Strawberry Pickin'

Last year at this time, I had already posted about our strawberry pickin' trip to Jelli's Market in Helenville, WI. 

We're eagerly anticipating another trip to the strawberry fields this year; however, spring arrived later than last and optimal picking times will begin in about a week.  Unless, of course, you don't mind the hunt for the berries that have ripened early, but with TWO toddlers to keep from eating themselves sick as we pick, I'd rather know there will be plenty of ripe strawberries in our row to grab and go!

This year, since I love ya', I thought I'd list some of the best pick-your-own farms in southeast Wisconsin, so you all know just where to go.  Most of these farms have a strawberry hotline that you can call for current crop information.  Sometimes it's necessary to close for ripening if there's been alot of picking goin' on.  Strawberry season usually begins around mid-June and runs to the 4th of July, however, as with any crop, Mother Nature determines when we get to reap what the farmer has sown!

Go out and enjoy the sunshine and lucious, vine-ripe strawberries that are out there just waiting to be picked.  Listen for the suction cup POP! the strawberry makes as you pull it from its vine, that's my favorite part!  Well, that... and, the part where it enters my mouth, slides down my throat and lands in my belly!

Jelli's Market-Hellenville, WI
Zastrow's Strawberries-Mayville, WI
Basse's Taste of Country-Colgate, WI
Kirschbaum's Strawberry Acres-Beaver Dam, WI
Apple Barn Orchard & Winery-Elkhorn, WI
Berryville Farm-Racine, WI
Thompson Strawberry Farm-Bristol, WI
Berry Basket & Greenhouse-Milton, WI
Hazeltines Century Farm-Janesville, WI
Skelly's Farm Market-Janesville, WI
The Fideler Farm-Kewaskum, WI

If you've got a favorite pickin' place, please tell us all about it in the comment section of this post.

The Dairy Breakfast

Not too long ago, I would have never known what a dairy breakfast was.  Working in agriculture and being married to a farm boy has its perks, let me tell you! 

During the month of June, which is Dairy Month, farmers all across Wisconsin open their farms to the public for a special dairy breakfast. It's a unique opportunity to see the workings of a real dairy farm and, in addition to a great farm tour, you get a delicious breakfast to boot!  The breakfast usually includes eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, cheese, milk (white & chocolate, of course), orange juice, coffee, and ICE CREAM!  The kids love it and it puts the break in breakfast for those Moms & Dads who won't have to cook!

Find a Wisconsin dairy breakfast near you, here.  If you live in our neck of the woods, the Watertown Agribusiness Club Dairy Breakfast is THIS weekend, June 18th & 19th at Dettman Dairy Farms in Johnson Creek.  We'll be there bright and early Sunday morning.

Here are a few photos from our trip to Dettman Dairy Farms last year!

Scramblin' Eggs!

Tractor rides from the hay field parking lot to the breakfast!

If a tractor ride isn't your thing, you can bring a wagon to put the kids in

and make like a cow and hoof it!

Now, that's the way to make some pancakes!

Quite the turn-out! 

Serendipity Farm-Waterford, WI

Today was a great day to be living in the country & in Wisconsin!  There aren't many things in life that can beat a road trip on a gorgeous day like today out in rural country...bright sun, blue skies, fields of green, barns and cows scattered across the countryside, and a fresh, cool breeze singing as it blows through the trees.  Today, however, our destination actually trumped the ride. 

Early this morning, I loaded the kids and my Mother-in-law in the grocery-getter and hit the road.  Destination, Serendipity Farm in Waterford, WI.  I found out about Serendipity Farm after watching an episode of American Pickers featuring Hippie Tom.  Not only was his property and stuff unique, he seemed even more unique than the rest!  I became very curious about him and when I heard he was in Wisconsin, I went straight to Google to track him down.  I was hoping he was close enough to visit and, sure enough, he was only 45 minutes away!  He opens his property a couple of times/year to the public.  This weekend was the Mother's Day Tent Sale weekend and I've had it penciled on the calendar for quite awhile-actually, markered on the calendar because the only thing that would have stopped me from going was the death of a loved one-although, if they were dead, would they care if I went to see Hippie Tom instead?  You get my point.

