Growth Archives

To Everything There is a Season

January 8, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 7 Comments

My dad does this weird thing where he can think of and, of course, start singing a song for any situation.

Anything.

My sister and I recently talked about this. It is crazy.

I remember her screaming, “DAD! STOP. You have a song for EVERYTHING!”

In the background of her screaming you could hear things like, “You can’t always get what you want…” by The Rolling Stones or Frankie Valli’s, “Big girls don’t cry… They don’t *CRY-I-III.*“

I could commiserate with her frustration. It was annoying. Especially when you were fifteen wanted to go to “so and so’s” party or were begging to be allowed more than ten text’s a month.

I mean, seriously. Come on, DAD!

But, now that I am over halfway through my twenties something funny has happened: Those “weird” or “annoying” things about my mom or dad… are now things that I (scarily) do.

My mom comes out of my mouth more than I care to admit. And, my dad’s music on the mind trait is now my own. I also might add, even though this is kind of embarrassing, the music on my mind is usually songs that he would listen to.

… With the exception for T-Swift’s “Shake It Off.” Hey, what can I say? I work in sales.

The current tune running thought my head is “Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds.

Well, actually the song was originally by Pete Seeger and was titled “To Everything There is a Season.”

It is that exact verse that runs through my head at least five times a day as I stare out the window at the, now, very frozen and snow covered piece of land that once was my booming garden.

I miss it.

I wish I could run out there and grab all the fixings for a wonderful salad at lunch.

I wish I could spend an hour in the morning before work tending to it and getting a little Vitamin D.

I wish my Instagram was full of things like this:

Or this:

Or this:

I wish Adam and I could walk out there in the late evenings with a glass of wine and admire what had popped up since the night before.

But,

To everything, there is a season,
And a time to every purpose under heaven.

There is a purpose to this time of year and the purpose is to rest.

Just like a strong athlete, the garden needs this time of oscillation.

Both the athlete and the garden, are pushed hard and to their limits in order to get stronger, faster, better.

But, if an athlete were to be constantly exerting himself he would likely strain or even hurt his muscles to the point of damage. In fact, it is proven that continuous training can weaken the strongest athlete.

However, the best athletes know that by stepping back, taking time away from the gym and recovering, their body will repair and strengthen itself allowing them to perform at their peak.

Real growth is found in the rest.

Quite the opposite of what our world seems to tell us, right?

We are encouraged to go, go, GO! Told that good things come to those who hustle. The guy who busts his butt working weekends and well into the evenings gets the promotion… and becomes the example.

But, all the while, no one wonders if we could be doing damage or making ourselves weaker.

Perhaps we should follow the lessons that are found in nature.

Athletes need to take a break from the weights to build up strength.

Babies and teenagers sleep so much because they are growing like crazy.

Studies have even shown that without sleep healthy and strong adults impair their motor and cognitive traits, similar to being drunk. (Spoiler Alert: The drunk guy never gets the promotion.)

Seasons existed before life.

And, there was quite some time that life reflected the seasons.

There was a reason to each season. A purpose.

So, as much as I love busy and vibrant August in the garden; When January comes, I smile as I take time to step back and just watch the snow fall on that corner of my yard.

For, without January there would be no August.

“Where Are We Going” by Both of Us

November 24, 2014 by theblogbloom.com Leave a Comment

After a little discussion about what we were going to say for our “Where are we going” posts Adam and I have decided to write it together, because where ever we are going, we are going together. And, while we both have different ideas for details, the goal is the same for the both of us.

So, this final post in our Thanksgiving Series is a collaboration told from my voice.

In October, we hosted a handful of my sorority sisters for “a weekend in the country.” During dinner one evening, a friend posed the question to the group “What do you love?” Everyone took turns going around the table revealing their love for friends, family, food and more.

When it was Adam’s turn his response was “Growing food that people can enjoy.”

Adam’s mom always talks about how his favorite book as a kid was Farmer Grover. I can hear her now mimicking the book: “Be a farmer, Grover!”

Funny story… I read Farmer Grover as a kid as well. And, that’s about the last I heard about farmers until I was eighteen.

Because of Grover, and his background, he has been fascinated by farmers his whole life. It’s not surprising that growing food is something he is still passionate about.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love growing our own food as much as he does. But, we look at it from two different perspectives.

