As a farmer your main focus tends to be getting your product out of the field and into the hands of your customers.
I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve come home from a long day of harvesting and delivering produce to find my kitchen, severely lacking vegetables. Or after a busy morning selling produce at the farmers’ market (surrounded by fellow rock star farmers and amazing food vendors) only to realize I forgot to buy a single item off my grocery list. Like many farmers I find the access to fresh local produce to be an awesome job benefit, if I can remember to access it.
When I do bring produce home to eat, it tends to be “seconds”; fruit that is misshapen, leaves that bugs have chewed on, and other aspects that generally make the items undesirable for market. Your farm business mentality is to sell everything that is sellable. Well, this fall I spotted two beautiful blue pumpkins in the field that I immediately knew I wanted all for myself. As I watched them grow I kept feeling a pang of guilt that I would not market these beauts. But by the time they were ready to harvest, all my guilt had washed away. As I hauled them into my truck I was beaming with pride knowing I had the perfect place for them by my doorstep.
