Well, last Thursday I was so tired of chill and rain, and wet clothes mildewing on the drying rack that I finally made a fire in the woodstove, cranked up The Talking Heads, and got my boogie on with Ella. While we can't claim full credit for the sun coming out the next day, I like to think we helped.
I don't know about you, but personally I'm totally thrilled to see the concept of CSAs spreading, and also expanding in concept (click here if you don't know what a CSA is). We're pushing this idea forward ourselves, obviously, with Pioneer Valley Heritage Grain's CSA. We're also personally members of a delicious meat CSA (Chesnut Farms - delicious, grass fed meat delivered frozen once a month). And newest to me - my membership to Foxfiber Farm's wool CSA (or "sheep shares" as they call it). Once a season, I get two skeins of yarn in the mail, in the colorway I've pre-chosen. It's gorgeous fiber, and I love getting my yarn right here in the Valley, from such talented folks. Wait, not folks, neighbors as Ben is reminding me over my shoulder. And he's absolutely right. Neighbors.
We were quite busy this weekend, waving from Roy's horse-drawn wagon in a Fourth of July parade, working on the horse stall for Cole, harvesting the last of this year's strawberries (precious!), and the first of the summer's raspberries. Yeah! I've been wondering, as Ella devours fistful after fistful of berries, how on earth we could satiate her berry appetite if we didn't grow our own. We just planted two blueberry bushes, with a plan to order more late this summer. I always flinch at the price tag at first ($35), but then I think about how much each little basket of blueberries would cost if I bought them instead. Maybe I'm telling you something you already know (I hope so!), but until we end our culture's ridiculous war on dandelions and obsession with lawns instead of growing food and beauty, it can't really be said too much. Not to mention that a grocery store (or even a farmer's market) doesn't look like this:
Today I proved (though it may never happen again) that it is possible to make jam alone with a two year old. And neither of us even cried! (Thanks once again to the Ergo and nursing, of course.) It was fun, and I love how well we're doing with preserves so far. Right now we're doing about a batch a week - not too shabby!
Ben got the summer newsletter printed, so we'll post it very soon on the updated website, and we'll have hard copies at the bakery, for anyone who wants a copy to hold in their hands.
I'm delighted to have stumbled upon your wonderful blog and will be back to visit again! Thanks for sharing bits from your summer.
Posted by: Barb | 07/25/2009 at 04:31 AM