I look at the beauty of growing food. Taking something covered in dirt and transforming into a fabulous dish that people love. My passion for food starts with my desire for putting the best ingredients into the dishes I serve. And, I now know that we are capable of growing the best ingredients possible in our own yard . I want to teach people that they can do the same.

Adam looks at his passion for growing food from a different perspective. He wants our production of food to be the most successful and efficient as possible.

He’s the mind behind production. I’m the mind behind how it can be shared.

As much as we are different in our roles of producing our food, we are the same in the most important aspect: We love seeing people enjoy the food we grow and becoming inspired to build a stronger connection to their food.

There is something completely romantic about seeing someone pull your carrots out of the ground in complete amazement. Or sit down to a dinner and enjoy the flavor of your homegrown lettuce and beets as much as your guests enjoy the flavor of your pasture raised chicken. And, I can not even begin explain the remarkable feeling that comes over me when someone reaches out asking for help and advice because they are interested in starting their own garden.

We love providing food, real food, to people who will enjoy it. We have been producing food for ourselves and a small group of family and friends. We want to grow this to the point that we can provide food to many others as well. Our goals for the future include more pastured chickens and the addition of pasture raised beef and pork. We plan to continue to increase the size of the garden each year.

We aren’t sure if this will lead us to Farmer’s Markets, CSA’s, Farm to School programs, partnerships with local butchers or chefs. Where ever or however we choose to share our food, we want to be transparent. We want people to come to our farm and see the passion we put into the food that will be going onto their table that night. We want people to understand that their food doesn’t have to come from a grocery store but rather directly from the farm it was grown. We want people to be inspired to take starter plants back to their homes and teach their children how to grow their own food.

Most people are generally disconnected from where their food comes from. I know, I was!

Where we are going is a place where we will work to close that gap.

Where we are going is a place where people will be connected to their food.

And that’s where we all should be going.

Hillary Ferguson Photography.

Thank you all for reading our series. We really enjoyed working on this together and we hope that you enjoyed it as well!

Wishing you and your loved ones the all best this Thanksgiving!

… And, if you do choose to shop, Shop Small!

“Where We Are” by Claire

November 20, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 3 Comments

So, where are we?

Thanks to Adam’s last post and the last year and a half of blogging you know we have moved on from our initial “Rookie” gardener status.

We have grown from eight to twenty four garden beds in garden that now produces food three quarters of the year. We also can and freeze our homegrown vegetables to eat throughout the winter. We have our cute, free range hens and now raise pastured meat chickens each fall.

But, it’s not just the garden that has grown.

In just the last couple weeks there have been a few clear indicators that we may have even moved beyond the “novice” gardener status that we thought we were just a few months ago. We know we still have so much more to learn to even begin to be considered an expert, but we just might be flirting with whatever it is that is in between “novice” and “expert.”

Last week, I went back to Purdue and spoke to undergraduate Hospitality Management students about their career goals, answered questions about classes that I found valuable, and even reviewed a few resumes.

Surprisingly to me, many of the students I spoke with were very interested in local food. They wanted to know of Farm to Table restaurants and argitourism destinations that might be offering internships. I didn’t know about any specific internships, but I was able to rattle off a handful of restaurants, companies, markets and farms or wineries in the region that they could look into.

This opened up a really good conversation about the shift in the food service industry and how responsible sourcing or even growing food is becoming a common component of restaurants and food service management companies. Something that even my company has discussed. The students were receptive and excited.

Then, over the weekend, a young man who is working on an incredibly creative food delivery concept stopped by my house to drop off his product for me to review in early December. His company, Fresh Artistry, has partnerships with local butcher shops working with Hoosier meat producers, local vegetable growers and Indiana chefs to put together recipes and all the components of a delicious, restaurant style meal.

While here, Adam and I asked him about his business, how he got started and made his connections. We knew many of his connections and we even began to talk about the potential future of the company. He has reached out to bloggers like me in Indiana to help build his customer base through our like-minded readers, but after hearing about his company Adam knows we could help more. Our knowledge and goals for sustainability and growing the most food as possible on our land had Adam’s wheels turning like crazy.

And just in the last forty eight hours, an old friend and sorority sister who I hadn’t spoken to in years reached out for help trying to understand words like “organic,” “natural” and “local” better. She was curious to know if organic really is better for you and why Adam and I grow our food.

I could explain strong, real answers to her and was even able to point her in the direction of materials to learn even more.

