Why I Like My Farmers

I picked up our weekly share from Square 1 Farm tonight. Monday nights are, culinarily speaking, the most awesome night of the week. But it’s not just about the vegetables.

I pulled into Ryers Store around 5:30 PM. I see McKenzie first and immediately tease her about the Tomato Hornworm she’d posted pictures of. McKenzie is tough – I can tell. I’m betting she was quite the “tomboy” on the playground as a child. Tonight she’s wearing a dirty green T-shirt and some ripped denim cut-off shorts. It’s pretty clear she’s been working out in the field – the dirt on her neck attests to it. It’s evident that she’s no “girlie girl”.

I bring up the little green caterpillar and McKenzie immediately freezes. She pulls out her phone and shows me freeze-frame action of it turning its little head towards her in a threatening manner. She bobs her shoulders imitating the vicious worm.

It about here that Valerie pops around the corner. It’s clear she’s had the opportunity for more personal hygiene this afternoon. She looks fresh.  No dirt on her neck. But who had to save McKenzie from the little green worm? Valerie. And wait…  Who had to save McKenzie from the bees? Valerie. As we chat, more stories are revealed. Turkeys. Deer. Yah, Valerie.

The stories got weirder. Something about bating deer with peanut butter and then pointing in amusement as they shocked themselves on the electric fence. Something about teaching them not to make the easy jump over the fence. Something about a missing middle hoof the deer couldn’t hold aloft.

And then we get to the veggies. McKenzie explains that, because the onions were just pulled, they may not have properly “cured” yet and still have a little dirt on them. I tell her I understand that onions grow in dirt and may not be sterile when brought home from the farm. In fact, a little dirt on my veggies makes them feel all that much more fresh. They feel like they’re from the farm – and not from the grocery store. Like someone GREW them instead of PRODUCED them.

We had some chicken thighs thawing in the refrigerator tonight. I winged (wung?) a hunter’s style or “Chicken Cacciatore” inspired dish. I pulled the skin off the thighs and browned them in a Dutch oven, set them aside, and then tossed in some scallions, peppers, onions, and basil, all from today’s share, along with a red pepper that I found in the refrigerator, some garlic from a jar, and a little parsley from a back deck pot. Back in went the chicken with some broth and that all cooked down while I boiled some pasta. I served the thighs on the pasta with a bit of the tops of the scallions diced for a garnish and some Parmesan cheese.

I hope I honored McKenzie’s and Valerie’s work in the fields. I’m learning new respect for what goes into producing hand grown vegetables. My family seemed to enjoy the dish - there wasn’t much left. I know I enjoyed not just the vegetables, but knowing the farmers who fought off the tomato hornworms to grow them for us.