Farmer's Market & Garden

Yesterday I went to my bookclub with 2 amazing women (incidentally I loved that we had 5 homebirths between us and have the same midwives) and we discussed Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. this book has changed my life. I also have on my 'To Read' list Real Food by Nina Plank and The Omnivore's Dilemma & In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen. So I've made a HUGE shift in my thinking about eating local and how very important it is to support our local farmers. Instead of going to the Farmer's Market now and spending a little bit each weekend to grill/eat over the weekend and then when that's done, go to the grocery store to get more!...I'm going to do the opposite, stock up at the market. So yesterday morning with 2 little ones in tow I headed down to the market and did just that. I bought: rhubarb, strawberries, asparagus, raw honey, wildberry drinkable yogurt, aged cheese, chicken, ground beef, eggs, fresh oregano (or was it dill??) and for the garden: green pepper plants, 2 tomato varieties (the heirloom Brandywine and a very early on hybrid Rutgers), cucumbers, squash, and pumpkin. I also bought locally made cleaning products. I was heavy laden! And I have a friction burn on my shoulder to prove it. It felt good, so good, to be buying from local farmers/vendors. And so enjoyable to shop in an outdoor market, like that's how it's supposed to be. I need to find a little Radio Flyer to take next time though.

So now one entire 4x8 garden is planted. I hope I got the spacing ok in the one I planted. I want to leave them room to grow obviously, but want the highest yield, too. We will see. Now for the other one I'm thinking pole beans and maybe peas. And I'm so excited about them that I would like to make about 4 more of them, if we had the room and more spots with good sun. Hmm.

Edit--on the way up to our hometown this weekend for 2 days of decluttering at the parents homes, we were discussing our gardening efforts and Rob said he would really enjoy getting a plot of land and doing some more heavy duty gardening. I would love to do some co-op gardening. Also, I got bunches of pretty bluish-purple monarda and clumps of forget-me-nots, as well as fresh rhubarb too. My mother in law is going to give me a clump of rhubarb in the fall, woo hoo. I don't know how anyone would have it growing and not use it, it's such a yummy and easy fruit to use! I would like to make rhubarb soda with it: http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/Culinate%20Kitchen/Beverages/rhubarb_soda