Warm Sunny Days and Harvest Festivals

Holy moly it's cold outside! Yes, yes I know Western Canadians, it's much colder where you are on a more consistent basis, but there's a reason I don't live where you live... COLD. I was once offered a heckuva job in Alberta, a Chef's dream job, making more than double what a Chef would make in my area but I'm just not made for -30+ weather. No. Thank. You.

Anyhow, I thought I'd revisit some warmer, happier times when my friends at Martin's Family Fruit Farm invited the community to celebrate a successful harvest with them. I love these people, not only do they feed my family delicious local produce all year round but then they invite to come have fun and eat free food?!?! All kinds of awesome.

The day started out with lots of fun for the kiddies, including a bouncy elephant and the amazing balloon and face painting creations of Breanne.

                

 

Who needs hay rides when you can sit on a tractor and pretend to drive it? We had to drag N away from the tractor after a huge lineup formed behind him. Luckily, the tractor stayed in the same spot for a while so we were able to take a quick "ride" in the weeks after the festival.

Much to my chagrin, the boys tasted their very first candy apples. O looks worried about it here but I think it was just the sun in his eyes.

And then we picked up our groceries for the week. The retail store was so packed we only grabbed a fraction of what we usually buy from the outdoor stand, there's was no way we were squeezing into that store! The apples pictured here are Ginger Gold, by far our favourite apples. They're early season September apples so we can only get them for a few weeks but we usually eat though 2 bushels before they disappear. Those carrots came in a 10 lb bag and we're so spoiled by how sweet they are, no one in my house will eat carrots that come from anywhere else. I appreciate that the family handpicks all the produce that appears in the store from the Elmira Produce Auction (this is a terrible video but it does show Steve Martin at auction buying delicious local food!) or from farms they have relationships with. You can't get any fresher without growing your own. When I buy peppers from Martin's, they often last for more than 2 weeks in the fridge. From sketchy winter market vendors or the grocery store, their lifespan is usually measured in days.

Ahhhhh, I feel warmer now, don't you? If I close my eyes and snuggle up under my blankets, I can almost picture my own vegetable garden basking in the sun of summer 2014.

Many thanks to the fine folks at Martin's Family Fruit Farm who feed my family 365 days a year, your exceptional service, commitment to quality and top-notch delicious apples make it easy for my family to eat healthy and local all year round!





You can find Martin's Family Fruit Farm at 1420 Lobsinger Line, RR#1 in Waterloo, less than 5 minutes past the St. Jacob's Market. They're open Monday to Saturday and always have a great selection of local produce along with apples, ciders, local eggs, cheese, milk, jams and maple syrup.

*This post was not sponsored.... unless you count those delicious treats we got to eat at the Harvest Festival. I just freaking love this farm and think more people should take the time to know where their food comes from. #KnowYourFarmer #LoveYourFarmer #FarmersFeedCities