I have surrounded myself with people who are driving locally grown food in Indiana. Adam and I have networked with people who are growing vegetables and raising pastured animals. We have read books, magazines, blogs, articles and watched YouTube. We are now very well informed.

To the point that growing food, raising animals, and all the great people who are doing things like this are things that I not only hold intelligent conversations about, but that I can get other people excited about.

I initially started this blog as a creative outlet, but knew in the bottom of my heart that there was, and still is, a piece of me that wanted to influence people. To make them passionate, informed to make the best food choices possible and to be inspired to cook more. By becoming a good reference for people I know that I am on the right path towards that goal.

And I love that this is where we are.

Hive and Honey Photography

“How Did We Get Here?” by Claire

November 12, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 2 Comments

Wasn’t it super fun to hear from Adam?! I already am excited for his next post in this series. He is so sweet.

Anyways… My turn.

Unless you are really new to Bloom you know a bit about my background. I was born in downtown Chicago. I grew up in a upper middle class, suburban neighborhood on the North West side of Columbus, Ohio in a silly-large house on a golf course. I loved shopping, being with my friends, and if the thought of a farmer happened to cross my mind I was either reading a story book or a history book.

Shop ’til you drop! Me at 12-13ish?

The more I think about answering the question of “How did we get here?” that Adam and I posed to one another recently, the more I realize that it’s really not as crazy as I had originally thought.

There were two very different elements in both of our lives that made starting a garden, and growing beyond the garden, a perfect storm.

While Adam learned to enjoy planting seeds and making things grow with his mom’s help, my mom was helping shape an important piece of my life.

Growing up was a running joke that my mom was “green” before “green” was cool. And, it was often expressed to me by snack-hungry friends that my house had “weird” food.

My sister recently posted this Buzzfeed roundup and it was pretty much my life as a child.

Sugary cereal, Lunch-able’s, Gushers, and Wonder Bread did not exist in my house. Chips were rare. So were trips to fast food restaurants.

Instead, for snacks, we had blue corn chips and air popped popcorn. Our sandwich bread was dark brown, the crust was always on and sometimes it was even covered in unrecognizable seeds. And, nearly every meal we ate was made from scratch.

Out of curiosity, I recently asked my mom why she did this. Today, a mom can find so much (Maybe even too much…) about the benefits of real, whole foods thanks to the blogosphere. But, it was the nineties. Were there articles in the magazines my mom used to receive like “Family Fun” and “Better Home and Gardens” blasting processed foods?

Her answer kind of surprised me.

I thought it was because she wanted us to be healthy. And, yes, she did know the food she was serving us had to be more healthy than fast, processed food, but her main reason behind it was because it was cheaper.

I was confused. How did it get drilled into my head that scratch made, wholesome meals and real food snacks were better for me?

Then it clicked. I had learned this one on my own.

Like most kids who leave the nest, I immediately started trying new things.

I had Taco Bell for the first time at eighteen.

Cheetos became my study snack of choice nights before accounting exams.

The first time I had a Little Debbie Ho-Ho or Zebra Cake I was freshman and it was kind of a “Where have you been my whole life?” moment.

It was a known “thing” in college that I was the Diet Coke Queen. My day was not complete without a stop at the college town’s Discount Den where I could get a 32 ounce Styrofoam cup full of carbonated goodness for a whopping 55 cents.

I was even guilty of housing a jar of icing or a tube of cookie dough in my mini fridge just for snacking… raw. And/or scooped up with pretzels/potato chips/Oreos/my fingers… whatever.

Ohhhkay… you can stop judging me now.

(And, for the record, there were two considerable heartbreaks in my first two years of college… so I get a pass for the cookie dough thing.)

Shockingly, by the fall of junior year, I not only had gained twenty pounds but I just didn’t look good.

A little chub and a big soda.

It was never too bad, but I had breakouts.

I didn’t sleep well and just always looked tired. I felt it too.

I would get occasional headaches and I would pick up colds easily.

And after years and years of life guarding, I struggled through the 500 yard swim when it came time to renew my certification.

Over Thanksgiving Break my parents could tell something was up and suggested that I take vitamins.

I had never taken a vitamin. I barely took cold medicine or pain relief for cramps. I didn’t want to have to take a vitamin. I didn’t want to have to take something man made to make me feel better.

Then it was like I had a break through moment: I had been eating man made foods that made me feel absolutely awful with no problem.

Uh… Lightbulb…!

