As I mentioned in this recent blog post, this summer I've decided to focus my energy on my relationship to food and body image. One step that I took was to sign up for a farm share from a local farm called Tangletown Gardens Farm, which is located about 45 minutes west of Minneapolis.
This weekend there was friends and family day at the farm, and we packed the kids into the car despite a raging thunderstorm (of course we brought their full-body rain suits and rain boots.) I was a little nervous that the weather would interfere with the fun of the day, but as we pulled up, the storm lifted. We dealt with a few light showers here and there, but had a blast as the kids climbed on hay piles, checked out the animals, pretended to drive tractors, and stomped around in giant mud puddles.
We took a tour of the farm and learned about all of the thought that goes into farming sustainably and in an effort to produce the most nutrient-rich foods. Americans (myself included) tend to be pretty far removed from where their food actually comes from, and now as we eat our food from this farm, it will be fun to be able to picture the fields that the animals grazed in or how the soil was meticulously cared for by this sweet family.
As a kid we would visit relatives in Iowa who were farmers, and it was definitely a childhood fantasy of mine to live on a farm and tend to the crops and animals. While I love my city life, it was so fun to see our kids happily tromping through the fields today. We will certainly return for more events at the farm.
We bought some meat and eggs at the farm and our farm share season will start next week. The challenge, of course, will be using up the veggies before they go bad, including veggies that we aren't accustomed to eating or preparing.
I focus a lot in my business and personal life on building and sustaining my energy, whether that's through how I spend my time and whom I spend it with, or how I tend to my body. I'm in a phase of life where getting enough sleep is next to impossible with the ages of my kids, but focusing on being active outdoors and taking time to prepare healthy, energizing food is impactful for me and for the lives of my kids. One of the hardest and most rewarding parts of becoming a parent is suddenly realizing how our kids are watching and learning from our every move. I have to think really intentionally about what it is that I hope to teach them.
I hope you'll follow along on this food journey of mine this summer, and I'd be curious to know some of your favorite summer recipes!