The Farm and B&B

          We have all seen the bumper sticker or heard the phrase "Know your Farmer, know your Food"  and I like to think of myself as "Know your Kitchen". Farmer-Food, so obvious this statement, yet many don't associate farmers (I am not talking factory farmers, I mean real farmers) with their food. We have become so spoiled in this country that many important things have been lost along the way. We can go into any grocery store and find almost every type of  "fresh food" we desire at the tip of our fingers, but the real question is this, is this really a good thing? We stopped thinking about where and how these items got here to the store. But when we take a moment and think, we start to realize the answer. No, this is not really a good thing, we start to think where did these things come from, what did they have to go through to get here, wax on fruit that "preserves the fruit"  that needs to washed off before we can eat it because companies decieve our eyes with what "looks" healthy, which then tricks our minds into thinking it is healthy. I have for nearly the last two years only used local, seasonal items. If wasn't in season I didn't buy nor eat it. This last statement isn't totally true either, because I did just have strawberries the other day that were local, how can that be you ask? Because last year when strawberries were in season, I froze a bunch. So if we learn to preserve what is in season, "seasonal" , local eating becomes a little less difficult.
         So why the above spiel, with the title "The Farmand  B&B", because you can not eat local nor seasonal unless you take the time to start at the beginning of where you food comes from and who is bringing it to you.

THE FARM and B&B ILION



CO THE FARM

         Michael and Laura, The Farm and B&B. When I talk with people about, what I refer to as my farming family (truly they are all family to me), I start with: "well you know Michael and Laura"...but people look at me like..who? Then I say "you know The Farm B/B", of course the response is "oh yea I know them, great stuff". For the longest time I would think to myself, good lordy, Michael and Laura have been swallowed up by the farm and no longer exist, no indentity of themselves!

         THE FARM and B&B is exactly who Michael and Laura are! This hit me, like when my mother would send something flying across the room when I was misbehaving! and it became even more evident when I had the honor of spending a few hours with them a couple weeks ago.

         I had an appointment to visit, I think was early April. When I was checking my email the morning of, I had one from Laura. Simply asking if we could postpone this "interview", because she and Michael....now pay attention here...were not happy how their green house looked! They wanted even their seedlings to be the best for all to see! I was floored and immediately wrote and said yes that was fine, thinking the whole time, "does anyone know that this couple has so much passion and desire to put forth the best food they can for us, right done to the seedlings! Even writing this I am at a loss for words to explain the excitement that fills me to know that these two people care that much...but you will learn that there are a fair number of local farmers (I will be "interviewing" two others for sure, but a couple others are in the works as well!) that are just the same way, so we really are blessed in this area!

co 2012 catmacera/foodshed

        

        So, finally the big day is here, I load up my camera, tripod, couple of towels etc. Now The Farm B/B is only 7 minutes from my home...7 minutes up the hill and I am transported into a whole other world. 11:30-ish am, at the bottom of the hill, cloudy, maybe a touch of rain but climbing the hill, I soon become wrapped in fog. (don't you just love when nature entertains you with her beauty!) So up the hill I continue until I see The Stand, which is where the Farms B/B CSA boxes will soon be filled, sorted and placed for pick-up. Next is the green house, which out of the corner of my eye I see Laura. Then next, is The Farm and B&B surrounded by the fog yet all of its beauty showed through, truly impressive. (note: the photograph of  The Farm B/B house is one of Laura's and as beautiful as the house was surrounded by the fog, her photo really captures the true beauty). As I unload my car (gosh I make it sound like I had so much, not really though ha) Laura greets me with a glorious smile and we proceed to have lunch first. Which for me, is a time to just chat with the two. Farmers time is so limited, year round but starting now to fall, squeezing in time to "entertain" in the almost 100 hr weeks ,well to say the least is impossible!
          Laura, a petite woman but holds herself with a inner strength that just says, when you look at her "yes I have experienced life" a look we don't see all to often today in society, but, I for one find this to also be what makes Laura the beautiful person she is. Her green-brown flecked eyes brighten so much when she talks about The Farm, the produce they grow, the importance of educating people of what healthy, good for you food should be.
          Michael, well a few months back I went to a dinner with Slow Food Mohawk Valley Board members (which Michael and Laura are part of and very active in) it was then that I learned, Michael and I have something in common, or at least I think we do. He's a, well what I call, a watcher/thinker. He is soft spoken, takes his time to answer and you can almost see in his eyes his mind working and gathering inforamtion. Which, he is like an atrisian well, never ending (Laura too) with information.
  

          Over a wonderful lunch of grilled cheese and kale soup we discuss many things from why they don't have Ilion Electric to the merging of our schools here to some of their adventures in life. Very relaxing, and for me a time to get to KNOW MY FARMER...
          Over the next several weeks I share my journey of getting to know OUR FARMERS, so please follow along, this is just a teaser. You're going to enjoy this journey I am sure! So please stay tuned.
         In the meantime, I encourage you to, if you really want the whole experience of where and how you food is grown to consider this, giving Laura or Michael a hand at the farm. I term this as a "farm-day-cation". Email them to see when and what kind of help they need, weather it is weeding, perhaps planting (tomato prepping/planting will be a good time). This is truly a great way to connect to the farmer, but also with your food source. Most importantly, it helps you start to understand why things cost what they do and appreciate your food  and FARMER even more.

Email: lauraknight@thefarmandbandb.com   or mskinboston@yahoo.com