This year, I decided to sign up for a summer farm share. We did one two
years ago through a farm near my husbands work and I absolutely loved
it, so I decided to do my research and find out which one locally would
suit us best this year. I came across two in my area that caught my
eye, Elwyn Farm and The Red Hill Farm. I decided overall on the Red
Hill Farm in Aston because of the partial share option and the
children's garden that they have every summer.
Red Hill Farm is owned by the Sisters of St Francis in Philadelphia
and allows 120 members to join the share each year. You can read more
about the farm and who it benefits here:
Every Tuesday, we will go to the farm and pick up our share. This was this week's portion:
In
addition, they have a "You Pick" area with herbs, beans, peas, cherry
tomatoes, and flowers for their members. The children's garden is a
cute space with different tasks like weeding and watering for the kids
to do each week if they choose, and educational sessions where they can
learn more about gardening.
You have to be pretty adventurous with your vegetables if you aren't used to cooking with certain kinds like rhubarb, beets, and collard greens. But the farm offers recipe suggestions, and I just throw mine in a smoothie with lots of fruit if it's something I really can't get used to. Other than the occasional type you may not be used to, its your typical summertime fruits and veggies like strawberries, cucumber, lettuce, and potatoes. And aside from the obvious health benefits of eating lots of fruits and veggies this summer, your skin will thank you as well! Many of these have a ton of vitamin C (among many others) in them, which naturally protects your skin from the damaging UV rays of the sun.
-Colleen
