in schools and homes as it is of vital importance.
We live in an age of convenience more than ever...prepacked, available ALL THE TIME anything has made us into communities where more is better and having it all the time, well that is the icing on the cake!
It is U pick season here....yes raspberries..a whole acre! People that know me know I have a distinct love/hate relationship with it. My FB posts on my personal page says it all...always tongue in cheek (most of the time) with observations of the day.
First I will say I generally LOVE it...honestly as a farm I feel it is something we can offer to get people connected to the land, the process of the work and showing their children it does not come from a shelf in a store. There is immense satisfaction in doing it yourself and seeing the "fruits of your labour"...sorry had to haha! I try not to take it personally when people are frustrated picking or aren't experiencing what they had envisioned in their minds....I come from the hospitality industry so I have a pretty thick skin ;) But on a particularly frustrating day I mused while I myself was out picking some raspberries for our family.....why was I upset, why does it bother me...it shouldn't!
I guess people aren't aware of the work..yes yes it is work. Those berries are small and it takes time...yep time. A valuable commodity in this day and age I know and we are all short of it. I just had someone leave today and say this isn't worth my time, I just don't have the patience or feel like doing it after all......I guess I feel confused...not worth it? How can it all be not worth it....
I look out at the sea of red loveliness ( I do love my raspberries) and wonder how it became not worth it for some. The field is made up of bushes that produce better than some worse than others, big, small, tart, sweet...yep they grow and are not a manufactured product!
We are conditioned to look for the perfect berry, vegetable etc.....that is how it is advertised and shared with society. Drop your cash at the supermarket checkout and carry on. Getting back to the basics teaches us it is more than that. Fresh, local, meet your farmer, get out in the fresh air and experience something you can take pride in that you did is awesome!!
If you do venture out to a local farm or u pick above all HAVE FUN! We are all passionate about what we do and love that you want to be a part of it in some way.
Thanks for supporting local and taking the time to seek us out!
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