After 45 minutes of "are we there yets", we arrived!  Tom was there along with a few others, but we got there before the main crowd arrived.  It was a remarkable place.  As we walked through the farm in amazement, we were greeted by Tom.  I brought a dozen eggs for him (seriously, how could I not).  He was grateful, sweet & kind.  As the day progressed, I had a few more encounters with him and it was clear that the remarkable thing about this place, was Tom.  Afterall, a work of art is only as remarkable as its creator.  I snapped some photographs to share with you because words just don't do it justice.

I've always sworn that I'd never be one of those crazy, groupie types that must get their photograph taken with those they adore while fawning and drooling all over them...today, I broke my own rule.

 Looks like the Easter Bunny won't be coming next year...

If we had a trailer with us, my Mother-in-law may have had us load this outhouse up.  She loved it!

Everyone needs one of these, right?!  For some reason, I loved this concrete lady-head on a post... 

The bird cage, another one of the MIL's favorites!

The bowling ball graveyard.  My MIL has a bowling ball in one of her flower beds.  She even commented after seeing this that she knew she was on to something!

Dust pan, anyone?

Welcome to Mushroom Land.  This was the most creative use of an old bed frame and box spring I've ever seen!

The hardware store has nothing on Tom when it comes to shovels!

Mary enjoyed herself-even said she'd like to live here.

Bicycles hanging from trees-A new spin on the classic wind chime...very whimsical!

I believe Tom actually relocated many of these buildings to his property. 

Thankfully, I can now say I went to church today.

I wonder how many bottoms have taken a load off in this chair over the years?

We came, we saw, we drank all the wine.

Another favorite outhouse.

My picks for the day-While the insides of the buildings were closed to the public, I just knew that Tom MUST have had a shutter/window stash somewhere.  I couldn't possibly leave without asking.  When I asked, he was kind enough to take me to his stash to find just what I was looking for...I was in heaven & have vowed to return for more!  I'm going to use the shutters and window for wall decor in our house and the cast iron piece to adorn the top of a door.

Connor even tried his hand at pickin'...he wouldn't let us leave without these bowling pins.  He even asked Tom how much he had to get for them!

 

If I hadn't been so busy looking at everthing, chatting it up with the locals, and chasing the kids, I could have taken a thousand pictures.  When we were ready to leave, Tom escorted us to the van and helped carry our loot!  I can't wait for the chance to return; next time, without the kids.  All that was missing today was my husband, a truck & trailer, and a lotto win to pay for all the stuff I could fill that trailer with!  Tom & his wife plan to open the farm up again this fall.  If you're in the area, be sure to stop out.  Bring a fat pocket full of cash so you can take home some of your favorite treasures.  It's definitely a place you won't soon forget.

Local Tummy Ticklers

This post may sound familiar to some of you who have been reading since I started writing last year, but I figured it was worthy of an encore appearance!  I've added a few new things though, so don't pass it by just because you read Let's Get Fresh last year! 

In just a few short weeks the Farmers' Markets will be up and running.  I was chatting it up with a farmer the other day who participates in many of our local markets and he said that it's been tough to get into the markets this year because so many farmers are jumpin' on the Farmers' Market hay wagon! 

With consumers becoming more aware and concerned with the freshness and production methods of their foods, Farmers' Markets are growing in popularity. Many cities and towns now host weekly Farmers' Markets which benefit producers, consumers, the environment, and the local economy!

• Producers are able to sell direct to consumers on a regular basis, eliminating the middle-man and increasing profits. Talking directly with the consumer helps them understand the needs and desires of the community.
• Consumers are able to buy fresh, sometimes organically grown, food which aids in providing a healthier diet and better nutrition for themselves and their families. The ability to speak directly with the producers allows the consumer easy access to information about how their fruits, vegetables, honey, and meat are grown and produced.
• Environmental benefits include the reduction of food miles, vehicle pollution, fossil fuel use, and packaging.
• Economically, Farmers' Markets can help bring new life to cities and towns. They encourage consumers to buy locally and can help draw consumers to local retailers near the market.

Wisconline.com has a great Farmers' Market page to help Wisconsin folks find markets in our neck of the woods, and, Local Harvest has a stellar search tool to help folks all across the US find a Farmers' Market as well. Just click Farmers' Markets in the What are you looking for? box, enter your Zip, click Search, and you are on your way to finding the most fresh grub in town.