Getting back to a more natural diet started slowly. I replaced the Cheetos with nuts or veggies with hummus and made an effort not eat after nine… Which, by the way, is SUPER hard to do in college.

After my summer in California where I cooked from scratch often and worked alongside growers creating a small farmer’s market, I came back for senior year with new energy and just felt so much better in general… and about myself.

Right after CA and just before Senior year I took a cruise in Europe with my family and looked so much more healthy in between my two siblings.

People noticed, too.

Guy friends were actually more apt to comment on how much more fit I looked. I can remember one night, just as classes began, I was talking with a great guy, who had been a friend all through college, and he complimented me saying that I looked great, but pressed and asked what had I been doing.

I was kind of stumped for a minute. I wasn’t practicing some hip, uber-intense workout routine or following some trendy diet. So, I thought for a second and simply replied, “I just started taking better care of myself.”

That conscientious decision to just simply “take better care of myself” lead me to my first apartment where scratch made meals with Adam were the norm. To ditching the Diet Coke for good, even when working for the brand. To being excited about local growers and the idea of having my own garden.

That decision to make an effort to do the most and best I can for myself, combined with Adam’s love of growing food, has lead us to where we are today.

Hive and Honey Photography

So, where are we? Adam will tell you this Sunday!

Chickens Should Come With Warning Labels

October 21, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 20 Comments

Two years ago, Adam and I began to discuss having backyard chickens.

We read a lot, watched a lot of YouTube videos, and learned so much.

A couple of the reasons that we finally decided to give it a go were that their composted droppings are great for gardens and that they are pretty easy to take care of.

We have found both of those reasons to be very true.

However, we also have learned a lot since owning our little flock of hens that we never found in our research.

Based on what I have learned as the owner of backyard chickens, I have decided that backyard chickens need to come with Warning Labels.

If you are thinking of getting chickens or already have baby chicks… prepare yourself.

Photo by Hive and Honey Photography

Warning #1: People will think you have gone insane.

We have had people have no problem telling us everything from “Eww, what about the poop?” To “Why work so hard?” To, plain and simple, “You are making a huge mistake.”

(I mean… What if people said these things about babies??)

And that’s from the people in the country… People who have actually seen a chicken outside of a petting zoo or a kitchen decoration.

Where I grew up, the HOA allowed only two dogs and two cats per household. Max. Chickens were not a topic of discussion.

Just imagine what the people I grew up with must think if they have heard that over fifty chickens have called my backyard home at one time.

In-sane.

Warning #2: You may be the sweetest person on the planet, but you will become incredibly stuck up.

No one really talks about it, but I think it’s very common for owners of backyard chickens to suffer from a phenomenon called “egg snobbery.”

On your business trip you will cringe at the site of the scrambled eggs made from egg beaters at the hotel’s very generic continental breakfast.

You will turn up your nose as you walk down the egg aisle at the grocery store knowing that your eggs at home are far superior.

And, when someone Instagrams a shot of their homemade brunch with two very sad sunny side up eggs with shapeless and dull colored yolks you will smirk and say sarcastically to yourself, “That’s cute…”

Warning #3: You will also become a paranoid freak.

I don’t have children, but, thanks to the chickens, I have gotten a sneak peak of what parenthood is all about.

Spoiler Alert: It’s a 24/7/365 anxiety attack.

Any threat of bad weather, be it extreme cold, snow, high winds, tornadoes, extreme heat, whatever, my mind goes to the hens… and that they are going to die.

Any dog, cat, raccoon, and owl within a two mile radius of the coop is the enemy.

I am sorry. I don’t care how cute your dog is. I probably hate it until I know that it doesn’t think my sweet hens are a chew toy.

PS- Just today I heard on the radio that a six foot boa constrictor escaped from it’s cage and is on the loose somewhere in the local listening area.

You guys... HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH THIS!?!?

Warning #4: Anything pop culture will suddenly become very uninteresting.

That check you write to the cable company each month will seem like a huge waste.

You haven’t been Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s… You have been Keeping Up with the Chickens.

The day you bring them home you will begin to see each chicken’s unique personality.

And as they grow, you would rather spend your time watching them roam the yard than watch that movie getting Oscar Buzz. The movie could be a flop. But, watching the chickens you might catch that hilarious moment when one might slurp up a huge worm like a piece of spaghetti and the others come rushing over in a fit of jealousy. Somebody call the Academy!

