The First Haul

Happy May Day!! Today was the opening of the local farmers market. It was sparsely attended both by the farmers and the customers because of a little rain, but that did not deter us. We grabbed the umbrella and put our hoods up and walked the two blocks to the market. And here is our first bounty of the year! Not bad for May 1st. Those asparagus look soooo fresh. I am eager to cook some up for dinner. And the strawberries are going to taste so yummy in a shortcake for dessert. It was nice to see some produce make it through the winter for us - the apples and sweet potatoes were grown last season. All the farms are within 125 miles from the markets in Fairfax county. I did not bother with asking for growing methods this time as getting truly local produce is my main priority, but I will find the ones that practice organic or as close as possible in the coming weeks. We just stopped by each booth and got a little something from each one.

I am going to try really hard to feed us from the market and the CSA we joined this year. And what little we manage to grow ourselves this year. I figure the balance will shift towards self sufficiency as we get better at doing it ourselves, but for now I am grateful for local produce! I am told there will be pasture-raised meat and eggs and dairy soon, as well. Hooray!!

p.s. Don't forget the book offer!