Going to the local Farmers' Market is a great way to get your weekend started. Rather than laying around in your PJs and bunny slippers until half the day has gone to pot, why not gather the munchkins, jump in the family grocery-getter, and hightail it to your local Farmers' Market for some FRESH fun?  Don't forget to buy yourself some farm fresh eggs while you're there too! 

P.S. I'd love to know you're all alive and listenin', so feel free to post information about your favorite markets or some of the things you can't wait to buy in the comment section of this post!!

The Farmer & The Deer...

I received the following story via email from one of Travis' friends and had to share it with y'all.  It's anonymously written and I'm not sure that it's even a true event, but it's funny as all get out! 

The beautiful thing about this story is that, if you live in the country, you surely know at least one person you can imagine attempting this very same thing.

I know several...Including, but not limited to, my husband, his best friend, Luke, who sent the email, and his other best friend, Chris.  These are the same country boys who found fun in pushing a Port-O-John around with their pick-up.

Why we shoot deer in the wild (A letter from someone who wants to remain anonymous, who farms, writes well and actually tried this).

I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home.

I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it. After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up-- 3 of them. I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope. The deer just stood there and stared at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold..

The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation. I took a step towards it, it took a step away. I put a little tension on the rope .., and then received an education. The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.

That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt. A cow or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity. A deer-- no Chance. That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled. There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined.. The only upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.

A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison. I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.

I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual. Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in. I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder - a little trap I had set before hand....kind of like a squeeze chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back.

Did you know that deer bite?

They do! I never in a million years would have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when ..... I reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist. Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and slide off to then let go. A deer bites you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull. They bite HARD and it hurts. The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly. I tried screaming and shaking instead. My method was ineffective.

It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it. While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose.

That was when I got my final lesson in deer behavior for the day.

Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp... I learned a long time ago that, when an animal -like a horse --strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.

This was not a horse.. This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and run. The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head. Deer may not be so different from horses after all, besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil, because the second I turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.

Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head. I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away. So now I know why when people go deer hunting they bring a rifle with a scope......to sort of even the odds!!

All these events are true so help me God... An Educated Farmer 

Scrumdiddlyumptious!

I must apologize for my 3 week sabbatical. With all the rain around here this year, we've had an extended "spring" season at work which has required long hours for Travis and little extra time for me. However, after practically inhaling two scrumdiddlyumptious ears of sweet corn this evening, I felt compelled to tell you all about it!

I wait patiently all year for the sweet, crisp, delicious bicolors that are grown locally. Sure, you can get frozen corn on the cob year round or buy the semi-fresh early stuff that comes in from Florida, but once you've had the local stuff...nothing else will do!

You can roast it, grill it, boil it...even eat it raw! The popping noise that it makes as you make your way back and forth like an old-school typewriter is like a party in your mouth. No mushy, rubbery sweet corn here!

Working at a farm cooperative has its benefits. I meet so many local producers and many of them stop by with fresh, sweet treats like the corn I enjoyed this evening. One of the producers that we service, Ingersoll Farms, has some of the best in town. They have roadside stands all over; just look for the gigantic wood cutouts of smiling sweet corn pointing the way!

If you haven't already, go out and get you some...And, don't forget the butter!

Night Skies & Fireflies

The above scene, Catching Fireflies by Tim Ladwig, captures two of the things I love most about living in the country this time of year. Night skies & fireflies...

Our backyard rests against a 30+ acre field and just across the street is another large field. Each year the crop rotates from corn to soybeans; this year, we get to watch the corn grow. Fireflies dance through the fields, attracting one another with their flashy glow. I remember as a child running, mason jar in hand, trying to catch just one so I could see that mysterious glow up close!

The glow of the fireflies wouldn't be nearly as spectacular if it weren't for the backdrop of the stars scattered across that clear, dark-blue night sky. I've lived in the city. The city lights can be a vision too, but I haven't found a cityscape that compares to the country sky. Being able to lay in the grass and view God's lights really puts things into perspective for me.

Take some time to rest your head on the grass and enjoy the breath-taking country view at night. If you're a city dweller and the city lights are blocking your view, take a ride out to my neck of the woods...We've got plenty of grass to share.