Oh. And, you will post things like this on Facebook and it will be 100% true:

Warning #5: Once you get that first chick, you will be a chicken owner the rest of your life.

Admittedly, I have never been a huge fan of animals.

In fact, as a kid, animals made me kind of nervous.

My uncle loves to tell the story of when I was a toddler… my foot was dangling by my moms hip as she held me and his weimaraner licked my foot. I apparently screamed like bloody murder and was convinced that the dog bit me.

(To my credit, a weimaraner to a three year old might as well be a fierce looking horse.)

As an adult, and thanks to a fabulous (thirty pound…) family dog in my childhood, I have warmed up to animals.

I am really excited for the day that we get a dog. And I understand that to make Adam happy this dog will be larger than thirty pounds… and I am okay with that.

Because we have enjoyed our dabbles in homesteading, we have been talking about getting a couple cows and even pigs just to give it a try.

Dogs will likely come and go, depending on our future children wants, and we may find other kinds of livestock exhausting.

But, thanks to the wonderful eggs…

The funny way the ladies interact with one another…

The way it feels like they are able to almost communicate with Adam and me when we are in the garden…

The pure joy in any of our friend’s kids faces when they are chasing the hens…

The joy that I cannot wait to see in my own children… and grandchildren’s faces…

I know that for the rest of my life, I will be the proud owner of a flock of backyard chickens.

Photo by Hive and Honey Photography

You have been warned.

Lessons From Mom’s Kitchen

May 11, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 1 Comment

Happy Mother’s Day to the Mom’s out there! I have quite a few friends who are celebrating their first Mother’s Day, which, I can only image is super special.

When I watch these girlfriends with their new babies, I can’t help but wonder what I will be like as a Mom.

Will I do the right thing?

Will I lead my children to be independent adults?

Will I maintain who I am in motherhood?

Will I keep working?

Will I use cloth diapers?

Will I ditch the Windex and switch completely to all natural cleaning supplies?

And, what’s the deal with vaccinating?

Or, how about gluten? Will I give them gluten?

Or breast milk long enough?

… And, what is long enough without being weird?

Oye.

Being a mom is tough. And, confusing.

And, I am not a Mom yet! Heck. Being a mom is just barely a blip on my five year plan radar.

Growing up, I was surrounded by great mom’s who have set the bar high for motherhood without even knowing it. My aunts, friend’s moms and my own mother were (and still are) all wonderful mothers and great role models. And, they made it look easy.

I can hear my own mother laughing.

She is probably thinking something along the lines of, “It wasn’t easy… but, it’s only as hard as you make it…” Referring to the (exhaustive) list on concerns I rattled off earlier.

It’s those little words of wisdom that make moms great and my mom was full of them.

She wasn’t a huge fan of a lecture. In fact, I think half the time I took advice from her, she didn’t mean for it come off that way. It was just something she would say in passing through her nurturing, keeping it real, you will know when you figure it out style of mothering.

I have carried much of my mom’s advice into my adult years and it has shaped me to become the woman I am today. She would say something little, be it about relationships, friendships, failures or life, that would just stick with you.

What is interesting is that many of her bits of wisdom are related to the kitchen. She was and still is a great cook. She is actually more like an artist than a cook. The kitchen is her studio. Her creativity is unlimited. She can really make a meal come to life.

But, what is really interesting is that these “words of wisdom” weren’t actually words. These few great life lessons are things I have interoperated from her actions in the kitchen.

And, the saying is true: Actions do speak louder than words.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Yes, my mom is very good at keeping it real.

But, that doesn’t mean she just lets it all hang out. She just knows her limits.

When entertaining my mom has an arsenal of favorite crowd pleasing dishes. These are menu items that she knows she could have mostly prepared earlier in the day and that, I think by now, she has memorized.

She knows a dinner party was not the time to try something new. However, if she does want to give something new a whirl, she will do a test run before the party.

This means she could spend time with her guests. She has always wanted people to feel comfortable in her home. No one feels comfortable when the hostess is stressed and working hard (Or worse, struggling) to get dinner on the table.

Try New Things

Sure. There are times to stick with what you are good at and there are other times that you should stretch yourself.

My mom had that arsenal of great dishes, but she also loved to bust out a cook book and try something totally new and different. She taught us that if you can read a recipe, you can cook just about anything. I would say that 85% of my meals growing up were made from scratch.

But, she didn’t stop with just new recipes.

