This nice thing about living a relatively rural area is that our kids are regularly exposed to farm life. Whether passing cows on the way to church or speeding by the cornfields on the way to visit Grandma and Grandpa, our kids are not strangers to seeing what happens on a farm.
Still, it’s nice for the fall fields trips at the schools to include trips to various farms in the area. This past week, Matthew’s preschool took a trip to Round Hill Farm in Culpeper, VA. Every fall, part of this large working farm transforms into a destination for kids of all ages. Pumpkin patches, hayrides, and a barnyard petting zoo are just a part of the fun here. The kids particularly love the playground area and the freedom to just run like crazy for a bit. For my part, I love that they get to see, even if just for a little while, the type of place that helps to supply our food. I like to think that this early connection with food sources will, ultimately, lead to a greater respect for food and for the environment from which that food comes.
I took a number of great shots that day, but one of my favorites really seemed to capture the essence of this farm experience. A cloudy day on the farm, a hayride following uneven tracks through an open field, and a weathered barn and silo looking on in the distance. The owners are too busy working to make it pretty. Once you get that, you understand that it doesn’t need to be and that the weathering gives it a beauty all it’s own.
How do you connect yourself and/or your children with food sources? Do you connect with the farmers at the local markets? Are you able to get down to the farm yourself? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Leave a Reply