The End of Harvest Season

So I've been dreading the end since the beginning. The CSA season has now been over for well over a month. My mind has been filled with thoughts like, "What will we eat? How will we be nourished throughout winter? No more farm fresh eggs?" It truly is a sad, sad thing... however, as you can see in my pictures below, we've been so blessed with an abundance of food that I've been able to "put up" many vegetables to use throughout the cold season! (Plus there's only 20+ weeks until the new harvest season begins! Yes, I'm counting!)

Anytime Dustin and I are driving back in town from traveling we start remembering how blessed we've been here in St Louis. Every time, the same blessing reaches the top of my list: Farmer Mike, his family, and their generous gift of a CSA box and eggs each week during the growing months. Sure, I may help distribute other shareholder's boxes a few hours a week, but I get paid in gold through the fresh, organic, delicious farm raised vegetables and eggs (and sometimes meat) from my friend and fellow believer, Farmer Mike. God is so good. And so is His food when eaten the way it was intended to be eaten.

Many of you who've followed along here have picked up on our family's eating "style" (for a lack of a better word). We haven't always eaten this way. Really, only since I found out I was pregnant with Julip did we start changing the food in our pantry and refrigerator from processed, filler foods to nourishing, fresh foods. I cannot even begin to tell you how much it has changed our lives. I truly try to honor God with the foods I put in my mouth and feed my family, and that is a peace-filled feeling. (Don't worry, there is the occasional Panda Express lunch and Red Baron frozen pizza...but it's all about balance, right? :) )

                                   

At the farm with the silly turkeys and a few chickens! We're eating one for Christmas dinner!

A few weeks ago, Farmer Mike invited our family for a day at the farm. We helped harvest all those peppers and potatoes, played with the funny turkeys (that are available for Thanksgiving/Christmas), and shared a delicious, home cooked, farm raised meal of "farmer's soup", homemade bread, and local jams. It was such a fun day for our family and really made "knowing where your food comes from" a real deal. One of the best decisions you could ever make for your family is getting to know a local farmer you can support and befriend. 

 Melon, cucumber, zucchini, green beans, napa cabbage, bitter melon, grapes, okra. 

 APPLES, okra, sweet peppers, green beans, cucumbers, melons, squash, zucchini. 

 Napa cabbage, sweet and chocolate peppers, watermelon, kohlrabi (our fave), green beans, little peppers, hot peppers, radishes, apples, zucchini, tomatoes! 

 Tomatoes ripening in the window.

 Spinach, sweet peppers, greens, pumpkin, radishes, tomatoes, apples, sunchokes, green peppers. 

Kohlrabi, radishes, turnips, horseradish root, squash, napa cabbage, hot peppers, sweet peppers, arugula (yum), tomatoes!

                           

Turnips, radishes, black radishes, potatoes (we helped harvested), cabbage leaves, collard greens, lettuce, rainbow chard, winter squashe (cut in half because it is that big!), and some final tomatoes. 

I did a pretty poor job of documenting our weekly goods. But I hope you were at least encouraged to start or continue on your journey to a healthier, more responsible way of nourishing your body!
with love, 

Caro, xoxo 

P.S. Are you at all interested in our food journey? Where it began, what we normally eat, why we eat a certain way? How it's even possible for a budget-following, single paycheck family to eat healthfully and organically? Let me know in the comments!