She was a maven of the natural food stores before they hit the main steam. I remember my sister was once on a tropical, rain forest, monkey-loving kick. (Don’t be embarrassed, Kerry. We all were seven once…) So, my mom purchased coconuts so we could see what they looked like on the inside and try the milk.

My mom made an effort and pushed herself and us. She saw value in broadening our palates.

Today, my siblings and I are far from picky eaters. We will try any kind of food, because we know from growing up that it might just become one of our favorites.

Think Outside of the Box

Literally.

Growing up we rarely ate processed food. I remember longing for my mom to buy Dunk-A-Roo’s and lunchables so I could be like everyone else at the lunch table.

I also remember hearing, on multiple occasions, my friends say “Your house has weird food” as they looked into the pantry trying to find a snack.

And, by typical standards, yeah. We did.

Instead, of the Pringles or Cheetos they were looking for, we had homemade Chex Mix. Or, blue corn chips with salsa she had canned. Or, hummus that she made.

… talk about freaking your friends out. “Umm… why are these chips dark?”

I know that her meaning behind this might have been for us to avoid added sugars, unneeded calories or artificial ingredients but it really taught me to not settle for the easy route. I enjoy using my skills, knowledge and creativity to the extreme.

Find Balance

My mom knew that nutrition was important. That is why she made meals from scratch and put an emphasis on fruits and vegetables versus chips no matter how much we complained.

But, she also knew that life is all about balance and you have got to live.

On occasion she would make phenomenal desserts or meals, like risotto, that were more caloric, but were worth experiencing and often were served at times that were worth celebrating.

I remember her once saying, “You can eat a cookie. Just don’t eat ten.”

As an adult, I love this lesson and because of it I have adapted an 80/20 lifestyle when it comes to food. I try to make the right choices 80% of the time.

I try to have fruit and vegetables at every meal. I do my best to make much of what we eat from scratch.

But, when there are cupcakes at a friend’s bridal shower, I am going to eat one. And, if I want to make ice cream, I make ice cream and I enjoy it. I don’t worry about it blowing “my diet.”

I savor each bite because it’s special and something that decadent deserves it.

And, so do I.

Grow Wings, but Remember Your Roots

The summer I was thirteen I had the incredibly amazing opportunity to go to Australia and stay with a family there. Before I left, I had a sleep over with a few close friends. My mom stocked up on vegemite, essentially Australia’s Peanut Butter. It’s rough, but the Aussie’s love it. She also made Pavlova, a traditional Australian dessert that is similar to a meringue with fruit.

She could have run up to the grocery store and picked up a cake that had “Bon Voyage” scripted on it. But instead, she did the research and wanted not just me, but my friends, to experience a piece of Australia’s culture.

When I got to Australia’s customs the attendant asked me in a thick Australian accent, “Miss, do you have lots of sweets and lollie’s in your bag?”

Umm? Lollie’s?

She pulled a gallon zip lock baggie of candy from my checked baggage.

Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, and sandwich crackers with peanut butter filled the bag. As kid whose mom rarely bought this kind of stuff I wasn’t sure what to think.

But, I won’t lie… it made me pretty excited.

On the bag there was a note from my mom. “To share a piece of America with a new friend… because you can’t bring Apple Pie.”

I love broadening my horizons but I know you always have to remember where you came from.

Around the Table Is the Best Place to Be

When Adam and I first started dating there were dates where we just talked and talked about our favorite things, what are families are like, where we grew up and so on.

While these conversations were exciting, we really didn’t have that much in common.

At least on the surface.

He liked to hunt, fish, and farm. He grew up in a small town surrounded by a corn field.

I liked shopping, shoes, and wine. I lived like a princess in a suburban bubble.

Even our parents seemed pretty different.

Adam’s Dad built a small business up from the ground and his Mom was a tough love nurse. They met in grade school and married in their late teens.

My dad was a right brained, successful marketer and my mom had stayed at home since I was born. They met at Business School and married approaching thirty.

But, then we got to the core. The values they imparted on us. That’s when the similarities started rolling in.

One major part of our childhood that both Adam and I valued was that our families ate dinner together at a table almost every night.

Both of our mother’s, who were driving kids to and from practice most week nights, made an effort to eat dinner as a family around the kitchen table.

TV’s were off.

… Phone’s and Ipad’s weren’t an issue.

It didn’t matter if it wasn’t until eight o’clock.

Or, that you had a paper due the next day.

