You might not know that I have farming in my blood.
My mom grew up on a farm that had been in her family for generations. When I was a little girl, we used to go and visit the farm in the summer or for holidays, and I remember my granddad’s John Deere tractor and the excitement I had when I got to open the big gates. It has always been a dream of mine to return to Stockton and buy back a small piece of our family farm. After yesterday’s adventure, that desire has increased tenfold!
I was kindly allowed to tag along to a field trip for Natalie and Kimmi’s awesome class, “Food and Eating in the Life of Faith,” that they’re taking at the Divinity School. They’ve learned so much about food, faith, and the ethics involved in how our food is produced and transported to our stores. They have actively been seeking a return to understanding where our food comes from. (To learn more about all of this, stay tuned for a guest post from Natalie in a couple of weeks!)
We went to Woodcrest Farm in Hillsborough, which was so fantastic! It’s a family-run small farm nestled just 20 miles away from us. (They use John Deere tractors, too!)
See that border collie running in the background? They had SIX of them. Made me want a farm for Wesley… he would be a good farm dog :)
Woodcrest Farm does a little bit of everything: they have cattle, pigs, goats, horses, chickens, and a vegetable garden… I’m sure I’ve forgotten something here. Of course the cattle were my favorite part. They were all female (that we saw) and the friendliest cows I’ve ever been around!
This next little calf came up to me when I sat on the ground to take some pictures, and she licked my knee!!
Yup. That’s my knee there. Mike thought it was an egg, but it’s my very, very white knee. Can you believe this?! It was definitely the highlight of my day.
Natalie fell in love with this little piggy. I think she wanted to take him home with her…
I simply could not get over how beautiful it was there. It’s hard to believe this is only 30 minutes away from Durham with our Harris Teeters, Targets, shopping malls, and Starbucks.
Allan and his wife run this farm, and were so easygoing while sharing about life on a farm. He let us feed chickens, milk goats, and check out everything there was to see! You can purchase eggs and meat from them, among other things. I was so excited to get a yummy 3-lb. roast! They also offer a number of classes for non-farmers to contribute to eating/storing healthier, more sustainable food. (I really want to take their canning class!)
On our way home, we passed by Maple View Farm and just HAD to stop for some ice cream and a root beer float. Fresh ice cream that’s made with milk from a dairy farm right there tastes so much better than anything else I’ve had! My parents are coming to visit next week, and I’m thinking we will have to make a trip over here with them.
I can’t believe how much I learned in just one afternoon on a farm! Do you know where your food comes from? It’s going to be a process for me to transfer all of this into daily living, but I sure do know the origins of the chuck roast in my fridge!
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