Why a blog ? Why about Farms ?

So why a blog , why about farms ? I seem to have this obsession with buying local food and supporting our local farmers and friends. I have spend much of my time working in the Food Bank of WNY garden, doing cooking demo's at the Grider Street Farmers Market and canning and making jams this summer. As the growing season is coming to an end- I still have been super busy but I feel that there might be and of this busy season in sight. I have so many thoughts and ideas.

I have to be honest that all of this has been hard work.

The Garden Season at the Food Bank Garden has almost come to an end for the season. We have a few people who are stilling growing beans, lettuce and other things. Last week most folks came and pulled out most of their garden beds- and of course it was a rainy cold day.So much of the produce is was full of mud. I have been using some of the produce for many of our food demo's at the Grider Street Market and then I bring the rest to NRC Food Pantry. For the last two of three weeks Judy ( my garden, food and food stamps partner in crime) brought some of the food to her Food Shuttle run. Last week we harvested so many green tomatoes and hot peppers. I am thinking I have about 15 bags that I dropped off in the garage last Saturday. I am so thankful the tomatoes are green- so there is no big hurry- but I do miss being to park my car in the garage. Each day I bring up a bag and clean the veggies to wash and then bring to pantry. The funny part is my niece and three nephews call the FB garden the Farm and I use to laugh at that.but now I am beginning to think they are right ! I have met this really great farmer family from the Grider Street Market and on Thursday, Holly and I visited their farm and Saturday I worked with the family at their farm stand at the Clinton Bailey Market.l After spending so much time with family I am not so sure our community garden isn't really a farm. Although I am so jealous they have this really big kitchen sink that is outdoors and that is where they wash their vegetables and I have to bring the dirty vegetables up a flight a stairs and use my kitchen sink and dry each vegetables because I do not have the sun to to dry them in my apartment. The other problem is that I live in an apartment and I think I live in a very large house. The other problem is I hate to see food go to waste so I all the ugly tomatoes that are smashed or splitting try to make something out of it. So my Saturdays are usually pretty overwhelming cleaning and cooking- but I love it.