You sat and spoke to one another. Listened about the other person’s day. Talked about current events. Learned it’s okay to have an opinion, but you need to respect someone else’s. Helped each other get through something challenging. Laughed. Said thanks.

This is something that Adam and I do everyday and know we will do when we have our own children.

And, if it’s the only lesson I am able to take from my mom and impart on my future children I will know I had done something right thanks to the huge impact it has had on me and my relationships with everyone I love.

Thank you, Nancy.

Thank you, Mom.

For teaching us both the most important lesson of all:

When you have family, friends and love with your whole heart, you have everything.

Becoming a Farm Girl: Part Three

March 31, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 4 Comments

Note: This is the final post in a three part series to celebrate National Agriculture Day that will show my (non-traditional) journey to Agriculture. My hope with this story is to shed light on the many different faces of a “farmer” and how those who are not born into family farms can still learn, celebrate, find careers and purpose in this important industry.

Becoming a Farm Girl: Part One
Becoming a Farm Girl: Part Two

Adam and I had a blast together at the fraternity dance and continued to see each other.

It didn’t take me long to see that he was completely different from all of the other guys I had ever dated.

And, it wasn’t just because he drove a big, diesel truck you could hear coming down the road causing all the girls in my sorority to yell “Bye Claire!” before he would pick me up for a date.

He was a good friend. He made me a priority. He was motivated and intelligent. He was a leader on campus.

And, he had a job lined up after graduation… in Indianapolis.

At another one Adam’s fraternity’s formals as we approached graduation.

The more I learned about him, the more I loved and I began to redefine my job search. By Valentine’s Day, I had a job offer of my own in Indianapolis.

Flash forward three years, Adam had returned to his small hometown to work with his dad at their family agriculture construction business and, after our May 2011 wedding, I joined him.

May 21, 2011.

A hospitality job was hard to come by in the small town, so when a local school reached out because they were looking for a food and nutrition director, I took the job.

It was a great school, but it was by no means my “dream” job. I often felt confined by the rules and regulations in the world of school lunch and my culinary creativity was pretty stifled within the medium of chicken nuggets.

I spent a lot of time trying to make my day to day more stimulating.

After getting to know some of the students, I wanted to do more to make students feel engaged and excited about lunch. I began to look around at the many school lunch websites and blogs to see what other directors across the nation were doing to enhance their school lunch programs. One program that really caught my eye was Farm to School.

Farm to School is a program that connects school lunch programs to local farmers and provides education opportunities, such as school gardens and field trips. Programs were strong in states like California and Texas.

I loved the idea. After all that I had learned about farming and where food comes from in my college years and summer internship, I thought it was a great thing to teach kids, especially those who grew up like me. I wanted to teach them there is no stereotypical “farmer” and they can grow food too, be it in their own backyard or as a potential career down the road.

In late 2012 I reached out to the leaders to see what the program was doing in the state of Indiana. I learned that the program was in its early stages of getting off the ground. I asked if I could get involved and was met with an eager “yes.”

I was actually the first food service director involved in the Indiana group full of local growers, Extension officers, leaders in the Nutrition Services of the Department of Education and more. Because of this, I was asked to speak on a panel at the 2013 Horticulture Congress in Indianapolis to introduce local growers to the program and gauge interest.

I even made the cover of AgriNews… which really excited Adam!

The impact this day had on me was amazing. I think it may be the first time in my life that I truly felt inspired.

The panel went great, but what was so exhilarating to me was meeting all the people who grew food and were creating unique products with their food. Their products were fabulous. They had neat stories and passion.

Ironically, the congress was held the same week Adam and I had moved into our new home, set on a large piece of land. When I got home that evening, I told Adam about my great day. I told him that I wanted to learn to grow our own food and that we had to plant a garden.

It didn’t take much convincing: Adam, recalling his childhood dreams of being a farmer, was on board.

In order to get our first garden into the ground last summer we hit the library, talked to some family and friends, and watched a lot of YouTube videos. The amount of information we found was pretty amazing.

But, as the garden grew, we wanted to learn more. We wanted to do more in taking charge of growing food, not just for ourselves, but maybe even for others.

I built relationships with extension office leaders and learned about some free work shops they were hosting to educate the community. In the fall of 2013, I went to a hands-on workshop about composting and an info session about community gardens.

