There are few things more satisfying than popping out to the garden to get your dinner.  I (Julie) have to admit that I had some skepticism about how this garden thing was going to go…however, after multiple meals that were entirely from the farm (photos are 90-100% farm provided) I am now a believer! I feel like we merely skimmed the surface of what is possible for this garden space.

I have learned to cook with new (delicious!) foods like kale, swiss chard, and beet stems.  Who knew swiss chard makes an awsome pasta dish?  And kale chips?  Addicting.  I leave the summer with a renewed desire to eat seasonally and locally.  Although my family still needs the monthly Costco shop, we are way more aware of what we eat and how we can provide for ourselves.  The goal for next year is to take it a level further by growing more, and learning to can and store food for the winter. (And figuring out how to get wormless potatoes).

It is so much easier to run to our local grocery store (2 minutes down the road) and grab what we need.  Making the beds, prepping the soil, weeding (although we did very little of that;), watering, picking and storing is so much more work!  However, at the end of it all I think it is worth it.  To watch the sun and soil create dinner right in front of your eyes brings a whole new level of appreciation for the earth and what it gives us. We have all learned a lot, and realized how much more we have to learn.  We have a long way before we reach our goals, but we are well on our way.