Blueberry Picking

  

Oh, July!  It's blueberry time in these parts, and we are enjoying farm-fresh blueberries by the bushel at our local Farmers' Markets and nearby farms.  Today we left the city for a morning of blueberry picking at a delightful little fruit farm, where we picked and ate pounds of fresh blueberries warmed by the beaming July sun.

It is such a gift, I think, for our children to be intimately connected to seasonal harvests, to appreciate the delicate dance between nature and grower, and to value fresh, sustainably-grown, local food.  So much of our summer learning revolves around seeking, growing, harvesting, preparing, and enjoying local food, understanding the important interplay of these things.  Back-to-the-farm movements come and go, but I'm hopeful that the modern "locavore" trend has greater staying power, particularly as a new generation learns to care about where and how their food is produced and consumed, and to identify the stark contrast between industrialized and local food.

Blueberry cake, blueberry muffins, blueberry pie, blueberry jam, blueberry smoothies....oh my!  I hope you're enjoying some summertime goodness too!