Also, thanks to some of those relationships and my eagerness, I was able to attend a weeklong produce safety training hosted by the USDA. There I learned so much. We received information about how produce is inspected, what certifications, insurance, and handling practices are needed at a farm in order to supply food for sale, how to create urban and community gardens and more.

During the training I also went to an actual farm that is a resource for inner city schools in Baltimore. It introduces students to gardens, food that they might not see at home, raising goats and chickens and teaches them culinary skills. Two young men I met and spoke with were preparing to be the first in their families to graduate high school and hoping to serve in the military… as chefs!

I still have a lot to learn, but these experiences are tools that could potentially help Adam and I create a new business venture down the road. Maybe we will help contribute to a CSA, a Farm to School program, or have a stand at a Farmer’s Market. I have since moved on from K-12 food service and in my new role I work closely with chefs. Maybe we create a company that supplies fresh, local produce directly to chefs. But, then again, maybe I go back to that younger demographic and help them learn how to grow their own food. Who knows!?

And speaking of Adam, he is also learning a lot and making moves to help feed others. He made a connection with a longtime farmer who is now serving as his mentor. Last fall, Adam asked if he could donate his time helping with the harvest. He was looking to learn more about the challenges and realities his clients face. He continued to ask questions and learn as much as he could about working a field of corn.

A Shot Adam took farming last fall.

Thanks to his persistence and excitement, he will be going 50-50 with this farmer on forty acres of land this year. He is beyond excited to get into the field to continue to learn, to play a small part feeding the world, and to fulfill his childhood dream of being a farmer when he grew up.

Adam even asked the farmer, “Why are you letting me farm with you?”

His response “I’ve never met someone who shows so much passion and excitement for farming. It’s hard to find someone willing to work for free just to be involved.”

I know that we wouldn’t have had these opportunities and knowledge if we had not spoken up.

I am a firm believer that what you get out of life, be it opportunities or information, that you can’t work your butt off for, is what you have the guts to ask for.

I would not know what I know about growing food or how others grow food if I had not asked questions and asked to get involved.

I am the girl asking questions at the market. I want to know.

In order to create a successful garden, I reached out to old pros and asked questions.

Adam did the same.

It’s really hard to get into actual farming if you are not born into it.

He was interested. He wanted to learn. So, he asked.

If you want to know about how the produce you see at your farmers market is grown, ask the farmer.

If the farmer at the edge of town raises cattle and you want to know how he treats his cows or who he sells the beef to, ask. You might be surprised. A lot of family farmers sell to corporations like Tyson.

(However, another fun question to ask is if you can buy directly from him. There is nothing better than making a relationship where you can support someone in your local community and get fresh meat for your family.)

A farmer will likely be more than happy to answer any question and help give you a better understanding of their world. They are proud of what they do and they want to clear up any misconceptions that, unfortunately, strike the agriculture industry every day.

If you want to know how to start a garden, do what I did. Reach out to your extension offices, ask questions at the local nursery, or you could even ask me.

I am by no means an expert, but I do have a year of experience under my belt and if I don’t know the answer, at this point, I probably know someone who does.

And, like the farmers, I am proud of what I have learned and accomplished. Not to mention, nothing makes me happier to know that someone is inspired by this blog and wants to start a garden.

… Isn’t it funny?

If you had told me ten years ago that this would be my life and this is what makes me feel like I have a purpose, I wouldn’t have believed you.

Chickens? Dirt? Muck Boots? Puhleease.

I might have even laughed.

But, I have picked up a bit of wisdom since sixteen. And, yes, I still have a lot to learn about life, but one thing I know to be sure is that life takes us all down many different roads.

And if there is anything on those roads that makes you truly fulfilled and alive, you should listen to it.

As a young adult, I honestly have struggled trying to determine what to be when I grow up. I didn’t know what really drove me or what I was passionate about.

Until now.

I love the evenings when I am in the garden with Adam enjoying the sunset and a glass of wine while the hens are roaming nearby.

I can’t help but smile when I have a fabulous conversation with a farmer at the market about the food they grew.

I feel like I have a purpose when a friend texts me saying she wants to grow cilantro, but doesn’t know where to begin.

My heart is so happy when I see Adam thrilled about making his childhood farming dreams come true.

And, never in my life do I feel more completely “Claire” than when I am in my kitchen preparing an amazing meal with fresh ingredients straight from my backyard.

Fresh ingredients that I planted, tended to, and picked with my own hands.

… So, maybe I am a Farm Girl after all.