I would like a half-share, please.

Well, this summer is very different than last summer. Last summer we looked at the cloudy sky and hoped it wouldn't rain because the fields were too wet. This summer, we are avidly looking to the sky, hoping for a cloud formation that will bring us some much needed rain. It was the same way a few weeks back, and when it did finally rain, Luke and I literally danced in it - jumping around and cheering. And yet the drought is upon us again!

The situation is much worse in the southern part of the state. Luke and I were down there on Sunday, and Luke taught me how to tell how dry things are. He pointed out the corn to me. The corn was short - only knee height. And looking at the corn, it looked more like a pineapple farm than a corn field. Luke explained that when corn is stressed and lacking water, the leaves curl up on themselves and point straight out - a more cacti-like arrangement. It was very interesting to stare out the window, watching the terrain, and see the difference between corn that was irrigated and corn that wasn't.

Beyond that side note, I want to talk about healthy eating. People probably think Luke and I eat awesome all the time! That we gorge on veggies and are always enjoying our farm produce. The truth is, we don't utilize the great resources that we have here as much as we should. When I am going through the fridge and cupboards, planning my meal for the evening, I make note of what we have and then I use those items. The issue is that I don't think of the gigantic fridge outside that contains all of our delicious vegetables. Because of that, those items frequently go unused.

But, I'm trying to change that. I am putting in a big initiative to start depending more heavily on Luke's delicious vegetables. I make a smoothie most mornings, and my goal is to always include some sort of greens, even if it means walking across the dewy grass to get some greens from the raised beds. I want to incorporate more veggies into my diet, and be more sustainable by eating seasonally. If any person has the chance of being a seasonal eater, it is me! We do a pretty good job of that (we really never buy vegetables in the winter, but depend more on frozen foods), but we could make a bigger push. Eating sustainable also means more preserving in the summer, but Luke and I figure if we slowly pluck away at it, then it won't be so daunting.  (With that in mind, we do have a batch of salsa simmering away right now!)

So with that is my push to become a seasonal eater. I started yesterday where we had spring rolls with cabbage, carrots, red pepper, and a cilantro peanut butter sauce. Today, I made guacamole and a fresh salsa to enjoy with a raw walnut "taco" meat. It is important to practice what you preach, and here I am every week, writing these recipe sheets that utilize all of our farm vegetables, but then I don't use them myself. It seems pretty silly honestly, so I guess what I really mean is "Can I get a half-share, please?" Luke makes about 50 CSA half-shares every week. I'm asking Luke to bring in a box of goodies every week that contains all the produce we have available on the farm, sort of like we are our own customers. With that, hopefully my seasonal eating push will be more successful.